USING NOUN CLAUSES
Black Azar Units
Noun Clauses
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Grammar
Grammar
Grammar
14
What is a noun clause?
What is the syntax, or form, of a noun clause?

     WH-WORD SUBJECT VERB PHRASE  (WH SUB VP)
It is a sentence, or clause, which acts like a single noun, usually an object or a subject of a sentence.

Samples:

What is her name?    
     I don't know what her name is.

Who has Abdullah's phone number?    
     Let me find out who has Abdullah's phone number.

When is our next test?    
     I'm not sure when our next test is.

Where are we meeting this afternoon?    
     We haven't decided where we are meeting yet.

Why didn't he call me?    
     He didn't tell me why he didn't call you.
Fundamentals of English
Grammar

Unit 1
Present Time

Unit 2
Past Time

Unit 3
Future Time

Unit 4
Present Perfect & Past Perfect

Unit 5
Asking Questions

Unit 6
Nouns & Pronouns

Unit 7
Modal Auxiliaries

Unit 8
Connecting Ideas

Unit 9
Comparisons

Unit 10
Passive

Unit 11
Count/Noncount Nouns & Articles

Unit 12
Adjective Clauses

Unit 13
Gerunds & Infinitives

Unit 14
Noun Clauses

What WH-words can be used in a noun clause?

     who, what, where, when, why
   
     which N, what N, whose N, how Adj

     if / whether

     that


The following WH-words cannot stand alone.  Consider the noun (N) or adjective (Adj) to be part of the WH-word and not a subject or object when you are constructing a noun clause.  For example, in the sentence I wonder whose car this is, the WH-word is whose car, the subject is this, and the verb phrase is is.

     WHICH N:  Do you remember which flavor he wanted?

     WHAT N:  Can you tell me what time it is?

     WHOSE N:  Does anyone know whose phone this is?

     HOW Adj:  Would you help me figure out how much water I should bring?

The following WH-words are used in response to Yes/No questions.  Both if and whether mean the same thing, so either one is correct.  Do not use that.

     Can they come to the party?    
     I don't know if they can come to the party.

     Has she been to Paris?    
     I don't know if she has been to Paris.

     Does he like spicy food?    
     I have no idea if he likes spicy food.

Students often wonder when it is appropriate to use the WH-word that.  My answer is that WH-word that can be used only when none of the other WH-words are possible.  Additionally, when there is no doubt or question involved in what you are saying, that is probably the WH-word that you need to use.

    
Can they come to the party?    
     They told me that they could come to the party.

     Has she been to Paris?    
     I think that she went to Paris five years ago.

     Does he like spicy food?    
     I believe that he dislikes spicy food.

As you can see above, what you say before the noun clause is important when deciding whether or not to use the WH-word that.  If you look through chapter 14, you will see a list of verbs that are typically followed by that-clauses, as they are called.  Note the meaning of those verbs.  You will see that there is a sense of knowing something rather than not knowing.