Use Noun Clause Connector/subjects Correctly

In Skill 9 we saw that noun clause connectors were used to introduce noun subject clauses or noun object clauses. In Skill 10 we will see that in some cases a noun clause connector is not just a connector; a noun clause connector can also be the subject of the clause at the same time.

I do not know what is in the box.

NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF VERB

We are concerned about who will do the work.

NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF PREPOSITION

Whoever is coming to the party must bring a gift.

NOUN CLAUSE AS SUBJECT

In the first example there are two clauses: I do not know and what is in the box. These two clauses are joined by the connector what. It is important to understand that in this sentence the word what serves two functions. It is both the subject of the verb is and the connector that joins the two clauses.

In the second example there are two clauses. In the first clause we is the subject of are. In the second clause who is the subject of will do. Who also serves as the connector that joins the two clauses. The noun clause who will do the work functions as the object of the preposition about.

In the last example there are also two clauses: whoever is the subject of the verb is coming, and the noun clause whoever is coming to the party is the subject of must bring. The word whoever serves two functions in the sentence: It is the subject of the verb is coming, and it is the connector that joins the two clauses.

The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in structure questions on the TOEFL test.

Example from the Paper and Computer TOEFL® Tests

____ was on television made me angry.

(A) It (B) The story (C) What (D) When

In this example you should notice immediately that there are two verbs, was and made, and each of those verbs needs a subject. Answers (A) and (B) are incorrect because it and the story cannot be the subject for both was and made at the same time. Answer (D) is incorrect because when is not a subject. In answer (C) what serves as both the subject of the verb was and the connector that joins the two clauses together; the noun clause what was on television is the subject of the verb made. Answer (C) is therefore the best answer.

The following chart lists the noun clause connector/subjects and the sentence patterns used with them:

NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTOR/SUBJECTS

who whoever what whatever which whichever

NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECТ

S V noun connector/subject V

I know what happened.

NOUN CLAUSE AS SUBJECT

(noun connector/subject) V V

What happened was great.