Other Words That Introduce Noun Clauses

"That" is not the only word that can introduce a noun clause. Here are some others:

• whoever
  • Whoever thought of this idea is a genius.
• what
  • What they are proposing to do is horrifying
• why
  • We discovered why he left so suddenly.
• how
  • The focus of our work is how we can satisfy customers most effectively.
• whether
  • We don’t know whether she speaks Spanish.
• where
  • I do not know where he is going to stay.
• if
  • She asked me if that was a book.

Although all these words can turn a clause into "one big noun", none of them is nearly as common as "that."

Instructions for the Quiz

For each sentence, identify the role of the noun clause. (The noun clause has been highlighted).

Quiz