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Substantive Clause: What It Is and How to Identify It

Well-nigh people are comfy with the idea of a noun, but they may not experience so confident when information technology comes to the noun clause. A substantive clause is a grouping of words acting together as a substantive. These clauses are ever dependent clauses. That is, they do not form a consummate sentence. Have a look at some sample sentences containing noun clauses to understand their purpose and function.

noun clause example

What Is a Noun Clause?

A noun clause functions equally a noun in a sentence. It follows a linking or copular verb to draw or modify the subject of the sentence. Unlike noun phrases, noun clauses contain both a subject and a verb.

Noun clause examples include:

• Do you know what fourth dimension it is?
• Tom tin can invite whomever he chooses.
• I don't understand what you're talking virtually.
• Whether Roman accepts the job or not is his business.

The bolded noun clauses are dependent clauses. Unlike independent clauses, they can't stand alone every bit total sentences. Noun clauses role to add more details to a sentence. If you're not sure whether a clause is a noun clause, try replacing it with other nouns or pronouns.

For case:

• Do you lot know information technology?
• Tom tin can invite her.
• I don't understand him.
• Information technology is his business.

If you can successfully supersede the clause with a pronoun, you lot've found a noun clause. However, these sentences are much less interesting and detailed than the original versions. Noun clauses are important when making a judgement understandable.

How to Spot a Noun Clause

Because noun clauses tin appear almost anywhere in a sentence, they tin be catchy to spot. One of the easiest ways to spot a noun clause is to look for these words:

• how
• that
• what
• any
• when
• where
• whether
• which
• whichever
• who
• whoever
• whom
• whomever
• why
  

While these words can exist institute in clauses other than noun clauses, noun clauses almost ever commencement with one of these words. They're some other clue to finding a noun clause in a sentence.

Types of Noun Clauses

At present that you know how to spot a noun clause, learn how to determine its role within the sentence. Take a look at some of the most common roles of noun clauses.

Subject of a Sentence

A noun clause can act as the subject of a sentence. The noun clause itself performs the action in the sentence.

For example:

• What Alicia said made her friends cry.
• What Megan wrote surprised her family.
• How the male child behaved was not very polite.

Information technology'due south easy to presume that Alicia, Megan and the boy are the subjects of these sentences. But that's not quite correct. Enquire yourself these questions to find the noun clauses.

• What made her friends weep? (What Alicia said)
• What surprised her family unit? (What Megan wrote)
• What was not very polite? (How the boy behaved)

A noun clause that functions as the subject of a sentence can be long or short. Withal, if you're writing the sentence, continue in listen that a very long substantive clause as a subject may be confusing to the reader.

Object of a Verb

Merely like all nouns, noun clauses can act equally the directly object of a verb. They follow verbs to inform the reader where the action is going.

For case:

• The chemist checked that the prescription was right.
• He didn't know why the stove wasn't working.
• They now sympathise that you should not cheat on a test.

Over again, you can use the method of questioning to demonstrate how the noun clause is used as a direct object. These are the same questions you would use to observe any directly object.

• What didn't she realize? (That the directions were wrong)
• What didn't he know? (Why the stove wasn't working)
• What do they empathize? (That you should not cheat on a test)
  

Try replacing each noun clause with the word it. Each judgement still works considering each direct object is a noun clause.

Subject Complement

A substantive clause can likewise serve every bit a subject area complement. A subject complement modifies, describes or completes the subject of a clause. Subject complements are besides called predicate nominatives or predicate nouns.

• Carlie'due south problem was that she didn't practice enough.
• Harry's crowning accomplishment at school was when he became course president.
• Darla's alibi for existence late was that she forgot to set her alarm.
  

Practice you see what questions these substantive clauses answer and how they relate to the subject?

• What was Carlie's trouble? (That she didn't practice enough)
• What was Harry's crowning achievement? (When he became course president)
• What was Darla's excuse for being late? (That she forgot to set her warning)

These noun clauses provide more than information about the subjects of their sentence. Find that in each case, the verb is a form of to exist. This is true for all subject complements, not merely noun clauses.

Object of a Preposition

Noun clauses also act every bit objects of a preposition in prepositional phrases. In the examples below, you'll encounter the prepositions "of" and "for" in action.

• Harry is non the best provider of what Margie needs.
• Josephine is not responsible for what Alex decided to do.
• Allie'due south inquiry report is well-nigh how Marie Curie discovered radium.
  

Again, the best style to understand this concept is by request the appropriate questions.

• Harry is not the best provider of what? (What Margie needs)
• Josephine is not responsible for what? (What Alex decided to do)
• Allie's report is about what? (How Marie Curie discovered radium)
  

Each of these sentences could be complete before the addition of the prepositions. Nonetheless, the prepositions are introduced to provide further detail and the substantive clauses human action as the objects of these prepositions.

Adjective Complement

Last but not least, a noun clause can also office as an describing word complement. These noun clauses complement an describing word or adverb.

• It's very disappointing that you lot left the party early.
• They're perfectly happy where they live now.
• Geoffrey runs so fast that he can outrun his dog.
  

The describing word complement is providing more data nearly the describing word or adverb that precedes it.

• What was disappointing? (That you left the political party early)
• What are they happy about? (Where they live now)
• How fast does Geoffrey run? (So fast that he can outrun his dog)

Like to the examples containing prepositions, each of these sentences could be complete after the describing word. The describing word complements provide farther particular and, in each of these instances, these adjective complements are substantive clauses.

Clauses Make Sentences Interesting

Noun clauses role in any manner that a ane-discussion substantive tin function. They are great additions to a judgement when you want to provide more than information and vary your sentence construction. Compare substantive clauses to different types of clauses with a guide to teaching adverbial and adjective clauses.

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Source: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/nouns/noun-clause.html