Noun Clauses (“that” Clauses)

Definition

Noun clauses are most easily understood as indirect speech. In indirect speech, we take a sentence or question from direct speech and embed it in another sentence. For example:

She said, “I will be late.”

She said that she would be late.

He asked, “Where are you going?”

He asked where she was going.

Noun clauses are a way to embed a clause, usually as the object of a reporting verb like say, think, believe, wonder, argue. 

Form

There are three types of noun clauses, depending on the type of sentence from which they are derived.

Note:

1. The words highlighted in yellow can be considered as clause connectors. The word that is hard to explain: it really has no meaning, it is not a conjunction or pronoun, and it can usually be omitted.
2. Only one connector is used: a common learner error is to use two connectors: *they asked that why  I was late.
3. In the noun clause, questions return to subject-verb word order (i.e., I asked you were late and not *I asked why were you late).
4. Questions embedded in declarative sentences don’t end with question marks.
5. We often take a “step back” in the verb tense/time in the noun clause, especially in true reported speech:

• • The copier is broken. > I said the copier was broken.
  • They planned the party. I thought that they had planned the party.
  • I can’t believe it! > She said she couldn’t believe it.

Function

The most common function of noun clauses is to project the thoughts, words, beliefs, or ideas of another person. This function is not only useful in narrative, but also in informational writing where writers paraphrase or summarize their sources, as in these examples from a press release:

New research in the journal Nature Communications could transform how scientists understand cognition and aging.

Calhoun says (that) this connection could help experts better understand mental health conditions.

The research reveals how certain brain networks act as middlemen.

Noun clauses are also common in explanations and conclusions:

The evidence shows that …

The results mean that …

Another function of noun clauses is in certain types of statements that express modality – that is, ways of showing stance, certainty, and uncertainty. These are interesting because they start with an “empty” subject, it, which pushes the important information into the noun clause at the end of the sentence:

It is possible that new sources of energy will be discovered.

It is likely that the climate will continue to change.