Download Grammar Review: Noun Clauses

Noun Clauses
Ever since you first toddled into a school house door, your
teachers have been telling you that a noun is a person, place or
thing.
Unfortunately, some linguists have demonstrated that such a
definition is entirely too simple.
But since we aren’t linguists, we will lock those fellows in the
closet (metaphorically speaking, of course) and hang on to the
definition we know: A noun is a person place or thing.
Remember
1. A noun is a part of speech.
2. Subjects and objects are parts of a sentence.
3. Nouns function as subjects or objects.
4. Therefore: Nouns = subjects or objects.
Example:
The burrito gave me heartburn.
("Burrito" and "heartburn" are the nouns in this sentence. "Gave" is the verb and "burrito" is the
subject.)
But What About This One?
What I had for breakfast gave me heartburn.
(The verb is still "gave," but the subject is a noun clause: "What I had for breakfast.")
A sentence like the one above sends some people to the aspirin
bottle.
Why isn’t the subject "I"?
Why isn’t it "breakfast"?
Remember
To find the subject of a sentence, locate the verb and ask who or what about the verb .
In the sentence above, ask "what gave me heartburn?"
"I"? clearly not.
"Breakfast"? not exactly.
"What I had for breakfast"? Right.
"But wait," you say. "I thought a noun was a person place or
thing"?
It is. Think about "what I had for breakfast" as being a thing or
things.
Let's look at some more examples:
(the noun clauses are underlined)
What the English teacher said was downright inspiring.
(This noun clause is used as a subject.)
The wonderful thing about English teachers is that they all get
along so well.
(This noun clause is used as a subject complement)
I must decide which English course to take.
(This noun clause is used as a direct object.)
English teachers dispense wisdom to whoever will listen.
(This noun clause is the object of a preposition)
By now it is becoming clear that lots of dependent signals
introduce noun clauses.
Below is a list.
Dependent signals which introduce noun
clauses
Who Whom
Whose Which
That if
Whether What
When Where
How Why
And various forms of "-ever":
Whoever Whenever
Whatever Wherever
Notice
Lots of these words are flexible. They can do different things
in different sentences.
Let's look at some more examples:
Don't all students wish they knew more grammar?
(Be careful here. The dependent signal, "that," is implied.)
The students don't know whether or not they can stay awake
during the lecture.
(This is a noun clause used as a direct object)
Although I respected what the teacher said, I disagreed with
his conclusion.
(Wow, this is tricky. This is a noun clause inside an adverb clause. The adverb clause is "Although I respected
what the teacher said." The verb of the clause is "respected." The subject of the clause is "I." The direct
object of the clause is "what the teacher said.")
Anyone who says that English teachers are boring will be
punished.
(This is another tricky one. This is a noun clause inside an adjective clause. The adjective clause is "who says
that English teachers are boring." The verb of the adjective clause is "says." The subject of the clause is
"who." The object of the adjective clause is "that English teachers are boring." Isn't that neat? Doesn't that
make you want to become an English teacher? Or at least marry one?)
MATT MULLEN WAS HERE!