1. Chapter 11 Complex Sentences: Noun Clauses
Presented by: Stephanie Ingenito, Katelyn Maroney, & Carrie Neckles

2. Why do we need to know and teach noun clauses?
It teaches students how to generate description within their writing
It provides explanatory information about the main clause
It adds variety to students’ writing while making it more sophisticated

3. Noun Clauses Definition:
Noun clauses usually follow the main clause (subject + verb) and are introduced by subordinate conjunctions (connecting words).
Subordinate Conjunctions:
That
Whether (or not) If
Wh- questions (Who? What? When? Where? Which? Why? How?)

4. Noun Clauses Sentence Examples Noun Clause Position
Type of Noun Clause
The teachers learned that teaching ELLs is a challenging task.
after main clause
statement
That teaching ELLs is a challenging task was understood by teachers.*
initial position
They don’t know why teaching ELLs is a challenging task.
wh- question
Why teaching ELLs is challenging, they did not know.*
*Although not common, these types of noun clauses may be found in a variety of texts.

5. I. Verb + “That” Noun Clause
Common Verbs Followed by Noun Clauses
Examples:
admit discover learn tell
believe know notice think
claim expect observe understand
conclude explain predict
decide find out remember
Sentence Examples:
Abigail knows that she was right.
The teachers expect that their students will try their best.

6. I. Verb + “That” Noun Clause
Most common type of noun clause
“That” is used to introduce a noun clause
Verbs expressing mental activities or feelings are frequently followed by noun clauses
The noun clauses function as objects of the verb

7. For Your Grammatical Minds...
FYI: There are different types of verbs that could go before the noun:
verb + that clauses
verb + required indirect object + noun clause
verb + optional indirect object + noun clause
verb + to + optional indirect object + noun clause
This is A LOT! Don’t worry, it gets easier... 

8. Incorrect Sentence Examples: Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Challenges for ELLs
ELLs will often incorrectly insert additional words or “to” before the object.
ELLs will forget to insert the required “to” preposition.
Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Professor Weinstein told to the students that they have homework.
Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Professor Weinstein explained me that she could help.

9. II. “Be” + Adjective + “That” Noun Clause
Common Adjectives Followed by Noun Clauses
Examples:
afraid concerned obvious
amazed disappointed sorry
angry glad sure
certain happy surprised
clear nervous worried
Sentence Examples:
I am glad that you passed your CST exam.
The students are disappointed that summer vacation is over.

10. II. “Be” + Adjective + “That” Noun Clause
When a “that” noun clause follows “be” + adjective, the noun clause functions as a complement
The “that” noun clause provides explanatory information about the main clause
Often labeled a noun complement that clause
Complement: refers to something that completes or expands the meaning of a sentence.

11. III. Nouns + “That” Noun Clauses
Common Nouns Followed by Noun Clauses
Examples:
advice conclusion idea
agreement decision impression
assumption fact message
belief feeling prediction
claim hope warning
Sentence Examples:
It was the teacher’s idea that the class takes a field trip to the zoo.
Tom has a good feeling that he will do well on the exam.

12. Omission of “That”
The conjunction “that” introducing noun clauses can be omitted when:
The noun clause is in object position
It comes after “be” + adjective, or
It comes after one of the nouns that takes a noun clause.
Sentence Examples:
It was the teacher’s idea that the students study for their exam.
It was the teacher’s idea that the students study for their exam.
Tom has a good feeling that he will do well on the exam.

13. Try it!
Take 1 minute to parse this sentence:
I am ecstatic that we have finished our four classes for ESOL certification!
Circle the main clause (subject + verb)
Underline the subordinate conjunction (connecting word)
Highlight the noun phrase

14. “Be” + adjective + “that” noun clause
Answer:
I am ecstatic that we have finished our four classes for ESOL certification!
What does the noun clause follow?
Verb + “that” noun clause
“Be” + adjective + “that” noun clause
Noun + “that” noun clause
“Be” + adjective + “that” noun clause

15. Sentence Strip Activity 
Directions:
Find one of your colleagues who has the rest of the sentence, to create a complete sentence using noun clauses.
Stand underneath the sign that specifies whether it is:
Verb + “That” Noun Clause
“Be” + Adjective + That Noun Clause
Noun + “That” Noun Clause

16. Reported Speech Definition:
Reported speech (indirect speech) refers to utterances that are not quotations, but reflect what someone has said;
Hint: reported speech “reports” what someone has said 
Direct speech refers to the actual words spoken by a person.
Examples:
Sue said, “I am hungry.” (direct speech)
Sue said that she was hungry. or
Sue said she was hungry. (indirect speech)

17. I. Changing from direct speech to reported speech: STATEMENTS
Statements are noun phrases (subject +verb) that are introduced using the word “that,”
FYI: You do not always have to use the word “that”
No change in word order
Example:
Ian said, “I am exhausted.” (direct speech)
Ian said that he was exhausted. or
Ian said he was exhausted. (indirect speech)

18. II. Changing from direct speech to reported speech: IMPERATIVES
Imperatives tell someone to do something
FYI: Imperatives in direct speech change to the “to” infinitive form in reported speech (indirect speech).
Example:
Pam said, “Eat something.” (direct speech)
Pam said to eat something. (affirmative)
Pam said, “Don’t eat anything.” (direct speech)
Pam said not to eat anything. (negative)

19. III. Changing from direct speech to reported speech: QUESTIONS
Noun clauses derived from yes/no questions are introduced by whether (or not) or if.
Noun clauses that form information questions are introduced by wh-question words.
These words cannot be omitted in noun clauses.
When questions are changed from direct speech to reported speech, you must change the question word order to affirmative sentence word order
Example:
Pam asked, “Is Sue hungry?” (direct speech)
Pam asked whether (or not)/if Sue was hungry. (Y/N question)
Sue asked, “Where is a restaurant?” (direct speech)
Sue asked where a restaurant was. (wh- question)

20. IV. Changing from direct speech to reported speech: EXCLAMATIONS
Exclamations or interjections, are also found in reported speech.
They refer to expressions of surprise, dismay, pleasure or other similar emotions.
Exclamations retain the same word order, but add words, and often change “said” to a more descriptive word.
Example:
Pam said, “What a mistake I made!” (direct speech)
Pam realized what a mistake she had made. (indirect speech)
Pam said, “This is a wonderful restaurant!” (direct speech)
Pam exclaimed that that was a wonderful restaurant. (indirect speech)

21. Formal Sequencing of Verb Tenses
When changing from direct speech  reported speech, traditional prescriptive grammar requires the formal sequencing of tenses. This means that you must:
Change verbs in present tense to past tense
Change past tense verbs to past perfect
Examples: Sue said, “I am hungry.” (present)
Sue said that she was hungry. (past)
Sue said, “I was hungry.” (past)
Sue said that she had been hungry. (past perfect)

22. Pronoun and Other Changes
ELLs must realize that there are also pronoun and other changes that may need to occur when changing from direct speech to reported speech.
Examples: Blair said, “I have a dog.” changes to: Blair said that she had a dog. (I she)
Blair said, “My dog always sleeps here under the porch by this door.” changes to: Blair said that her dog always sleeps there under the porch by that door. (here there) (this that)

23. Say VS. Tell
Say and tell are similar in meaning, but take different sentence patterns, causing ELLs to produce sentences such as:
He said me that he was tired.
He told to me that he was tired.
After the verb say, an object is optional. If say is followed by an indirect object, it is introduced by to, and then followed by the noun clause: We say something or we say to someone something.
Examples: Barney said that he was tired.
Barney said to me that he was tired.

24. Say VS. Tell
The verb tell, on the other hand, must be followed by an object and then the noun clause. This object cannot be preceded by to.
We use tell in the sense of we tell someone something.
Example#1: Patti told me that she had to leave.
Correct: told is first followed by the object pronoun me and then the noun clause that she had to leave
Example #2: Patti told to me that she had to leave.
Incorrect: to cannot come before the object me after the verb tell

25. Reported Speech as Impression
Teaching ELLs that direct speech is an exact replica is the easiest way for them to understand it.
Not always the exact replica of direct speech.
More of an approximation of what someone said.
Example: “He is thought likely to be one of the best lawyers that are representing the union and can win the case hands down.” said John. (direct speech)
John said the he is one of the best lawyers that they could have representing the case, and he can definitely win the case. (indirect speech)

26. Practice Activity
Change the following sentences from direct speech to reported speech:
The woman said, “The man grabbed my purse and ran through the lobby.”
“The idea was to create as many modern inventions as we could,” said Kenneth Drucker.

27. Challenges for ELLs
The greatest difficulty for ELLs is using affirmative sentence word order in noun clauses after wh- question words and whether/if.
They struggle with formal sequencing of tenses as well,
They combine both problems and produce sentences such as:
Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Last night, my friend asked me where was I going.
Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Last night, my friend asked what I am doing.
Incorrect Sentence Examples:
Last night, my friend asked me where am I going.