I CO 2011Grammar III

Noun Clauses

Student: Carlos Zeledon

What is a clause?A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.

An independent clause (main clause) is a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence.

A dependent clause (subordinate clause) is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause

Where Sue livesSue lives in Tokyo

A noun Phrase is used as a subject or

an object.

A noun Phrase is used as a subject or

an object.

A noun Clause is used as a subject or

an object.

A noun Clause is used as a subject or

an object.

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

Noun phrase

His story was interesting

Noun Clause

I heard what he said

Noun clauses beginning with a question word.

Question Noun ClauseWhere does she live? I do not know where she lives.

What did he say? I could not heart what he said.

When do they arrive? Do you know when they arrive?

Who lives there? I do not know who lives there.

What happened? Please tell me what happened.

Who is he? I do not know who he is.

What should they? What they should do is obvious.

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.

Question Noun Clause

Will she come?I do not know whether she will come.

I do not know is she will come

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

I wonder if he needs help

Question words fallowed by infinitives

Question words (when, where, how, who, whom, whose, what, which) and whether may be fallowed by an infinitive.

Examples:I don’t know what I should do.I don’t know what to do.

He can’t decide whether she should go or stay home.He can’t decide whether to or stay home.

Please tell me how I can get to the bus station.Please tell me how to get to the bus station.

Noun Clauses beginning with That

1. The word that, when it introduces a noun clause, has no meaning in itself. It simply marks the beginning of the clause. Frequently it is omitted, especially in speaking.

I think (that) he is a good actor.

2. That is not omitted when it introduces a noun clause used as the subject of a sentences.

That she does not understand spoken English is obvious.

3. More commonly, the word it functions as the subject and the noun clause is placed at the end of the sentence.

It is obvious (that) she does not understand spoken English.

Quoted Speech

It refers to reproducing words exactly as they were originally spoken. Quotation marks (“…”) are used.

Notes:Use a comma after she said. Capitalize the first word of the quoted sentence. Put the final quotation marks outside the period at the end of the sentence

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

“My brother,” she said, “is a student.”

Reported speech: verb forms in noun clausesReported speech: verb forms in noun clauses

It refers to using a noun clause to report what someone has said. No quotation marks are used.

It refers to using a noun clause to report what someone has said. No quotation marks are used.

Should, ought to, and might do not change to a past form.

Sometimes the present tense is retained in formal English when the reported sentence deals with a general truth.

An imperative sentence is changed to an infinitive.

Examples:

“I watch TV every day.” She said she watched TV every day.“I am watching TV.” She said she was watching TV.

“I have watched TV.” She said she had watched TV.“I watched TV.” She said she had watched TV.“I had watched TV.” She said she had watched TV.

“I will watch TV.” She said she would watch TV.“I am going to watch TV.” She said was going to watch TV.

“I can/may/must/have to watch TV.” She said she could/might/had to/had to watch TV.“I should/ ought to/ might watch TV.” She said she should/ ought to/ might watch TV.

“The world is round.” She said the world is round.“Watch TV.” She told me to watch TV.

Using the subjunctive in noun clauses

Using the subjunctive in noun clauses

A subjunctive verb uses the simple form. It does not have present, past, or future forms; it is neither singular nor plural.It is used in that-clauses that follow the verb and expressions listed bellow.

Examples:The teacher demands that we be on time.I insisted that he pay me the money.I recommended that she not go to the concert.It’s important that they be told the truth.I suggested that she see a doctor.I suggested that she should see a doctor.

Using –ever words

The following –ever words give the idea of “any”. Each pair of sentences in the examples has the same meaning.

Whoever wants to come is welcome.He makes friends easily with who (m) ever he meets.

He says whatever comes into his mind.There are four good programs on TV at 8:oo pm whichever you prefer.

You may leave whenever you wish.She can go wherever she wants to go.

The students may dress however they please.