Relative clauses and noun clauses
What is the difference between relative clauses and noun clauses?
Clauses (like words and phrases) can have different functions in sentences. Some clauses work like adverbs (modifying the action in the sentence), others work like adjectives (modifying a noun in the sentence), and others work like nouns (they are a subject or object in the sentence).
A relative clause is also called an adjective clause. It describes a noun. Here are a couple of examples:
This is the hat that my mom gave me.
[the clause in bold describes the noun hat}
My friend Klara, who is from Germany, speaks three languages.
[the clause in bold describes the noun Klara.]
A noun clause functions as a noun. This means it is the subject or object in a sentence. Here are some examples:
That he won the contest was really surprising.
[the clause in bold is the subject of the sentence]
I don’t know when she is going to leave.
[The clause in bold it the object of the verb know.]
There is more to understanding both relative clauses and noun clauses, but this is the general distinction between the two.
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SIMPLE AND COMPLEX INDIRECT QUESTIONS
An indirect question is not a question at all. In a direct question, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. However, in an indirect question, the auxiliary verb comes after the subject. What’s more, an indirect question ends with a full stop, not a question mark.
Read the following sentences.
Direct question: Where are you going?
Indirect question: I want to know where you are going. (NOT I want to know where are you going?)
Direct question: When do you intend to leave?
Indirect question: I want to know when you intend to leave. (NOT I want to know when do you intend to leave?)
Change the following direct questions into indirect questions using the introductory clauses given.
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Reading comprehension
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