ge11-5.5· Unit 5: Adjectives, Adverbs & Clauses· ~13 min

Noun (Complement) Clauses

That-clauses functioning as the subject or object of a sentence (I believe that..., What surprised us was that...).

A noun (complement) clause is a subordinate clause that does the job of a noun in a sentence: it can be the subject, the object of a verb, or the complement after a linking verb. Most noun clauses are introduced by 'that', which can often be dropped when the clause is the object of a verb (I believe (that) he is honest), but 'that' cannot normally be omitted when the clause is the subject of the sentence (That he lied surprised everyone). Common verbs followed by a that-clause as object include think, believe, know, hope, suggest, insist, admit, realise, and say. Noun clauses differ from relative (adjective) clauses because they do not describe or identify a noun that comes before them; instead, the whole clause itself acts as a noun, filling a subject or object slot. Compare 'The news that he had won surprised nobody' (a noun clause explaining what the news was) with 'The book that I read was interesting' (a relative clause identifying which book). A noun clause can also follow certain adjectives expressing feelings or certainty (I'm sure that she will call; It is surprising that he refused) or begin a sentence as the subject, often balanced with 'It' (It is clear that we need more time = That we need more time is clear).

Key terms

Noun clause — A subordinate clause that functions as a subject, object or complement, most often introduced by 'that' (I believe that she is right).
That-clause — A noun clause beginning with the conjunction 'that', which can often be omitted in object position.
Subject clause — A noun clause used as the subject of the sentence (That he lied surprised everyone).
Object clause — A noun clause used as the direct object of a verb (I know that she is busy).
It + be + adjective/noun + that-clause — A common pattern that postpones a subject clause using 'it' (It is clear that we need more time).
Complement clause — A noun clause that follows a linking verb or adjective to complete its meaning (My fear is that we'll be late; I'm sure that she'll call).
Noun clause functions
FunctionExample
SubjectThat she passed the exam pleased her parents.
Object of a verbEveryone believes (that) the plan will work.
Complement after 'be'The problem is that we have no time.
After an adjective of feelingI'm glad that you came.
Noun clause vs relative clause
TypeExampleWhat the clause does
Noun clauseThe news that he had won surprised nobody.explains WHAT the news was (acts as a noun)
Relative clauseThe book that I read was interesting.identifies WHICH book (describes a noun)
✎Deciding whether 'that' can be omitted
  1. 1Start: Sentence: 'I think (that) the meeting is cancelled.'
  2. 2Apply the rule: The that-clause is the OBJECT of 'think', so 'that' is optional in informal speech and writing.
  3. 3Answer: I think the meeting is cancelled. (or: I think that the meeting is cancelled.)
✎Recognising a subject noun clause
  1. 1Start: Sentence: 'That he apologised surprised everyone.'
  2. 2Apply the rule: The that-clause 'That he apologised' is the SUBJECT of the verb 'surprised', so 'that' must normally be kept.
  3. 3Answer: That he apologised surprised everyone. (Compare the postponed version: It surprised everyone that he apologised.)
🚫Common mistake

Do not confuse a noun clause with a relative clause: 'The rumour that she resigned is false' (noun clause explaining the rumour) vs 'The woman that/who resigned was my colleague' (relative clause identifying the woman).

⚠️Caution

'That' is usually required, not optional, when the clause is the subject: 'That he was late is understandable' sounds much more natural than dropping 'that' at the start of a sentence.

💡Note

English often prefers to postpone a long subject clause using 'It': 'It is obvious that she is tired' is more natural than 'That she is tired is obvious', although both are grammatically correct.

🚫Common mistake

Do not use 'what' in place of 'that' for a simple noun clause: 'I believe that he is honest', not 'I believe what he is honest' (use 'what' only for a different meaning, as in 'I believe what he said').

Rules

  1. 1A noun clause fills a subject, object or complement slot, introduced mainly by 'that': I know (that) she is right; That she is right is obvious.
  2. 2'That' can be omitted when the clause is the OBJECT of a verb (I think (that) he's tired), but is usually kept when the clause is the SUBJECT (That he's tired is clear).
  3. 3Common verbs + that-clause: think, believe, know, hope, suggest, insist, admit, realise, say, agree, doubt, deny.
  4. 4Noun clauses can follow certain adjectives of feeling/certainty: I'm sure/glad/surprised/afraid that...; It is likely/clear/obvious that...
  5. 5A noun clause differs from a relative clause: a noun clause acts AS a noun (fills a slot), while a relative clause DESCRIBES a noun that comes before it.

Practice

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