Subordination: Noun Clauses
Sentences hold your thoughts. Craft them with care.
Noun clauses function as subjects, objects and complements. Noun clauses come from sentences or questions, which determines how they are embedded attached or inserted into the sentence:
♦ statements - The subordinator is that. It's optional.
♦ yes/no questions - The subordinator is if, whether, orwhether or notand is never optional. ♦ information questions - The subordinator is a question word and is never optional.
The table demonstrates the three derivations of noun clauses, which are highlighted in each sentence.
Remember that a noun clause answers the question who or what before or after a verb.
Noun Clauses Derived from Statements
Paul Otellini, Intel chief executive, announced that Intel plans to lay off 10,500 employees.
That Intel plans to lay off 10,500 workers came as a shock to many employees. NoteThe noun clause is the subject of the sentence. No comma is used after a noun clause subject because a subject is never separated from its verb.
He claims that optional the layoffs are essential to Intel becoming a more efficient company.
Many employees believe that optional the layoffs are a consequence of a global economy.
Noun Clauses Derived from Yes/No Questions
Many workers don't know if they will be laid off.
Industry analysts don't know for certain if AMD will overtake Intel in market share.
Whether AMD will overtake Intel in market share (or not) remains a question in the industry. NoteWhen the yes/no question is embedded as the subject of the sentence, whether or whether or not is used instead of if. (OR NOT) is optional and usually comes at the end of the noun clause.
Analysts are studying whether emerging markets like China and India will put more pressure on Intel.
Noun Clauses Derived from Information Questions
Many workers are wondering how soon they will lose their jobs.NoteNoun clauses always have sentence word order.
Question: How soon will they be unemployed ? Noun clause: They don't know how soon they will be unemployed.
Many people are researching the job market to find out what jobs are available.
Many analysts don't understand why Intel didn't eliminate any of its money-losing businesses.
Why Intel didn't eliminate any of its money-losing businesses is a question that baffles analysts.
Many Intel employees are worried about what they will do after they get laid off. NoteThe noun clause is the object of the preposition about.
Practice: Combine the sentences in the table below. Embed statements with that, yes/no questions with if, and information questions with the question word. Omit the words something and this.
1.
Intel and AMD executives realize something. Graphics are becoming increasingly important in computing.
2.
How important will graphics become? This is a major issue for chip makers.
3.
Chip makers are trying to find out something. Can the processing chip and the graphics chip be combined into one?
4.
The computer industry wants to know something. What kind of performance would these chips have? NoteWould is used instead of will because a combined chip is only a possibility at this moment. The statement is hypothetical.
5.
Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia, can explain something. Why won't the microprocessor absorb the graphics chip?
6.
Huang believes something. Graphics technology will evolve rapidly and require a dedicated chip.
7.
Will the CPU and the GPU be combined into one chip? This remains to be seen. NoteEmbed this yes/no question with whether or not.
Subordination: Noun Clauses
Practice: Combine the sentences in the table below. Embed statements with that, yes/no questions with if, and information questions with the question word. Omit the words something and this.