Noun Clause Exercise

Find out the noun clauses in the following sentences and state what purpose they serve.

1.    The king ordered that the traitor should be put to death.
2.    He said that he would not go.
3.    That he is not interested in the offer is known to us.
4.    He said that he was not feeling well.
5.    I cannot rely on what he says.
6.    I don’t know where he has gone.
7.    He asked whether the servant had polished his shoes.
8.    The news that he is alive has been confirmed.
9.    The belief that the soul is immortal is almost universal.
10.    It is certain that we will have to admit defeat.
11.    It was fortunate that he was present.
12.    The report that only ten persons were killed in the riots is not true.

Answers

1.    Here the noun clause ‘that the traitor should be put to death’ is that object of the verb ordered.
2.    Here the noun clause ‘that he would not go’ is the object of the verb said.
3.    Here the noun clause ‘that he is not interested in the offer’ is the subject of the verb is.
4.    Here the noun clause ‘that he was not feeling well’ is the object of the verb said.
5.    Here the noun clause ‘what he says’ is the object of the preposition on.
6.    Here the noun clause ‘where he has gone’ is the object of the verb know.
7.    Here the noun clause ‘whether the servant had polished his shoes’ is the object of the verb asked.
8.    Here the noun clause ‘that he is alive’ is in apposition to the noun news.
9.    Here the noun clause ‘that the soul is immortal’ is in apposition to the noun belief.
10.    Here the noun clause ‘that we will have to admit defeat’ is in apposition to the pronoun it.
11.    Here the noun clause ‘that he was present’ is in apposition to the pronoun it.
12.    Here the noun clause ‘that only ten persons were killed in the riots’ is in apposition to the noun report.