What Is a Noun Clause?

A noun clause is a dependent clause that acts as a noun. Noun clauses begin with words such as
how, that, what, whatever, when, where, whether, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom,
whomever, and why. Noun clauses can act as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, predicate
nominatives, or objects of a preposition.

Noun Clause Examples

( Whoever thought of that idea is a noun clause. It contains the subject whoever and the verb
thought. The clause acts as a subject in the sentence.)

The focus of our work is how we can satisfy customers most effectively.

( How we can satisfy customers most effectively is a noun clause. It contains the subject we and
the verb phrase can satisfy. The clause acts as a predicate nominative in the sentence, identifying
focus.)

Choose a gift for whomever you want.

( Whomever you want is a noun clause. It contains the subject you and the verb want. The clause
acts as an object of the preposition for in the sentence.)

Whichever restaurant you pick is fine with me.

( Whichever restaurant you pick is a noun clause. It contains the subject you and the verb pick.
The clause acts as a subject in the sentence.)

Be sure to send whoever interviewed you a thank-you note.

( Whoever interviewed you is a noun clause. It contains the subject whoever and the verb
interviewed. The clause acts as an indirect object in the sentence.)

Do you know what the weather will be?

( What the weather will be is a noun clause. It contains the subject weather and the verb phrase
will be. The clause acts as a direct object in the sentence.)

My greatest asset is that I am a hard worker.

( That I am a hard worker is a noun clause. It contains the subject I and the verb am. The clause
acts as a predicate nominative in the sentence, identifying asset.)

It’s important to think about why we make certain decisions.

( Why we make certain decisions is a noun clause. It contains the subject we and the verb make.
The clause acts as an object of the preposition about in the sentence.)

I wonder how long we should wait here.

( How long we should wait here is a noun clause. It contains the subject we and the verb phrase
should wait. The clause acts as a direct object in the sentence.)

Always give whichever audience you perform for a great show.

( Whichever audience you perform for is a noun clause. It contains the subject you and the verb
perform. The clause acts as an indirect object in the sentence.)

( Whatever we want is a noun clause. It contains the subject we and the verb want. The clause
acts as a direct object in the sentence.)

I’m packing extra snacks for when we get hungry.

( When we get hungry is a noun clause. It contains the subject we and the verb get. The clause
acts as an object of the preposition for in the sentence.)
Rumus Noun Clause
Noun clause dapat diawali oleh noun clause markers berupa question word, if atau whether, dan
that. Adapun contoh noun clause pada clause lain beserta detail marker-nya dapat dilihat pada
tabel sebagai berikut.

Marker Contoh Kalimat Noun Clause

The class listened to what the teacher said.

Question word
(Seluruh kelas mendengarkan apa yang guru katakan.)

Antara lain: The kitten followed wherever the woman went.

(Anak kucing mengikuti kemanapun wanita itu pergi.)
 what(ever)
 what (time, kind, day, etc)
 who(ever)
 whose
 whom(ever) Many people imagine how many times the man was failed
 which(ever) before success.
 where(ever) (Banyak orang membayangkan berapa kali pria itu gagal
 when(ever) sebelum sukses.)
 how (long, far, many times, old,
etc)
Does
,
did
, and
do
are used in
questions but
not
in noun
clauses.
Look what happens to the
word order above
in
blue
.
►
I couldn’t hear
what he said
.
►
Do you know
when they arrive
?
The noun clause comes after the main
verb in the sentence.(hear, know)
Do not use question word order in a
noun clause. Use question word
-
plus
-
subject
-
plus
-
verb order and
keep the same tense (past and
present in the examples above).
Noun clauses with question words adalah klausa nomina yang diawali dengan kata tanya, seperti: when,
where, why, how, who, whom, what, which, whose.

Contoh:
- I don’t know where he lives.
- Do you know when they came?
- Please tell me what you want!
- I don’t understand why Susan is absent today.
- I wonder who is outside.
- I don’t know who she is.
- I don’t know whose car that is.

Perhatikan contoh berikut ini:

(a) Where does he live?
(b) I don’t know where he lives.
(c) When did they leave?
(d) Do you know when they left?
(e) What did she say?
(f) Please tell me what she said.
(g) Why is Jerry angry?
(h) I wonder why Jerry is angry.
(i) Who came to class?
(j) I don’t know who came to class.
(k) What happened?
(l) Tell me what happened?

Dari contoh di atas, yang termasuk klausa nomina atau noun clause adalah (b),(f), (h), (j), (l), sedangkan
(a),(c),(e), (g), (i), (k) disebut sebagai kalimat tanya atau information question (wh-question). Jadi, noun
clause with a question word dan information question berbeda pemakaiannya dalam suatu kalimat.
Khusus untuk (d) adalah kalimat tanya (do you know…) yang di dalamnya mengandung klausa nomina
(when they left).

Jangan sampai membuat kalimat seperti ini:

- I don’t know where do you live?

Kalimat di atas adalah clause dan tidak tepat jika menggunakan where do you live. Seharusnya kalimat
itu menjadi seperti ini:
- I don’t know where you live.

Tetapi jika memang ingin bertanya, kalimatnya menjadi seperti ini:

- Where do you live?
Ini merupakan kalimat tanya bukan clause.

Perhatikan juga contoh berikut ini:

- I don’t understand why does she love me? (Salah)
- I don’t understand why she loves me. (Benar)
- Why does she love me? (Benar)

Contoh lainnya:
- Tell me what will happen.
- I do not know who they are.
- Do you know what book she has?
- Do you know which book she wants?
- Do you know whose book that is?
- I am confused why she goes, when she goes and where she is now.
- Help me how I can get to station.
- I do not understand what he does.
- He told me what he had done.
- I will interview whoever comes.
- I do not know who will come.

Perhatikan beberapa contoh lagi berikut ini yang membandingkan antara kalimat tanya (questions)
dengan noun clauses with question words:

- Why is Tom absent?

- I wonder why Tom is absent.

- Who is that boy?

- Tell me who that boy is.

- Whose pen is this?

- Tell me whose pen this is.

- Who is in the office?

- Tell me who is in the office.

- Whose pen is on the desk?

- Tell me whose pen is on the desk.

- What did he say?

- I couldn’t hear what he said.

- When do they arrive?

- Do you know when they arrive?

- What happened?
- Please tell me what happened.

- Who is at the door?

- I wonder who is at the door.

- Who is she?
- I don’t know who she is.

- Who are those men?

- I don’t know who those men are.

- Whose house is that?

- I wonder whose house that is.

- What did she say?

- What she said surprised me.

- What should they do?

- What they should do is obvious.