Noun Clauses
* A noun clause acts as a noun within a sentence. It can function as the subject, object, or complement of a verb or preposition.
* They often start with words like "that," "what," "who," "where," "when," "why," "how," or "whether."
Relative Clauses
* A relative clause modifies a noun or pronoun by providing additional information about it.
* They begin with relative pronouns like "who," "whom," "whose," "which," "that," or relative adverbs like "where," "when," "why."
Noun Clauses with Relative Clauses
Here's the key: A noun clause can contain a relative clause. This happens when the noun clause itself is further defined or clarified by a relative clause.
Example:
* "I know the reason why you left."
Let's break it down:
1. Noun clause: "the reason why you left"
* This entire clause acts as the object of the verb "know."
2. Relative clause: "why you left"
* This clause modifies the noun "reason," providing information about which reason is being referred to.
More Examples:
* "I believe what you said about the situation."
* Noun clause: "what you said about the situation"
* Relative clause: "about the situation"
* "They understand how the machine works."
* Noun clause: "how the machine works"
* Relative clause: "how the machine works"
Key Points:
* The relative clause in a noun clause will always modify a noun or pronoun within the noun clause itself.
* These clauses add complexity and detail to sentences, making them more informative.
In summary: Noun clauses containing relative clauses are a way to embed specific information about a noun within a larger grammatical structure.