Noun Clauses as Subjects & Objects

B1

Noun Clauses as Subjects & Objects

Learn how entire clauses can act as the subject or object of a sentence.

What is a noun clause?

A noun clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb that acts like a noun. It can be the subject or object of the main sentence — replacing a simple noun or pronoun.

nounThe news surprised everyone.
clauseWhat she announced surprised everyone. (noun clause as subject)
nounI didn't know the answer.
clauseI didn't know what the answer was. (noun clause as object)

Four types of noun clause

Wh- clauses
what, who, where, when, why, how
What he said shocked me.
I don't know where she lives.
How they escaped is a mystery.
That-clauses
that (often omitted in speech)
That she resigned surprised us all.
I think (that) you are right.
She knows (that) he lied.
The fact that …
emphasises a stated fact as subject
The fact that he arrived late annoyed everyone.
The fact that she passed surprised her teachers.
Whether / If clauses
indirect yes/no questions
Whether he comes or not is irrelevant.
I wonder whether she knows.
I don't know if it's true.

Word order inside the noun clause

Unlike direct questions, noun clauses use statement word order — the subject comes before the verb. There is no inversion.

wh-word + subject + verb    (NOT wh-word + auxiliary + subject)
I don't know where she lives.
I don't know where does she live. (question word order — wrong inside noun clause)
Can you tell me what time it is?
Can you tell me what is the time? (wrong)
💡 Key rule: Inside a noun clause, always use statement word order, even if the main sentence is a question.
Do you know where he works? ✓  |  Do you know where does he work?

Noun clauses as subjects — using "it" to delay

When a noun clause is the subject, it is very common in English to use it as a "dummy subject" and move the clause to the end.

It + verb + adjective/noun + that-clause / wh-clause
That she passed was surprising. → It was surprising that she passed.
What he did was wrong. → It was wrong what he did. (less formal)
📌 Both structures are correct. The "it" structure is more common in formal and written English.

Exercise 1: Word Order

Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence containing a noun clause.

Exercise 2: Sentence Builder

Choose the sentence with the correct noun clause structure.

Exercise 3: Error Correction

Each sentence has one wrong word. Click on it.

Exercise 4: Gap Fill

Choose the correct word to introduce the noun clause.

Exercise 5: Matching

Match each sentence beginning on the left with the correct noun clause ending on the right.

Exercise 6: Sentence Sort

Drag each sentence into the correct category: noun clause as Subject or noun clause as Object.

Exercise 7: Spot the Extra Word

One word in each sentence does not belong. Click on it.

Your Scores

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