Noun Clauses
A noun clause is a large noun, one that has a subject and a predicate:
- Do you know who that is?
- I don't know what he said.
- We have to change where we are going to hold the party.
- Have you decided when the meeting will take place?
- I don't know why he did that.
- I don't know how he did that.
Noun clauses start with the W5H words:
- who
- what
- where
- when
- why
- how
Noun clauses also begin with "that." In these cases, "that" means "the fact that."
- Did you know that the CEO of the company is visiting us tomorrow?
You can tell that this is a noun clause and not a relative clause because the clause answers the question "Did you know WHAT?"
- I like that John lives next door.
I’m not saying I like John. I’m saying I like the fact that John lives next door. Maybe I like to borrow his tools.
Structure of a noun clause
A noun clause consists of a subject and a predicate.
It differs from a gerund or infinitive phrase, which function as nouns, in that gerund and infinitive phrases don’t contain a predicate.
A noun clause also differs from an adjective/relative clause in that it functions as a noun (subject or object) rather than as a modifier.
Relative pronouns and relative adverbs
Relative pronouns in noun clauses:
- who: I don’t know who ate your cookie. (I don’t know what?)
- whoever: Whoever arrives late will be punished. (Who will be punished?)
- that: I didn’t know that he is a cop. (I didn’t know what?)*
*that = the fact that
- I like that John lives next door.
- Do I like John? This information is not contained in the sentence. All we know is that I like the fact that John lives next door, perhaps because he owns many tools that I often borrow.
Relative adverbs (used in exactly the same way as relative pronouns) in noun clauses:
- where: On the form, you must indicate where you were born. (You must indicate what?)
- why: I don’t know why I’m here. (I don’t know what?)
- when: I don’t know when she’s arriving. (I don’t know what?)
- how: I’d like to know how to do this correctly. (I’d like to know what?)