Chapter 6

Noun clauses

CarolinaRodrguezJurez

Chapter 6. Noun clauses

6. Noun clauses
6.1 Main and subordinate clauses
6.2 Types of subordinate clauses
6.3 Noun clauses
6.3.1 Finite clauses
6.3.1.1 That clauses
6.3.1.2 Interrogative clauses
6.3.2 Non-finite clauses
6.3.2.1 ing clauses
6.3.2.2 Infinitive clauses
6.3.2.2.1 Full infinitive or to-inf. clauses
6.3.2.2.2 Bare infinitive clauses
6.3.3 Practice
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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

6.1 Main and subordinate clauses

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

1.

John was writing a letter.

SENTENCE

1.

John was writing a letter and

CLAUSE

Mary was reading a book.

coordinating conjunction

CLAUSE

[CLAUSE + COORD. CONJ. + CLAUSE = SENTENCE]

3.

If it is raining, I wont go to the beach.

If it is RAINing, I wont GO to the beach.

subordinating conj.
[ SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

MAIN CLAUSE = SENTENCE ]

4. I dont know whether hes finished or not.

I dont KNOW whether hes FINISHed or not.
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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

SENTENCES:
1. SIMPLE: Subject + verb + (complements)
e.g. I like languages
2. COMPLEX: coordinated and subordinated
a. COORDINATED:
main clause + coordinating conj. + main clause
e.g. I like languages and I also enjoy literature.
b. SUBORDINATED:
main clause + subordinated clause

[subordinating conj. + subject + verb + (complements)]

e.g I think that teachers should prepare good lessons
e.g Although I was tired, I managed to finish the activity.
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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Homework:

Manual: 6.1 Main and subordinate clauses

(pp. 127-129)

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Manual: 6.2 Types of subordinate clauses

(pp. 129-130)
- Main clauses; also circle the conjunctions
When Mr. Hiram V. Otis, the American Minister, bought
Canterville Chase, everyone told him that it was not a very
wise thing to do because it was well-known that there was a

ghost in the place. Lord Canterville had felt that he must tell
Mr. Otis about it when he came to talk about the price.

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Canterville Chase is seven miles from the nearest railway

station, and Mr. Otis had telegraphed for a carriage to meet

them. It was a fine July evening, and the sky was blue. But as
they drove up to the castle a swarm of big black birds flew
over their heads, the sky became dark, and some big drops of
rain began to fall.

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Noun clauses (NC): functions

(pp. 130-131)
SUBJECT (S): What I want is a cup of hot cocoa.
NC+ verb
OBJECT (O): I noticed that he spoke English
verb + NC
COMPLEMENT (C): The best excuse is to say that you
Verb be + NC
PREPOSITIONAL COMPL. (PC): Im tired of being ...
Preposition + NC
ADJECTIVAL COMPL. (AC): They are busy preparing ...
Adjective + NC
NOUN COMPL. (NnC): Ive got the feeling that hes
Noun + NC

Manual: pp. 131, ex. 2, functions

6.3 Noun clauses, ex. 2, p. 131

delayed/ postponed subject

29. It is dangerous (adj.) to drive in this weather

To drive in this weather is dangerous (adj.).
(Subject)
anticipatory / preparatory it

Noun clauses: types

Manual, p. 131-2

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

That-clauses
Finite clauses
Interrogative
-ing clauses
Non-finite clauses
To-infinitive clauses
Bare infinitive clauses

Finite and non-finite verb forms (p. 131)

Finite:
John is eating chocolate.
Ive never eaten Japanese food.
subject + a tense form (conjugated)

Non-finite:
He loves eating junk food.
Id like to eat out tonight.
I saw him eat at the Greek restaurant.
present participle (-ing)
infinitive forms (bare and full infinitive)

6.3.1.1 That-

clauses: FUNCTIONS

delayed/
postponed subject
Manual:
pp. 132-133

48. Its essential (adj.) that you understand this problem.

That you understand this problem is essential.
anticipatory / preparatory it

That- clauses: after certain words

Manual, pp. 132-133, ex. 3

AFTER:
VERBS: mental states (believe, learn, etc.), feelings
(feel), reporting verbs (say, state, etc.)
ADJECTIVES: mental states (convinced), feelings
(disappointed), necessity (essential, important),
possibility (likely), fact (true, certain)

NOUNS: mental states (belief, conviction), feelings

(feeling, desire), after necessity / possibility, fact,
truth

That-clauses: translation (p. 133)

1. Es importante que el alumno compre un diccionario
monolinge.
2. El sugiri que los nios trajesen sus propios juguetes.
3. Es deseable que l est presente.

1. Its important that the student buy/should buy / buys

a monolingual dictionary.
2. He suggested that children bring / should bring /
brought their own toys.
3. Its desirable that he be / should be / is present.

That-clauses expressing the idea that something is

important or desirable: tenses
1. Its important that the student buy/should buy / buys a
monolingual dictionary.
2. He suggested that children bring / should bring / brought their
own toys.
3. Its desirable that he be / should be / is present.

Uses:
Formal English: that-clauses + subjunctive or should
E.g. Its desirable that he not leave school.
should not leave

Colloquial English: that-clauses + present / past forms

E.g. Its desirable that he doesnt leave school.

When can we leave that out?

(p. 134)
Obligatory to use that:
a) after belief, fact, news,
view (abstract nouns)
b) at the beginning of
sentences (That-clause as
Subject)
c) in long, complicated
sentences

Optional to use that:

when the that clause functions
as:
a) object
b) complement
c) noun complement
d) adjectival complement
e) when it comes after the
preparatory it (see
examples 6 & 8)

Id like to know what

I wonder whether / if
I dont know if / whether
I cant remember what/where..
I asked whether
Do you know if/whether?
Can you remember what/when ?
Have you got any idea if/whether?
Can you tell me where?

Indirect questions

6.3.1.2 Interrogative clauses

pp. 134-136

INTRODUCED BY:
Question words

Conjunctions

where
what
which
when
how
why
who
if
whether

Interrogative clauses: word order

I cant remember what the name of Bardems film is.
Question word + subject + verb
I dont know if / whether Bardem read his speech or
not.
If / whether + subject + verb

If / whether clauses: functions

(pp. 135-136)

FUNCTIONS:
Object (exs. 73, 74, 76, 78, 79)
Subject (exs. 77)
Prepositional complement: (exs. 75, 80)
Complement:
The question is whether to go or not.

If / whether clauses: uses (pp. 135-136)

Both if & whether Object:
if and whether + [subject + verb]
But after advise, consider, discuss whether
e.g. Can anyone advise whether Sony is better than Sanyo?)
ONLY WHETHER:
Subject (exs. 67, 77)
Whether + to-infinitive (ex. 74)
After a preposition (Prepositional complement) (ex. 80)
Noun + as to + whether (ex. 75)
Complement: The question is whether I should tell him the truth.

6.3.2 Non-finite clauses, pp. 136-137

Non-finite:
He loves eating junk food.
Id like to eat out tonight.
I saw him eat at the Greek restaurant.
present participle (-ing)
infinitive forms (bare and full infinitive)

6.3.2 Non-finite clauses: full infinitive and ing

pp. 137
VERB FORM
SIMPLE

TO-INFINITIVE

- ING

to eat

eating

NEGATIVE

not to eat

not eating

CONTINUOUS

to be eating

being eating

PERFECT

to have eaten

having eaten

PERF. CONT.

to have been eating

having been eating

PASSIVE

to be eaten

being eaten

PERF. PASSIVE

to have been eaten

having been eaten

6.3.2.1 ing clauses (participle clauses)

pp. 137-138
FUNCTIONS:
Example 91:
All the people eating at EL Dedo de Dios are German.
who are eating at El Dedo de Dios

reduced relative clause

Which is the subject of an ing

clause?

Pete is good at cooking Chinese food.

Who can cook Chinese food?

I am good at cooking Chinese food.

Who can cook Chinese food?

Theyre busy preparing salted potatoes

Who are preparing salted potatoes?

Mark is busy preparing salted potatoes

Who is preparing salted potatoes?

Implicit subject

Overt subject in ing clauses (p. 138)

The boss insists

them, their
her, her
on _______________
Mark , Marks
me , my

seeing Tom immediately.

- They
- She
- Mark
Explicit subject:
-I
- object form (colloquial contexts)
- possessive form (formal contexts, for
people)

Manual: exercise 9, p. 138

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

6.3.2.2.1. Overt subject in to-infinitive clauses

(p. 139)
104. Its difficult

for John
for me
_________to
for her

accept the situation.

Who is the subject of to accept the situation?

- John
-I
- she
Explicit subject: for + object form

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

6.3.2.2.2 Bare infinitive clauses

1. After rather than (complex preposition)
2. Complement of pseudo-cleft sentences
What I did was listen to her carefully.
3. Object complement (Quirk et al.):
The teacher made her write the essay again
Object Object complement
I saw

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them play in concert.

Object Object complement
Chapter 6. Noun clauses

NOMINAL CLAUSES - Practice 6.3.3.1

It was past eleven when we met again at the cabin.
Hopkins was for leaving the door of the cabin open, but
Holmes said this would make the man
think something was wrong. He also suggested

we should wait outside among the bushes that were

round the farther window. In this way we should watch
our man if he struck a light.

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Practice 6.3.3.2 Sentence completion

115. Learning to drive is not as difficult as I (had)
thought. /Learning to drive seemed easy but it isnt
116. It took them a long time to decide to get married.
117. The managing director wanted to know if it was
true or not / whether or not it was true that
you had been misappropriating company funds.
118. The doctor warned the patient to take it easy or he
would have another heart attack.
119. Let him do what he wants.
120. Having a bicycle enables you to travel around
without causing pollution.

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses

Practice 6.3.3.2
121. There was some doubt as to whether he was
telling the truth /his words were true.
122. He asked me where I was going.
123. The reason for Mark/Marks being so upset is
that he failed the driving test again.
124. Pat wanted her kids to share the comic.
125. It was completely out of the question that he
had stolen the document.
126. It was hard for students to follow the video
because of the difficult vocabulary.

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Chapter 6. Noun clauses