Here's how it works:
1. Subject of the verb:
* What he said surprised everyone. (The clause "what he said" acts as the subject of the verb "surprised").
2. Direct object of the verb:
* I know that she is coming. (The clause "that she is coming" is the direct object of the verb "know").
3. Object of a preposition:
* The book is about what happened in the past. (The clause "what happened in the past" is the object of the preposition "about").
4. Predicate nominative:
* The problem is that we are out of time. (The clause "that we are out of time" renames the subject "problem").
5. Appositive:
* The fact that he lied angered everyone. (The clause "that he lied" renames the noun "fact").
Key characteristics of noun clauses:
* They always contain a subject and a verb.
* They are introduced by words like *that, what, who, whoever, whomever, whether, why, how, when, where* etc.
* They can be placed in various positions within a sentence.
By understanding the function of noun clauses, you can better analyze and understand sentence structure and meaning.