Download THE NOUN CLAUSE COMPLEX SENTENCE

SEVENTH WEEK
COMPLEX SENTENCES: THE NOUN CLAUSE
COMPLEX SENTENCE: a kid of sentence which has one independent clause and one or more
dependent clauses.
KINDS OF DEPENDENT CLAUSES:
(a) Adverb Clause
(b) Adjective Clause
(c) Noun Clause
THE NOUN CLAUSE
I. The structure of the Noun Clause
A. Relative Pronouns or Subordinating Conjunctions
(1) Can be used in both adjective clause and noun clauses:
pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that
conjunctions: when, where, why
(2) Can be used only in noun clauses:
pronouns: what, whatever, whoever, whichever
conjunctions: how, whether
COMPARE:
He likes the girl who is coming.
Pron. VT
Noun Adjective Clause
(Subj.)
(D.O.)
I don’t know who is coming.
Pron.
VT
Noun Clause
(Subj.)
(D.O.)
B. Basic Sentence Types in the Noun Clause
(1) Whoever studies hard…
Rel. Pron. VI Adverb
(Subj.)
(2) Whatever he likes…
RP Pron. VT
(D.O.) (Subj.)
(3) Who he became…
RP Pron. LV
(subj. (Subj.)
Complement)
TYPE 1
whoever
N + VI
TYPE 2
whatever
N + VT + N
TYPE 3
who
N + LV + N
(4) COMPARE:
I don’t know when he will arrive.
Pron.
(Subj.)
VT
TYPE 1
N + VI +
Noun Clause
(D.O.)
when
ADVERB (then)
PREP. PH.
(at that time)
We will have dinner when he arrives.
Main Clause
Adverb Clause---Future-possible Condition
(See Text pp. 249-250)
II. Position of the Noun Clause within the Main Clause
(1) Whoever likes Shakespeare will come to this play. TYPE 1
Noun Clause
VI
Prep. Ph.
(Subject)
NOUN CLAUSE + VI
(No example given) TYPE 2 NOUN CLAUSE + VT + N
(2) Her mother will decide whether she can go.
TYPE 2 N + VT + NOUN CLAUSE
Noun
VT
Noun Clause
(Subject)
(Direct Object)
(3) The company will give whoever signs up for the tour a map of the city.
Noun
VT
Noun Clause
Noun Prep. Ph.
(Subject)
(Indirect Object)
(Direct Object)
(4) Bill thought the party boring.
Noun VT Noun Adjective
(Subj.)
TYPE 2
N + VT + NOUN CLAUSE + N
TYPE 2
N + VT + N + N or ADJ.
(D.O.) (Object Complement)
Bill thought the party what he had expected it to be.
Noun VT Noun
Noun Clause
(Subj.)
(D.O.)
(Object Complement)
TYPE 2 N + VT + N + NOUN CLAUSE
(5) That she loves him is what he cares the most about.
Noun Clause
LV Noun Clause
(Subject)
(Subject Complement)
TYPE 3
NOUN CLAUSE + LV + NOUN CLAUSE
(6) It is important that you attend this meeting.
Pron. LV Adjective NOUN CLAUSE
(Pattern 9)
(Dummy (Subj.
(Real Subject)
TYPE 3 IT + LV + ADJ. + NOUN CLUSE
Subj.)
Complement)
Note: Noun clauses are often used in
this pattern because in English
the major emphasis is at the END
of the sentence.
(7) Noun Clause as Adjective Complement
I am happy that you came.
Pron. LV Adj.
Noun Clause
(Subj.)
TYPE 3 N + LV + ADJ. + NOUN CLAUSE
(Pattern 7)
(Subj. (Adjective Complement)
Complement)
(8) Noun Clause as Object of Preposition
You may ask about whatever you don’t understand.
Prep.
Noun Clause
(Object of Preposition)
III. The Noun Clause as Subject
(1) Whoever is ready can make a speech
Noun Clause
VT
Noun
(Subject)
(D.O.)
(2) Whichever horse is faster will win.
Noun Clause
VI
(Subject)
(Whoever)
Noun Clause: describes a person or persons
Verb: Action verb
(Whichever)
Noun Clause: refers to living things
Verb: Action verb
(3) What you hope for may not
Noun Clause
VI
happen.
occur.
Noun Clause: describes an event
Verb: happen or occur
(Subject)
(4) That he is always late for work annoys his boss.
Noun Clause
VT
Noun
(Subject)
(D.O.)
Noun Clause: describes a situation
Verb: Arousal of a feeling or
reaction
decide
(5) What the weather is like will determine whether we go hiking tomorrow.
Noun Clause
VT
Noun Clause
(Subject)
(Direct Object)
Noun Clause: describes a situation or
condition
Verb: Verb of decision
(6) That this new discovery may have harmful effects is what worries many scientists.
Noun Clause
LV
Noun Clause
(Subject)
(Subject Complement)
Noun Clause: describes a situation or
condition
Verb: Linking verb
IV. The Relative Pronoun THAT in Noun Clauses and Adjective Clauses
(D.O.)
(1) Linda is the girl (that) Bill met yesterday.
Noun
LV Noun
(2) Fred knows
Noun VT
Adjective Clause
(that) Bill met Linda yesterday.
Note: In a noun clause THAT has no
Noun Clause--DIRECT OBJECT
grammatical function
(3) He is glad (that) he passed the test.
Pron.LV Adj. Noun Clause--ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
(4) That he came surprised everyone.
Noun Clause
SUBJECT
VT
Pronoun
Note: If a noun clause beginning with THAT is
the subject or subject complement, THAT
CANNOT be left out.
V. Mistakes to Avoid
A. The following relative pronouns and subordinating conjunctions can be used in
both NOUN CLAUSES and QUESTIONS:
who, whom, whose, which, when, where, why, what, how
COMPARE:
Question:
Where is he going?
Sentence using Noun Clause:
Where + AUXILIARY VERB + SUBJECT + VERB + ?
I don’t know where he is going.
Noun Clause
WHERE + SUBJECT + VERB
B. A NOUN CLAUSE is a DEPENDENT CLAUSE; therefore, it CANNOT stand by itself as a
complete sentence.
NOT CORRECT: That interest rates have gone down.
Noun Clause
CORRECT: That interest rates have gone down is good news for businessmen.
Noun Clause (SUBJECT)
LV Noun
Prep. Ph.
REMEMBER:
NOUN CLAUSE = NOUN