What I really enjoy is working with you.
That Tom Brown is strict is well known among teachers.
SKILLFUL 4 UNIT 7 GRAMMAR: Nominal Clauses
The most common nominal clauses are interrogative clauses and (nominal) that-clauses.
Nominal clauses are formed when an interrogative or nominal-that introduces a clause by
serving as the subject of the clause or preceding the clause in order to serve a noun role in
another structure. In short, Nominal Clauses can serve any nominal role: subject, direct object,
subject complement, object of the preposition, object complement, indirect object, adjective
complement, or appositive.
The first nominal clause form is an interrogative clause, which is a dependent clause beginning
with an interrogative.
Whoever borrowed my iPad is in big trouble. subject
I know when the train will arrive. Direct object
The mediator will give what you said full consideration before negotiating the deal. Direct
object
The most common interrogatives are who, whom, whose, which, where, when, and why. As
you can see, this list is basically the same as the list of relatives, so, once again, it is important
that you always analyze in context: interrogative clauses will always function nominally and
relative clauses will always function adjectivally.
The second nominal clause form is a that-clause, which is a dependent clause with the
expletive that preceding the subject and serves a nominal function. NOTE: there are plenty of
cases where the that, as part of the that-clause, may be deleted.
The truth was the moving company lost all your furniture. Subject complement
The truth was the moving company lost all your furniture.
I am pleased you are studying noun clauses.
I am pleased you are studying noun clauses.
So whenever you see a clause following immediately after, especially, a Main Verb Phrase (or
non-finite verb) without a dependent clause marker or punctuation, you should suspect a
deleted that.
Nominal clauses perform nominal functions; in other words, they can do anything that a noun
can do.
Subject
Whoever ate my lunch is in big trouble.
SOMEONE is in big trouble.
That my son is a hard worker is unbelievable.
Subject complement
The truth was that the home team came back from a 30-point halftime deficit.
The truth was SOMETHING.
The result was what my mother told me previously.
Direct object
I know when the train will arrive.
I know SOMETHING.
I love whatever you do.
I gave what you baked to Pepito.
I gave Pepito what you baked.
Object complement
Her grandfather considers his biggest mistake that he sold his Apple stock in 1978.
Her grandfather considers his biggest mistake SOMETHING.
She bought a car that she had seen in a commercial.
Indirect object
The mediator will give what you said full consideration before negotiating the deal.
The mediator will give SOMETHING full consideration before negotiating the deal.
The teacher assign who wants to gain extra points homework.
Pepito presented who attended the conference an explicit project.
Object of the preposition
Those children run happily through whatever obstacles are placed before them.
Those children run happily through SOMETHING.
I sometimes explain some grammar with whatever it comes to my mind.
Adjective complement
I am pleased that you are studying noun clauses.
I will be disappointed that you don’t understand the grammar explanation.
Appositive
That man, whoever he is, tried to steal some library books.
The town, where he was born, is far away from Santa Cruz.
