Noun Clauses and How To Use Them

Summary

This video tutorial delves into the intricacies of noun clauses in English, a common structure that can be tricky for learners. It explains what noun clauses are, their function as a noun within a sentence, and how they can act as subjects or objects. The instructor outlines three types of noun clauses: those beginning with 'that,' 'wh-' words, and 'if' or 'whether.' The video clarifies common mistakes, such as incorrect word order and misuse of question words, and provides examples of correct usage. It also touches on the formal use of 'whether' over 'if' and the correct placement of 'or not.' The aim is to help viewers enhance their English proficiency and avoid typical errors when using noun clauses.

Takeaways

• 😀 Noun clauses are a type of clause that functions like a noun within a sentence, acting as subjects or objects.
• 🤔 Noun clauses can be identified by their structure, which includes a subject and a verb, and often begins with words like 'that', 'whether', 'if', or 'wh-' words.
• 🔍 The word 'that' is commonly used to introduce a noun clause, signaling that what follows is a clause rather than a simple noun.
• 🗣️ When speaking, it's common to omit 'that' for more natural speech, but it's often retained in writing for a more formal tone.
• 👀 Noun clauses that start with 'wh-' words or 'if' are used to ask indirect questions or provide information in a less direct manner.
• ❗ The word order in noun clauses should follow the standard subject-verb order, not the inverted order of direct questions.
• 📚 Noun clauses are often used after certain verbs (like 'know', 'think', 'hope') and adjectives (like 'surprised', 'glad') that describe a person's feelings or state.
• 💡 The use of 'whether' is more formal than 'if' and can include 'or not' at the end of the clause for emphasis.
• 📈 Common mistakes with noun clauses include incorrect word order and treating them as direct questions instead of statements.
• 📝 Practice using noun clauses to enhance English proficiency and avoid errors, which are common even among fluent speakers.

Q & A

What is a noun clause?

A noun clause is a type of clause that functions like a noun within a sentence, acting as a subject, object, or complement.

How can you identify a noun clause?

A noun clause can be identified by its structure, which includes a subject and a verb, and often starts with words like 'that', 'whether', 'if', or 'wh-' words (e.g., 'who', 'what', 'where').

What is the difference between a noun clause and an adjective clause?

While both are types of clauses, a noun clause functions as a noun in a sentence, whereas an adjective clause modifies a noun or pronoun.

Can you use a noun clause as the subject of a sentence?

Yes, a noun clause can act as the subject of a sentence. For example, 'That she was late to the meeting was surprising' uses a noun clause as the subject.

What are some common verbs that are followed by noun clauses?

Common verbs that can be followed by noun clauses include 'know', 'believe', 'think', 'hope', 'hear', 'remember', 'understand', and 'expect'.

Is it necessary to use 'that' in all noun clauses?

While 'that' is often used to introduce a noun clause, it can sometimes be omitted, especially in spoken English, to make the speech sound more natural.

How should the word order be arranged in a noun clause?

In a noun clause, the word order should follow the typical subject-verb-object order of a declarative sentence, not the question word order.

What is the function of 'wh-' words in noun clauses?

'Wh-' words in noun clauses introduce the clause and act as question words, providing information or asking an indirect question without using a direct question format.

Can noun clauses be used to ask indirect yes/no questions?

Yes, noun clauses can be used to ask indirect yes/no questions by starting with 'if' or 'whether', which are used to embed the question into a statement.

What is the difference between using 'if' and 'whether' in noun clauses?

Both 'if' and 'whether' can introduce noun clauses for yes/no questions, but 'whether' is more formal and can also be used with 'or not', while 'if' is more common in everyday speech.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Noun Clauses

The speaker begins by introducing noun clauses, emphasizing that while they may sound intimidating, they are an essential part of English grammar that many already use in their writing and speaking. Noun clauses function like nouns within a sentence, acting as subjects or objects. The paragraph explains that a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea, and a clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. Noun clauses are introduced with words like 'that,' 'whether,' or 'if,' and they can replace nouns in sentences. Examples are given to illustrate how noun clauses can act as subjects or objects, and the speaker clarifies the difference between noun clauses and adjective clauses.

05:02

🔍 Exploring Noun Clauses with 'That'

This section delves into noun clauses that start with the word 'that.' The speaker explains that these clauses can act as the subject of a sentence or follow a main verb. Examples are provided to show how 'that' noun clauses can be structured in different positions within a sentence. The speaker also notes that the verb within a noun clause can be in various tenses, depending on the context. Additionally, it's mentioned that the word 'that' can often be omitted in spoken English for fluency, but it's typically retained in written English for a more academic tone.

10:04

🤔 Noun Clauses with Wh-Words

The speaker moves on to discuss noun clauses that begin with wh-words or question words, which are used to seek specific information. These clauses are often used when a direct question is too blunt, and phrases like 'I want to know' or 'I wonder' are used to introduce the clause. The paragraph clarifies that despite starting with a question word, noun clauses should follow the subject-verb order of statements, not the verb-subject order of questions. Common mistakes made by learners are highlighted, and correct formations are provided with examples.

15:06

❓ Noun Clauses for Indirect Yes/No Questions

This part of the script focuses on noun clauses used for indirect yes/no questions, which are introduced with 'if' or 'whether.' The speaker points out that these clauses are used when the answer is expected to be a simple yes or no, and they are not seeking additional information. The paragraph explains the correct formation of such clauses, emphasizing that the subject should come before the verb, contrary to the direct question form. The speaker also advises on the appropriate use of 'if' and 'whether,' noting that 'whether' is more formal and can be used with 'or not' at the end of the clause.

20:08

👋 Conclusion and Encouragement

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker summarizes the three types of noun clauses covered in the video: those starting with 'that,' wh-words, and 'if' or 'whether.' They reiterate the importance of using the correct verb tense and order within noun clauses and provide encouragement for viewers to improve their English by understanding and correctly using noun clauses. The speaker also hints at a future video on noun clauses in reported speech, indicating that there is more to explore on this topic.

Keywords

💡Noun Clause

A noun clause is a type of subordinate clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. It can act as the subject, object, complement, or the object of a preposition. In the video, the concept of noun clauses is central, as the script explains how they can be used like nouns in various positions within a sentence, such as 'I know that Josue is funny' where 'that Josue is funny' is a noun clause acting as the object of the verb 'know'.

💡Subject

In grammar, a subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that performs the action of the verb or is being described by the verb. The video script uses 'Josue' as an example of a subject within a noun clause, as in 'Josue is funny' where 'Josue' performs the action of 'is'.

💡Verb

A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. In the context of noun clauses, the verb is essential as it provides the action within the clause. For instance, in the script, 'is' is the verb in the noun clause 'that Josue is funny'.

💡Clause

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought. The video script explains that a noun clause is a specific type of clause that can function as a noun in a sentence, such as 'where Josue lives' which is a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb 'know' in the sentence 'I know where Josue lives'.

💡Wh-words

Wh-words are a class of pronouns or adverbs that begin with the letter 'wh' and are used to ask questions or to introduce noun clauses. In the video, 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', and 'how' are mentioned as examples of wh-words that can start a noun clause, as in 'I want to know where Josue lives'.

💡That

The word 'that' is often used to introduce a noun clause, particularly when it is not asking a direct question. The script explains that 'that' can be omitted in spoken English for a more conversational tone but is often retained in written English for formality, as in 'I know that Josue is funny'.

💡If/Whether

The words 'if' and 'whether' are used to introduce noun clauses that ask yes/no questions indirectly. The video script points out that 'if' is more common in everyday speech and writing, while 'whether' is more formal and can also be used with 'or not', as in 'I wonder if you're hungry' or 'I wonder whether you're hungry or not'.

💡Mistakes

The script discusses common mistakes made with noun clauses, particularly the incorrect use of word order. It emphasizes that noun clauses should follow the subject-verb order, not the inverted verb-subject order of direct questions, which is a frequent error, as illustrated by the incorrect formation 'I wonder when will the teacher grade our papers'.

💡Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. The video script mentions that certain adjectives, particularly those describing a person's feelings or state, are often followed by noun clauses, such as 'I'm surprised that you want to go running with me', where 'surprised' is the adjective and 'that you want to go running with me' is the noun clause.

💡Question Word Order

Question word order refers to the structure of a direct question where the verb comes before the subject. The video script explains that while noun clauses may start with a question word, they should not follow the question word order but should use the standard subject-verb order of statements, contrasting this with the correct formation in noun clauses versus direct questions.

Highlights

Noun clauses sound intimidating but are common in speech and writing.

Noun clauses function like nouns in a sentence, often as subjects or objects.

A noun clause typically contains a subject and a verb, starting with a word like 'that' or a WH-word.

'That' noun clauses can act as the subject or follow certain verbs like 'think', 'believe', 'hope'.

It's possible to omit 'that' in spoken English to sound more conversational.

WH-word noun clauses, like 'who' or 'what', are often used when the speaker needs to provide information indirectly.

Be cautious with word order: noun clauses should follow subject-verb structure, not question format.

The most common mistake with noun clauses is using question word order instead of subject-verb structure.

When embedding yes/no questions into noun clauses, use 'if' or 'whether'.

'Whether' is more formal than 'if' and is commonly used in writing.

It’s possible to add 'or not' with 'whether', but this is not recommended with 'if'.

Noun clauses play a major role in reported speech.

Removing 'that' in spoken English is acceptable and more conversational, but it should be retained in writing.

WH-word noun clauses should not invert subject and verb order, even though they contain question words.

Noun clauses are essential to master for improving English grammar, especially in academic or formal writing.

Transcripts

hi there everyone we're going to talk

about noun clauses in this video

noun clauses are really fun but sound

really scary

they're a type of form that you need to

know how to use and you're probably

already using in your writing and you're

speaking

but if you're new to english

maybe you're making a mistake in them

they're one of the most

common types of mistakes that i see

not noun clause being a mistake but

mistakes with

noun clauses so i'm going to talk to you

about what noun clauses are

and how to avoid the most common

mistakes that i see

in them so if you know what a noun is

and you know what a clause is you might

know what a noun clause is but you might

not

a noun is a person-placed thing or idea

and clause is just a group of words that

has a subject and a verb inside of it

a noun clause is a clause that can be

used

like a noun it can function like a noun

within a sentence

just like a subject or an object inside

of a sentence let me show you

so here's a sentence or a clause i no

josue subject verb

object complete complete sentence it

doesn't have to have an object but it's

a complete sentence okay

this is a noun it's a person a noun as a

person i

know josue so i can replace this noun

with a noun clause so let's look at

these two

sentence endings here i said i know

josue

sorry i said i know

that josue is funny that josue is funny

is the noun clause it starts with the

word

that which is a signal that it's a noun

clause

sometimes they look like adjective

clauses but how do we know it's a noun

clause

because it's coming after a verb and not

a noun okay

but that signals that this is a noun

clause

and it's a clause because it has a

subject and verb inside

josue is that's the subject that's the

verb

i know that josue is funny i know josue

so this is one noun clause it functions

as a noun okay another type of

noun clause could be this one i know

where josue lives where josue lives

is acting like a noun within this

sentence

but it's really a clause within itself

because it starts with the wh word

that's important and i'm going to talk

about that in a second

starts with the wh word and it has a

subject

and a verb inside of it and it functions

as a noun

and the last kind of noun clause we can

make is one like this

i need to know if josue is funny i'm

starting with if or whether i need to

know

if josue is funny so it starts with if

starts with if and then it has a subject

and a verb inside of it acting as a noun

but it's a noun clause

now let me show you how these are made

now first off

there's three types of noun clauses that

we can create the first type

is the ones that start with the word

that

okay that and then afterwards we have a

subject and a verb

now because noun clauses act like nouns

they could be the subject of the

sentence

or they could come after the verb so let

me show you how that would look in both

of these

that post way is funny is

obvious to me here

this whole thing is a noun clause acting

like

the subject of this sentence so i'm just

going to write subject

and then here's the main verb of the

sentence

the the noun clause starts with the word

that

and then it has a subject and a verb

inside itself

okay now that verb could be in the

present it could be in the past it just

depends on

what time frame you want to use maybe

you knew josue

and you're talking about him from high

school and not now

that josue was funny in high school

is obvious now or was obvious then just

depends you could change the verb tense

around

depending on what you're trying to say

now here we can see the noun clauses

being used at the end

after the verb it is obvious to me

that josue is funny here's the subject

here's the verb it's obvious to me

what's obvious to me

that post way is funny here's my noun

clause

starts with that has a subject and a

verb inside of it

so one thing to notice is that we use

the

that noun clauses at the beginning of

sentences

and after verbs or after

you know a sentence ends like if you're

trying to say

um something's obvious something's funny

something's uh scary right

but oftentimes when we're using them at

the end of a sentence

it comes after certain verbs let me tell

you what those verbs are

now this is not all of them but this is

some of the common

verbs that we use with noun clauses

afterwards with the word that

the like i think that josue is funny

i believe that he is not

i heard that he lives in la

i hope that that is true i know

that he works at a college

i read that he was going to become a

professor

i remember that he liked studying

languages i understand

that he may be applying for new jobs

soon

these are all really great verbs that

you can use with

that and a noun clause after them just

so you know it is

also possible to take away the word fact

when you're making a noun clause

especially when you're talking and i

actually recommend that

you take out the word that when you're

talking

and when you're writing keep it in it's

a little bit more academic but

for example i understand

that i need to submit my work on time

i understand i need to submit my work on

time see

i took the word that out that's fine you

can do that it's

great it's common it's useful when

you're speaking it makes you talk

faster now here's a note on using that

that

which is actually grammatical let me

show you imagine somebody says here use

this use this and i said oh yeah yeah

yeah i think

that that will work

i think that that will work

you can take out the first that before

the noun clause

and this that is a pronoun for what

the person was talking about it's the

subject

of the noun clause so i think that that

will work or

i think that will work either way it's

fine of course when you're writing

and you have two facts that looks kind

of weird so you could take it out

when talking you take it out usually

anyway we

also use the that noun clauses after

adjectives that describe people this is

very common okay let's take a look at

these adjectives

notice all of these adjectives describe

a

person's state their feelings

surprised amazed confused

all these words describe how a person

feels okay you have to make sure you're

using adjectives like that if you want

to do this

so you can say i'm surprised that

you want to go running with me

i'm confused that you

thought you had to

[Music]

submit your paper one week after the due

date

i'm glad that we live close to each

other

i'm proud that you have done so well at

learning english

i'm sad that learning languages is just

so hard

all right so again same thing you can

take the word that out and say

i'm sad learning languages is so hard

i'm proud you've learned english so well

i'm glad that we live close to each

other or

i'm glad we live so close to each other

you can take the word that

out okay the next kind of noun clause

that we use are the noun clauses that

start with the

wh or question words

instead of the word that they start with

a wh

question word so these are the wh

question words that we

use when we want to make a noun clause

about some

information or whether we know it or not

or

who or hind how or why let me show you

i want to know janet

janet is a noun we can replace that noun

with a noun clause

let's say we don't know who janet is and

we want to know who she is

i want to know

who janet is

i want to know who janet is who is the

wh word that starts the noun clause

janet's the subject is is the verb i

want to know

who janet is that's my noun clause it's

acting like a verb

so we use these w h question

word noun clauses when we have a

question

usually and we don't want to ask it

directly

like who is janet sometimes it's

too direct to ask a question when will

you have my paper

right instead we can put

that question turn it into a noun clause

but start with something like this like

i want to know or

i wonder or i'm curious

something right like look at this

question sometimes people are afraid to

ask their ques

the sometimes students are afraid to ask

their

teachers direct questions like when will

my paper be done when are you gonna

grade it

when will the teacher grade our papers

right

when will you grade our papers and

instead

they can feel better about not being too

direct

and they can say i wonder or

i want to know here's the question word

when find the subject

the teacher that's what comes next

i wonder when the teacher now we need a

verb

here's the verb will grade

and then finish the sentence

period no question mark this is not a

question

i wonder when the teacher will grade our

papers

that's a sentence with a noun clause in

it

but it acts sort of as a question

too now the biggest mistake i see with

noun clauses is right here

this is a question so

when we have a question we usually have

question word order that means you put

the verb

before the subject but

this is not a question it's a noun

clause

you need to put the subject before the

verb

however a lot of times students will see

a question word they will see a question

word and because they're really good at

studying all these rules

they say oh that means i need to put

subject

verb opposite put the verb before the

subject

and they'll do this and they'll say

i wonder when will the teacher grade

our papers here's where you have

the error okay because this is not a

question

it's a sentence it's a statement with a

noun clause

and because it's a noun clause you need

subject

and then verb subject and then verb so

take that verb and put it

after the subject always i mean it's an

easy fix right

let's look at another example okay here

we go imagine

you want to meet with somebody to do

something

so you say okay when can you meet

when can you meet you could

also say i need to know or

i want to know or i wonder

when question word first

subject you then the verb the rest of

the verb

i need to know when you can meet i need

to know when you can meet

be careful not to say when

can you meet that's not correct when

you can meet here's one that's a little

bit harder where did he go

where did he go all right here's our

question

we want to turn that into a noun clause

i

wonder question word

where now we need the subject

he i wonder where

he what's the verb

did and go now

you do not need to use did

in a noun clause did is only when we're

creating negative

sentences or questions this is

not one of those okay so all you need to

do is

take this verb and put it here but

be careful because you've got to carry

the verb tense with it this

is in the past tense so this needs to be

in the past tense

i wonder where he

went be careful a lot of people would

say

i wonder where did he go

and that's not correct you want to say i

wonder where he

went one more tricky situation

now this whole time i've been telling

you don't put a question mark at the end

of the noun clause even though it has a

question word because it's not a

question it's a statement

well sometimes you can put a question

mark

at the end of a noun clause when the

entire sentence

is a question okay

where did he go and then you start your

sentence like

this with the question this already

is question word order do you know

that already is a question now we can

add our noun clause

do you know where

he went

don't put a period now you've got to put

a question mark because

this is question word

order so just watch out for the

beginning

of a sentence is it a question or is it

a statement

if it's a statement you're going to use

a period

after your noun clause if it's a

question

you're going to use a question mark

after your noun clause now the third

type of noun clause

is used with the words if or whether

and they're used when we want to ask a

yes no question

here we have three yes no questions

are you hungry yes or no can we help

yes or no do you like pie

yes or no as you can see the only answer

you can give for these questions are yes

or no they are not information questions

so

when we want to ask an indirect question

or embed a question into what we're

saying

but it's a yes no question we're going

to use if

or whether so again we're going to start

with i wonder

or i want to know or i need to know

or i don't i want to understand

okay i wonder that we're going to

turn this question into a noun clause

and we're going to start with

one of these words i wonder if

now what's the subject you

i wonder if you what's the verb

are now finish it

i wonder if you're hungry are you hungry

you don't need a question mark here it's

not a question

it's a statement you could make it a

question you could say

can you tell me

that's a question can you tell me

if you are hungry

question mark that's fine okay now let

me tell you something about the word

if and whether if is much more common

especially in speaking also in writing

weather is more formal so if you want to

sound more academic and more formal in

your writing

you could use the word weather instead

of if

so i wonder

i wonder whether you are hungry

now another tip about the word weather

is

we can add or not to it okay

so i can say i wonder whether

or not

you are hungry i wonder whether or not

you are hungry but i could also put that

or not at the end i can say i wonder

whether

you're hungry

or not you put it at the end it doesn't

really make a difference i don't think

but please don't do it with if okay

i wonder if or not you are hungry

i wonder if you are hungry or not this

actually only works when it's at the end

of a sentence

not here but i feel like it's just so

confusing so i always tell my students

if you're using if don't use or not only

use

or not with weather and it isn't

necessary

but it is very common to use or not

when you're using the word weather okay

so let's try this one out

can i turn my essay in late i want to

know

if let's say we're talking if

subject i verb

can turn my essay in late

period not a question i want to know if

i could turn my essay in late

more formal would be i want to know

whether

i can turn my essay in late and to add

to

that you can say i want to know whether

or not i can do my list essay in light

for

i want to know whether i can turn my

essay in late

or not all right last one

did he call i want to know

if or whether he

call or called it's going to be called

because this is dick

i want to know if he called

period now be careful again that common

mistake when noun clauses is also

very common with the if and whether noun

clauses because

students see okay i'm asking a question

so they'll say if

did he call like that

they'll take all of that did he call i

want to know if did he call

and that's not correct because it's not

a question anymore so you do not need

that

helping verb for making questions

instead you just need

the subject and the verb but make sure

the verb is in the correct

tense this is past so

make sure it's passed those are the

three types of noun clauses

that exist there are noun clauses that

are used

very often in reported speech but that

is a whole other video

and topic i hope this video was helpful

for you so you can

up your english game and also avoid some

of the most common noun clause errors

bye-bye