Noun

clauses
Noun-Noun clause
Noun : a word that functions as the name of some
specific thing or set of things

Clause : the smallest grammatical unit that can express a

complete proposition.

Noun Clause : a clause that plays the role of a noun

A noun clause is used in the same ways as a noun.

(as a subject or an object)
 Subject-Object
His story was interesting. Story = noun
(subject)
What he said was interesting. He said = noun
clause
(subject)

I heard his story. Story = noun

(object)
I heard what he said. He said = noun clause

(object)
Words used to introduce noun
clause
When who Where whom Why what
How which whose
 

Whether if

That
Noun clause with question
words
Questions Noun clause

Where does she live? I don’t know where she lives.

Who lives there? Please tell me who lives there.

Why is she here? I don’t know why she is here.

What did she say? What she said surprised me.

exercise
1. (How old is he?) I don’t know ________________.
how old he is

2. (What was he talking about?) ____________ was

interesting.
What he was talking about

3. (Where does she live?) Please tell me

_________________.
where she lives
 Noun clause with whether or if

Yes/No question Noun clause

Will she come? I don’t know whether she will come.

I don’t know if she will come.

Does he need help? I wonder whether he needs help.

I wonder if he needs help.

Whether or not
I wonder whether or not she will
come.
I wonder whether she will come or
not.
I wonder if she will come or not.

Whether she comes or not is

unimportant to me.
exercise
1. Did you leave your dictionary in the living room?
I don’t remember ________________________.
whether/if I left my dictionary in the living room.

2. Is he having problem?
_________________________ is not my business.
Whether he is having problem

3. Will people live on the moon someday?

I am not sure ___________________________.
if people will live on the moon someday.
 Noun clause with that
Statements
Noun Clause
(Expression of an idea or fact)

He is a good actor. I think that he is a good actor.

I think he is a good actor.

The world is round. We know (that) the world is round.

She doesn’t understand spoken That she doesn’t understand

English. spoken English is obvious

It is obvious (that) she doesn’t

understand spoken English.

The world is round. That the world is round is a fact.

It is a fact that the world is round.