# Noun Clauses

https://langs123.com/en/english/sentence-building/noun-clauses/
CEFR B2–C1 · 2026-10-19 · CC BY 4.0, langs123 contributors (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

> Noun clauses work as a subject, object or complement and open with that, a wh-word, if or whether. Inside a noun clause the subject comes before the verb, as in a statement: I know where she lives. Tell me what you want.

## Cheatsheet

| Point | Rule | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| That-clause | that + subject + verb; that drops after common verbs | I know (that) he left. |
| Wh-clause | wh-word + subject + verb; no do, does or did | Tell me where he lives. |
| If and whether | if or whether after ask and wonder; whether after a preposition or to | I wonder whether she knows. |
| Wh-word and to | wh-word + to + V | I don't know what to do. |
| Embedded question | a polite question starts Could you tell me and keeps statement order | Could you tell me where the station is? |
| -ever words | words in -ever mean any person, thing, time, place or way that | Take whatever you like. |
| Exclamation | what or how opens it; the subject comes before the verb | I can't believe how beautiful it is. |
| Noun and clause | the noun names what the clause says: the fact that, the question whether | Despite the fact that it was late, we stayed. |
| After be | The problem is, This is why, That's what + clause | The problem is where to park. |
| After a preposition | a wh-word or whether follows; before that the preposition drops | It depends on whether we can park. |
| Verbs of demand | insist / demand / recommend + that + subject + base verb; British English often adds should | She recommends that he rest. |
| Trap | a noun clause keeps statement order, with no do | I don't know where the station is. |

## Overview

| Function | Example |
| --- | --- |
| Subject | What she said surprised me. |
| Object | I know that he left. |
| Complement | The problem is that we have no money. |
| After a preposition | I'm interested in what you think. |

- A noun clause has its own subject and verb and does the work of a noun phrase. I know the answer. / I know what she said.
- Reported statements and questions are noun clauses. See Reported Speech.

## Form: that-clauses

| Follows | Common words | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A verb | believe / say / know / hope / decide / realise / discover | I realised that I had lost my keys. |
| An adjective | afraid / certain / glad / sure / aware / surprised | I'm glad that you came. |
| A noun | idea / fact / news / hope / belief / claim | We heard the news that she had won. |

- That is optional after common verbs and adjectives, and speech usually drops it. I hope (that) you feel better.
- Formal verbs and nouns keep that. The report states that prices fell. / He has the idea that it is easy.

## That-clauses as subject

| Pattern | Example |
| --- | --- |
| That + clause + verb | That he left surprised me. |
| It + verb + person + that + clause | It surprised me that he left. |
| It + is + adjective + that + clause | It is clear that she is tired. |

- A that-clause subject sounds formal; speech prefers it first.

## Form: wh-clauses

| Pattern | Rule | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| wh-word + subject + verb | statement order, with no do, does or did | Tell me where he lives. |
| wh-word + verb | the wh-word is the subject, so the verb follows it | I wonder who called. |
| wh-clause + singular verb | a wh-clause as subject takes a singular verb | What he does is his business. / What they need is more time. |

## Embedded questions

| Change | Direct question | Embedded question |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The subject goes before the verb | Where is the station? | Could you tell me where the station is? |
| do, does and did drop | What time does it start? | Do you know what time it starts? |
| if or whether replaces the inversion | Is she at home? | I wonder whether she is at home. |

| Use | Example |
| --- | --- |
| A polite request for information | Could you tell me how much this costs? |
| A question to someone who may know | Do you know who is coming? |
| A doubt, or a question to yourself | I wonder why she left. |
| Not knowing | I have no idea when the shop opens. |

## Wh-words with to

| Pattern | Example |
| --- | --- |
| wh-word + to + V | I don't know what to do. = I don't know what I should do. |
| whether + to + V | We can't decide whether to go. = We can't decide whether we should go. |

- The to-clause has no subject; the doer is the subject or the object of the main verb. She doesn't know where to park. / He told me where to park.
- The verbs that take these phrases are listed in Gerund vs Infinitive.

## Compare: if and whether

| Point | if | whether |
| --- | --- | --- |
| After ask, wonder, know, find out | I wonder if she knows. | I wonder whether she knows. |
| After a preposition | — | It depends on whether it rains. |
| Before a to-infinitive | — | I can't decide whether to go. |
| At the start of a sentence | — | Whether she agrees doesn't matter. |
| Right before or not | — | I'll ask whether or not she agrees. |

- If is more usual in speech; whether is more usual in formal writing.
- A noun-clause if reports a question; a conditional if sets a condition. I wonder if it will rain. ≠ I stay in if it rains.
- Conditional clauses are in Conditionals.

## Words in -ever

| Word | Meaning | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| whoever | any person who | I'll talk to whoever is in charge. |
| whatever | anything that | Take whatever you like. |
| whichever | any one that | Choose whichever is cheaper. |
| whenever | at any time that | Call me whenever you want. |
| wherever | in any place that | Sit wherever you like. |
| however | in any way that | Do it however you want. |

## Exclamative clauses

| Pattern | Example |
| --- | --- |
| what + a + noun + subject + verb | What a mess it was! / I can't believe what a mess it is. |
| how + adjective + subject + verb | How cold it is! / I can't believe how beautiful it is. |
| how + adverb + subject + verb | How fast he runs! / Did you see how fast he runs? |

## Appositive clauses

| Phrase | Use | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| the + fact / idea / claim / belief + that + clause | the noun names what the clause says | The claim that prices will fall is false. |
| the question + whether + clause | question takes whether | The question whether we can afford it remains. |
| despite the fact that | although | Despite the fact that it was late, we stayed. |
| in view of the fact that | because of; formal | In view of the fact that prices rose, we waited. |

- An appositive clause names the noun's content; a relative that clause has a gap and can become which. the news that she won ≠ the news that she told us

## Wh-clauses after be

| Use | Example |
| --- | --- |
| A problem or question: The problem is, The question is | The problem is where to park. / The question is whether we can afford it. |
| A reason: This is why | This is why I called. |
| A way: That's how | That's how it works. |
| A place: This is where | This is where we met. |
| A thing meant: That's what | That's what I mean. |

## Clauses after prepositions and adjectives

| Phrase | Example |
| --- | --- |
| aware / sure + of + wh-word | She is aware of how much it costs. / I'm not sure of what he meant. |
| depends on + whether + clause | It depends on whether we can park. |
| the extent + to which + clause | The report shows the extent to which prices have risen. |
| in what way + clause | She asked in what way the plan had failed. |

- Before a that-clause the preposition drops, or the fact carries it. She is aware that it closed. = She is aware of the fact that it closed.

## Compare: free relative and interrogative clauses

| Point | Free relative | Interrogative |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meaning | what = the thing that | what = which thing |
| Example | I eat what she cooks. | I wonder what she cooks. |
| Test | replace what with the thing that | turn the clause into a direct question |
| Result | I eat the food that she cooks. | What does she cook? |

- Verbs such as know, remember and see take both kinds; the test shows which a sentence means. I remember what she said.

## That-clauses after verbs of demand

| Pattern | Rule | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| verb + that + subject + base verb | the subjunctive: the base verb for every subject | The manager demanded that he apologise. |
| verb + that + subject + should + base verb | the usual British form | The manager demanded that he should apologise. |
| verb + that + subject + should not / not + base verb | negative: not before the verb, with no do | We suggest that he should not wait. / We suggest that he not wait. |

- Verbs of demand and advice take it: insist, demand, require, request, suggest, recommend, propose.
- Adjectives such as essential take the same clause. See The Subjunctive.

## Typical errors

| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| I don't know where is the station. | I don't know where the station is. | the subject goes before the verb in a noun clause |
| Tell me what do you want. | Tell me what you want. | a noun clause takes no do |
| She asked me if or not I was ready. | She asked me whether or not I was ready. | or not right after the word takes whether |
| I can't decide if to go. | I can't decide whether to go. | whether goes before a to-infinitive |
| What he does are his business. | What he does is his business. | a wh-clause as subject takes a singular verb |
| Despite he was tired, he came. | Despite the fact that he was tired, he came. | despite takes a noun phrase or the fact that |
| The problem is where do we park. | The problem is where we park. | a wh-clause after be keeps statement order |
| He is afraid of that he will fail. | He is afraid that he will fail. | the preposition drops before that |
| The question that we can afford it remains. | The question whether we can afford it remains. | question takes whether |
| I am aware about how much it costs. | I am aware of how much it costs. | aware takes of before a wh-clause |