GRAMMAR 4

CHAPTER 12

Noun Clauses

What is a clause?

A clause is a group of words containing

a subject and a verb

Examples: 1. Sue lives in Tokyo.2. Where does Sue live?

What is an Independent Clause?

An independent clause is a COMPLETE SENTENCE.

It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE is also called a MAIN CLAUSE

What is a dependent clause?

A dependent clause is NOT a complete sentence

It must be connected to an independent clause

Example: The book which is on the table is very good

Study now

The book which is on the table is very good

The book is very good is the main clause

which is on the table is the dependent clause

The book which is on the table is very good

What is the main clause here?• The book is very good.

What is the dependent clause here?which is on the table

Can a dependent clause stand alone?

Page 240

NOUN CLAUSES BEGINNING WITH A

QUESTION WORD

Noun Clauses beginning with WHETHER or IF

When a yes/no question is changed to a noun clause, whether or if is used to introduce the clause

EXAMPLES OF YES/NO QUESTIONSYes/No question: Will she come? I don’t know whether she will come. I don’t know if she will come.

Note how be-verb changes its position

Does he need help?

I wonder whether he needs help

I wonder if he needs help

Notice the patterns when or not is used

I wonder whether or not she will come.

I wonder whether she will come or not.

I wonder if she will come or not

Page No 247Question words (when, where, how, who, whom, whose,

what, which) and whether may be followed by an infinitive.

I don’t know what I should do. I don’t know what to do.Both have the same meanings

Examples of infinitive

Please tell me how I can get to the airport.

Please tell me how to get to the airport.

Jim told us where we could find it

Jim told us where to find it

Noun clauses beginning with that Page 248

Statement: He is a good actorI think that he is a good actor.

that he is a good actor is a noun clause, as the object of the verb think

We know (that) the world is round.Bracket shows its optional

See the difference

But when that and it are used as subject , they are compulsory and can't be removed.

That Ali is good at English is known to all.

In this sentence we can’t remove thatbecause that here introduces noun clause which

is the subject of the sentence

More examples

That the world is round is a fact.

Here that introduces a noun clause and so can’t be omitted.

2. It is a fact that world is round.

Here it is the subject and so can’t be omitted

QUOTED SPEECH

What is a quoted speech?

a. She said, “My brother is a student.”b. “My brother is a student,” she said.c. “My brother,” she said, “is a student.”

Note: All the three quoted speeches have the same meanings; only style or pattern of quotation is different.