Nouns and Noun Clauses

 

Welcome to today's lesson, as we continue in our chapter about nouns.  As with all examples and exercises in all of our ESL Help! Desk units, the sentences you see below are contributed by other ESL students in college-level ESL classes.

To study the previous lesson, "Pronouns and the Improper Use of Double Negatives," click here.  Otherwise, continue below.

Before you begin the activities, you may want to study the podcast and grammar lesson, He's Always Talking about Grammar, also in our Library. (This lesson is is open to members only but membership is free!)

What Is a Noun Clause?

 


What's wrong with this sentence?

Problem:   I knew when was the baby hungry.

A noun clause is a special type of noun phrase; it is a noun phrase that contains a subject and a verb.

subject (pronoun):    I
verb:                       wanted

Noun Clause:            ...that I wanted to go to college.
Complete Sentence:   I told them that I wanted to go to college.

A NOUN CLAUSE can exist as the subject of a sentence:

  •   Where they were was my little secret.

...or as the object of the verb or preposition:

  • I told them that I wanted to go to college.

NOUN CLAUSES typically begin with the following words:
Question Words: when, where, why, how, who, whom, what, which
Choice Words: whether, if, whether or not,
that- Clause: that*
* includes Indirect Speech:  I told him that I wanted to go to college.

Noun Clauses and Subject-Verb Agreement

 

A noun clause is treated as a singular noun. Note the subject-verb agreement in the example below.

  •   Why they stole my pocketbook is something that I'll never know.

Noun Clauses and Word Order

 

A noun clauses follows standard subject-verb word order of a declarative sentence.

Always check to see that you have proper word order of a noun clauses when you are editing your writing:  Many learners of English see a question word and mistakenly use the word order for a question.


Problem:   I knew when was the baby hungry.
Solution:   I knew _____________________.

You will find the answers in our "Answer Key". You can access the "Answer Key" by using your Library Card to enter the Library, and then scroll down to find the shelf, "Answer Key".   Choose this lesson, Noun Clauses.

Next...  Editing Practice #1

 

Next:  Chapter Review:  Editing Practice #1

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