This document provides information about noun clauses and their usage. It discusses the different types of noun clauses including that-clauses, wh-question clauses, yes/no question clauses, and clauses with infinitives. It also covers the rules for changing direct speech to reported or indirect speech, including tense, pronoun, time and modal changes. Examples are provided to illustrate each concept. The document concludes with a reference list in MLA format.

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I. Introduction
Noun clauses: A clause is a group of words that expresses an idea and contains a
subject and a conjugated or “finite” verb (in contrast to an “infinite” or non‐conjugated
form such as the infinitive). A sentence will have one or more main clauses, and may have
one or more dependent clauses or none at all.
Noun clause is a dependent clause
that functions as
Example
1. Subject of a verb What he say is not true.
2. Object of a verb You can say what you want to say.
I know that people have different opinion
about capital punishment.
3. Object of preposition He only laughed at what he said.
They will be very thankful for whatever you
can give them.
4. Complement It seems that he has never paid for what he
has eaten.
1. That-Clause of Verbs and Adjectives
It is the dependent noun clause often introduced by “the subordinator that”. Since the
subordinator that doesn’t have grammatical function, it may be omitted.
Form:
Ex: I think that the study of the brain is fascinating.
The professor stated that the brain is the master control for both mind and body.
A complex sentence with that-clause is composed of an introductory (independent)
clause and dependent clause included that-clause.
Form:
Noun Clause
Introductory clause + dependent clause included that-clause
………… (That)+ Sub + V + complement

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The following is a list of some introductory verbs that are used to
introduce that-clause.
That- clause often follows these introductory verbs
Group I Group II Group III Group IV
Agree
Answer
Conclude
Notice
Realize
Think
Admit
Explain
Mention
Point out
Reply
Assure
Convince
Inform
Notify
Remind
Tell
Promise
Teach
Show
Warm
Write (to)
Warn
Usage
1. The verbs in Group I do not take an indirect object (I.O).
Ex: The jury concluded that she was guilty.
I never thought that I would see her again.
2. The verbs in Group II may or may not take an indirect object, however if an
indirect object follows one of these verbs to place it.
Ex: The president explains (to the nation) that the country faced a deficit.
3. The verbs in Group III must be followed by an indirect object (I.O)
Ex: The provincial governor told usthat province faced a serious food shortage.
We are pleased to inform youthat you have been accepted for a place MBA.
4. The verbs in Group IV may or may not take an I.O.
Ex: The mayor promised (city employees) that they wouldn’t lose their jobs. He warned
(that), however, that there would be no raises.

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That- clause often follows these adjectives
Be afraid Be clear Be obvious
Be amazed Be disappointed Be sure
Be aware Be glad Be surprised
Be certain Be happy Be worried
Ex: I am not surprised that thirty-one percent of working wives earn more than their
husband.
She was afraid that he might be upset if she told him.
2. Wh-Question Clause
A Wh-question clause is a dependent noun clause formed a direct Wh-question that is
changed into a statement and then joined to an introductory clause to form a complex
sentence.
Wh-question clause can follow two patterns
1. The subject pattern: the Wh-word is the subject of its own clause.
2. The object pattern: the Wh- word is only a subordinator, not the subject.
The subject pattern
Introductory Clause Wh- Question Clause
Do you know
Wh- question word Verb Complement
who is responsible of creating pollution
and wasting resource?
The object pattern
Introductory Clause Wh- Question Clause
Wh- question word Subject Verb Complement
The magazine hasn’t
reported
how many marines
animals
die each year.
(two examples)

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3. Question word followed by infinitives(Azer, 2002)
Question word followed by infinitives
1. I don’t know what I should do
2. I don’t know what to do.
Question word (when, where, how, who,
whom, what, which) and whether may be
followed by an infinitive.
Each pair of sentences in the examples has
the same meaning. Notice that the meaning
expressed by the infinitive is either should
or can/could.
3. Pam can’t decide whether she should go or
stay home.
4. Pam can’t decide whether to go or (to)
stay home.
5. Please tell me how I can get to the bus
station.
6. Please tell me how to get to the bus
station.
7. Jim told us where we could find it.
8. Jim told us where tofind it.
4. Yes/No Question Clause
It is a dependent clause that is formed from yes/noquestion.
Usage
1. Changing the word order to statement form
2. Deleting the auxiliaries verb “do, does, did”
3. Adding “if or whether (or not) or whether….or not”
- Whether is formal; If is informal. Both Whether and If may occur alone.
Ex: I don’t know whether he is coming.
I don’t know if he is coming.
- Whether or not may be written together at the beginning of the clause or may be
separated.
Ex: Let me know whether or not you are interested.
Let me know whether you are interested or not.

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Yes/No question clause word order
Yes/No question clause
Introductory clause Subordinator Sub + verb + complement
Do you know if Final examinations are being next month?
We would like to inquire Whether The university will accept late
registration.
The professor didn’t know If The notice had been posted on the
bulletin board
The students ask the teacher Whether The exam has been postponed.
4. PresentSubjunctive in Noun Clause
Common verbs used in the introductory clause
advise direct urge
ask insist recommend
command move suggest
demand promise request
Note: Subjunctive is the base form of a verb.
Form:
Ex: My parents urge that I marry her soon. (Present Subjunctive)
He has insisted that their foreign competitor be pushed out of the domestic
market.
The football coach insists that each player get eight hours of sleep per night.
…………+ that +the Subject + should + base form of verbs

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Common adjectives used in the introductory clause
It's stupendous It's marvelous It's possible It's impossible It's probable
It's improbable It's incredible It's necessary It's necessary It's urgent
It's important It's interesting It's notable It's unusual/strange
It's strange It's stupid It's ridiculous It's curious It's doubtful
It's unlikely It's likely It's uncertain It's uncertain It's untrueIt's good It's bad
It's better It's worse It's horrible It's horrendous
Ex: It is important that you be on time.
It's absolutely essential that the meeting begin on time.
5.Reported Speech
What is direct speech?
Direct speech is one that states the exact word a speaker used. In writing, use quotation
mark.
Ex: - “I have a pen.” - “We are a student.”
What is indirect speech?
Indirect speech one that reports what a speaker said without using the exact word. It
does not have quotation marks.
Ex: “I drink warm milk.” He said that he drank warm milk.
“I have a pen.” She said that she had a pen.

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Rule of Reported Speech
Change Tenses
Present Simple Past Simple
Present
Progressive
Past Progressive
Present Perfect Past Perfect
Past Simple Past Perfect
Past Progressive Past Perfect
Progressive
Present Perfect
Progressive
Past Perfect
Progressive
- Reported Statement
a. Change tense one back
b. Change pronoun
c. Remove punctuations (comma and quotation mark)
Ex: “We have a book.” They said that they had a book.
“I watch TV every day.” She said that she watched TV every day.
Change Time
Now Then
Here There
Ago Before
Thus So
Today That day
This That
These Those
Tonight That night
Tomorrow The next day
The following day
Yesterday The day before, the previous
day
Next week, year The following week, year
A week ago A week earlier, before
Last night The night before
Change Subject Pronouns
I He, She
We They
You I
Change Possessive Adjectives
My His, Her
Our Their Change Object Pronouns
You Me, Us
Me Him, Her
Us Them
Change Possessive Pronoun
Mine His, Hers
Ours theirs

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1. Direct speech imperative uses the base form of the verb.
Indirect speech imperative uses the infinitive to report.
Ex: “Go to school.” He said that to go to school.
“Drink wine.” She said that to drink wind.
“Don’t go home.” They said that not to go home.
2. The verb tense in indirect speech doesn’t change when the information we
are reporting is still true.
Ex: “I am learning to drive.” He said that he is learning to drive.
“They saw you yesterday”. They said that they saw me yesterday.
3. The verb tense in indirect speech doesn’t change when the verb in principal
clause is in present tense.
Ex: “I run every day,” she says. She says that she run every day.
“You walk all day,” he says. He says that I walk all day.
4. Moday often change in direct speech,too.
Will Would May Might Can Could Must Had to
- Don’t change (should, could, might, ought to) in indirect speech.
Ex: “I should do some work.” He said that he should do some work.
- Don’t change the past perfect in indirect speech.
Ex: “I had eaten a hot meal.” She said that she had eaten a hot meal.
- Don’t change verb in present and past unreal conditional senteces in
indirect speech.
Ex: “If we loved her, we would get married.” (present unreal conditional sentence)
They said that if they loved her, they would get married.
“If you had had money, you would have left.” (past unreal conditional sentence)
He said that if I had had money, I would have left.
- Don’t change past modals in indirect speech.
Ex: “I could speak English.” He said that he could speak English.
“We might love each other.”They said that they might love each othe.

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- Reported Questions
There are two groups of questions.
1. Yes/ No questions are questions which start with the “auxiliary verb or special verb”.
2. Wh questions are questions which start with “question word or Wh question”.
A. The rule how to change from direct speech to indirect speech in the reported
question.
- Change tense one back
- Change pronoun, time
- Remove punctuation
- Use the same question word in indirect speech
- If there is no question word in the direct speech, we use “if or whether” in indirect
speech.
B. Note
- To ask + (noun or pronoun)
- Don’t use auxiliary verb “do, does, did” in indirect speech
- Don’t use that in indirect speech
- Whether is more formal than if, but it is the same meaning.
Yes/No questions Indirect Speech
“Can they start tomorrow?” he asked. He askedwhether they could start the next
day.
He asked, “Did they all do the exercise?” He asked if they all had done the exercise.
“Is San your brother?” she asked. She asked whether San was your brother.
Wh questions Indirect Speech
Sok asked, “who got the job.” Sok asked who had gotten the job.
“Where are you going?” he asked. He asked where I was going.
“Why do you go to school.” she asked. She asked why I went to school.

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II Writing
My duties towards my parents
All parents around the world always have the universal lovetowards their child even
though their child has done something wrong because one is the heart and eye of the parents.
For me, I know clearly that my parents do give up everything by whatever means they try
their best to care me in order to want me to be alive. So what I have to do the most
important is that I must be grateful for my parents with five duties(Pheng). The first
obligation is that I need to perform duties according to noble disciplines.It is better that I
help their work when I am free. Because I am already adult, so I can do some things as
possible as I can. I cannot see something in my eyes by doing nothing.Second, it is absolutely
essential that I look after them in their old age. I am certain that when their energy
becomes less, what I should do is to give food to them every day seeing as they can’t do
anything anymore.Third, What I should do next is that I can maintain honor of the family
and continue family tradition. My parents are free from debts, and they always give
charitable donations to the poor while the poor are suffering and don’t have enough to eat.
My parents often think that we eat tastefully and sleep comfortably whether the homeless
receive such a good happiness like us or not. I myself see such a very good example, so I
must follow their ways and keep custom very well forever. Fourth, my parents recommend
that I protect their wealth which they earned.I don’t think that I should waste money
because it is very difficult to make. The money which my parents gave me can’t spend in the
wrong way. In contrast, it is notable that Idonate to the street people in order that they can go
to school. Fifth, it is necessary to perform their funeral rites after their death.It is probable
that Icelebrate the funeral rites so that Ican sanctify my merit to them.So they will have
been born on the next birth with a betterandknowledgeable life.

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III. References
Bibliography
Azer, B. S. (2002). Question word followed by infinitives. In B. S. Azer, Understaning and Using
English Grammar 3rd (p. 247). Pearson Education, 10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606.
Elbaum, S. N. (2001). Noun Clause . In S. N. Elbaum, Grammar in Context (pp. 343-385). United States
of American: Heinle & Heinle Publishers 20 Park Plaza Boston, MA 02116.
Pheng, K. (n.d.). Noble Disciplines. In K. Pheng, Personal Growth and Development (p. 247). Phnom
Penh: PUC Press.