What is a noun clause in English? Noun clause definition: a noun clause is a dependent clause that works as a noun in a sentence. Since it is a dependent clause, it can't stand on its own and give a complete meaning. A noun clause starts with the following subordinating conjunctions: That; Which; Who; Whom; Whoever; Whomsoever; What; Whatever
A noun clause is a dependent clause that works just like a noun in a sentence. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics explains a noun clause as "a clause whose syntactic role is seen as like that of a noun or noun phrase ", and the Collins Dictionary defines it as "a clause that fulfils the same function as a noun". Functions of a Noun Clause
Noun clauses are clauses that function as nouns. Remember that clauses can be either dependent or independent. Noun clauses, like nouns, can be used as either subjects or objects. Noun clauses are therefore dependent clauses and as subject or object cannot stand alone as a sentence.Defining Nouns and Clauses To understand what a noun clause is, let's begin with its individual parts. A noun is a word that refers to an object or thing. For example, table is a noun. A clause is a grammatical unit containing a subject and a predicate and forming part of a sentence or a whole, simple sentence. A noun clause is a dependent clause that contains a subject and a verb. A noun clause functions as noun in a sentence. A noun clause cannot stand alone because it is not a complete thought. It must always be paired with an independent (main) clause. ApOAzhM.