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LESSON 27: DEPENDENT CLAUSES (NOUN) Relevant Review
• Clauses are groups of words that have a subject and a
verb.
o Independent clauses (main clauses) express complete
thoughts.
o Dependent clauses (subordinate clauses) don’t express complete
thoughts.
§ Dependent clauses function as one part of speech. They can act
as adverbs, nouns, or adjectives.
§ Adverb clauses are a type of dependent clause that act as
adverbs.
• Nouns name people, places, things or ideas. They can perform
many jobs in a sentence.
o subject, direct object, indirect object, object of the
preposition, predicate noun
Lesson
In the last lesson, you learned about dependent clauses that act
as adverbs. In this lesson, you’ll learn about dependent clauses
that act as nouns. For short, we call these noun clauses.
They Act As One Part of Speech (Nouns)
I knew the answer.
Answer is a one-word noun acting as the direct object of the
verb. It's performing one of the noun jobs. WHAT did I know? I knew
the answer.
I knew that the students would learn.
That the students would learn is now acting as the direct object
of the verb. It is performing one of the noun jobs. WHAT did I
know? I knew that the students would learn.
That the students would learn has a subject (students), and a
verb (would learn), and it can't stand alone.
That must mean that it is a dependent clause acting as a
noun!
The Noun Jobs
Do you still remember the noun jobs that we studied? I hope
so!
The following chart shows you examples of words and noun clauses
acting as each of the noun jobs that you've studied.
Notice that each noun clause has a subject and a verb, it acts
as a noun, and it can't stand alone.
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Noun Job Example: Noun (Word) Example: Noun Clause
Subject
Pizza is fine.
Whatever you want is fine.
Direct Object
Can you tell me the time?
Can you tell me when it's time for dinner?
Indirect Object
I will give the first student an A.
I will give whoever finishes first
an A.
Object of the Preposition
I asked about Tom.
I asked about why Tom ate six
peppers.
Predicate Noun
Happiness is pie.
Happiness is whatever you just
cooked.
Noun of Direct
Address
John, save me!
Whoever is reading this,
save me!
Words That Introduce Noun Clauses
Noun clauses may be introduced by the following words. You can
call these words noun clause markers.
that, if, whether, who, whom, whose, which, what, when, where,
how,
why, whoever, whenever, whatever, wherever, however, whichever,
whomever
These words often perform a job within the noun clause.
Can you tell me when it's time for dinner?
When is introducing this noun clause. It is also acting as an
adverb in the noun clause.
Whatever you want is fine.
Whatever is introducing this noun clause. It is also acting as
the direct object of want within the noun clause.
Sometimes, these words have no other function in the sentence
except to introduce the noun clause. You won't be diagramming any
like this, but I thought you still might like to see an
example.
My mother knows that I love the library.
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That is introducing this noun clause. It has no other function
in the sentence. It is just telling us that a noun clause is
coming.
When the word introducing the noun clause has no other function
in the clause, we call it an expletive.
It's also possible for a noun clause to have no introductory or
"marker" word.
My mother knows I love the library.
That makes things a little bit trickier, doesn't it? We won't be
diagramming these right now either, but I thought you might like to
know that they exist.
Diagramming Noun Clauses
Noun clauses can do anything that nouns can do. This means that
they can be diagrammed in any of the spaces that nouns are
diagrammed.
Before you diagram a noun clause, decide what its function is in
the sentence.
When you know what job the noun clause is performing in the main
clause, diagram it on the appropriate spot in the independent
clause's sentence diagram.
Connect the noun clause to the main clause with a little forked
line.
Helpful Hints
It might take you a little while to get the hang of diagramming
these. That makes sense because they can do so many things. Don't
worry!
Here are the steps that I use when diagramming noun clauses.
1. Identify the noun clause. (Look for a group of words that
includes a subject and a verb and that functions as a single unit –
a noun.)
2. Identify the noun clause's role in the sentence.
3. Diagram the independent clause first and be sure to leave
room for your noun clause diagram.
4. Diagram the noun clause in the space that you left.
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Noun Job Example: Noun (Word) Example: Noun Clause
Subject
Pizza is fine.
Whatever you want is fine.
Direct Object
Can you tell me the time?
Can you tell me when it's time for dinner?
Indirect Object
I will give the first student an A.
I will give whoever finishes first an A.
Object of
the Preposition
I asked about Tom.
I asked about why Tom ate six peppers.
Predicate
Noun
Happiness is pie.
Happiness is whatever you just cooked.
Noun of Direct
Address
John, save me!
Whoever is reading this, save me!
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Lesson 27 Sentence Diagramming Exercises
1. Whoever cut the grass did a great job.
Hint: The noun clause is the subject.
Key
Whoever cut the grass did a great job. sentence - statement
(Whoever cut the grass) did a great job.* independent clause
Whoever cut the grass dependent noun clause acting as subject of
independent clause
Whoever word introducing noun clause, subject of noun clause
(pronoun)
cut verb of noun clause (transitive active)
grass direct object of noun clause (noun)
the adjective in noun clause
did verb of independent clause (transitive active)
job direct object of independent clause (noun)
a, great adjectives in independent clause
* Notice that noun clauses are often necessary parts of the
independent clause. Strange!
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2. Do you know who read this book?
Hint: The noun clause is the direct object.
Key
Do you know who read this book? sentence - question
You do know who read this book. sentence - statement
Do you know (who read this book)? independent clause
you subject (independent clause) (pronoun)
Do know verb phrase (independent clause)
Do helping verb (independent clause)
know main verb (independent clause) (transitive active)
who read this book dependent noun clause acting as direct object
of independent clause (noun)
who word introducing noun clause, subject of noun clause
(pronoun)
read verb of noun clause (transitive active)
book direct object of noun clause (noun)
this adjective in noun clause
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3. I tripped on whatever was sitting on the floor.
Hint: The noun clause is the object of the preposition.
Key
I tripped on whatever was sitting on the floor.
sentence - statement
I tripped on (whatever was sitting on the floor)
independent clause
I subject of independent clause (pronoun)
tripped verb of independent clause (intransitive complete)
on whatever was sitting on the floor prepositional phrase in
independent clause (adverb)
on preposition of independent clause
whatever was sitting on the floor dependent noun clause acting
as object of the preposition of the independent clause (noun)
whatever word introducing noun clause, subject of noun clause
(pronoun)
was sitting verb phrase of noun clause
was helping verb of noun clause
sitting main verb of noun clause (intransitive complete)
on the floor prepositional phrase in noun clause (adverb)
on preposition
floor object of the preposition (noun)
the adjective
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4. This pasta is what you ordered.
Hint: The noun clause is the predicate noun.
Key
This pasta is what you ordered. sentence - statement
This pasta is (what you ordered). independent clause
pasta subject of independent clause (noun)
This adjective
is verb of independent clause (intransitive linking)
what you ordered dependent noun clause acting as predicate noun
of independent clause (noun)
you subject of noun clause (pronoun)
ordered verb of noun clause (transitive active)
what word introducing noun clause, direct object of noun clause
(pronoun)
Tip
The typical pattern for sentences is SUBJECT + VERB (+ DIRECT
OBJECT), but dependent clauses are often written in a different
order.
This pasta is what you ordered.
In this noun clause, the pattern is DIRECT OBJECT + SUBJECT +
VERB. It seems strange when we reword it as SUBJECT + VERB + DIRECT
OBJECT (you ordered what), but it's true.
Think about each word's role in the clause. Does it make sense
to you that you is the subject and what is the direct object?
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5. What we have for dinner is your decision.
Hint: The noun clause is the subject.
There is that strange word order again!
Key
What we have for dinner is your decision. sentence -
statement
(What we have for dinner) is your decision. independent
clause
What we have for dinner noun clause acting as subject of
independent clause (noun)
we subject of noun clause (pronoun)
have verb (transitive active) (of noun clause)
What word introducing noun clause, direct object of noun clause
(pronoun)
for dinner prepositional phrase in noun clause (adverb)
for preposition
dinner object of the preposition (noun)
is verb of independent clause (intransitive linking)
decision predicate noun of independent clause (noun)
your adjective in independent clause
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Extra Practice: Diagramming Noun Clauses Directions: Diagram the
following sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Teachers, the
answers are on the next page.
1. I know where we are going.
2. Whoever wins the race wins the golden trophy.
3. I’ll give whoever finishes the race a medal.
4. Give the referee whatever he asks for.
5. Do you know what he wants?
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Lesson 27 Extra Practice Answers
Diagramming Noun Clauses
1. I know where we are going.
2. Whoever wins the race wins the golden trophy
3. I’ll give whoever finishes the race a medal.
4. Give the referee whatever he asks for.
5. Do you know what he wants?
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