Noun Clauses

NOUN CLAUSES WHICH BEGIN WITH A QUESTION WORD

Question                         Noun Clause

Where does she live?                     I don’t know where she lives.

What did he say?                            I couldn’t hear what he said.

When do they arrive?                    Do you know when they arrive?

Notice: does / do  and did are used in questions but not in noun clauses.

e.g. I couldn’t hear what did he say.

Who lives there?                             I don’t know who lives there.

What happened?                             Please tell me what happened.

Who is at the door?                                   I wonder who is at the door.

EXERCISE 1

Change the question in brackets into a noun clause.

1  (How old is she?)   I don’t know …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2  (Where do you live?)   Please tell me …………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3  (When are they coming?)   Do you know …………………………………………………………………………………………...?

4  (How much does it cost?)   I can't remember …………………………………………………………………………………..

EXERCISE 2

Make questions from the sentences given below. The words in brackets should be the answer to the question you make. Use a question word (who/what/how/etc). Then change the question to a noun clause.

e.g.  That man is (Mr Robertson)

      (Question)  Who is that man?

      (Noun Cl)    I want to know who that man is.

1  George lives (in Los Angeles).

      (Question)   …………………………………………………………………….

      (Noun Cl)     I want to know …………………………………………………………………….

2  Ann bought (a new dictionary)

      (Question)   …………………………………………………………………….

      (Noun Cl)     Do you know …………………………………………………………………….

3  Jack was late for school (because he missed the bus)

      (Question)   …………………………………………………………………….

      (Noun Cl)     The teacher wants to know …………………………………………………………………….

4  That is (Ann’s) pen.

      (Question)   …………………………………………………………………….

      (Noun Cl)     He wonders …………………………………………………………………….

NOUN CLAUSES WHICH BEGIN WITH IF

YES/NO question                Noun Clause

Will she come?                                I don’t know if she will come.

Does she need help?                                   I wonder if she needs help.

NOTICE: when yes/no question is changed to a noun clause, IF is used to introduce the clause.

EXERCISE 3

Rewrite the sentences using a noun clause.

1  Does she like me?

   I wonder ....................................................................

2  Should we wait for him?

      Do you think ..............................................................

3  Did mum pay the bill?

      Do you remember .....................................................

4  Is he in trouble?

      I want to know ..........................................................

5  Do we have enough time to have a cup of coffee?

      I wonder .....................................................................

EXERCISE 4

Make a new sentence from these questions.

1 Where is the post office?

Could you tell me ...........................................................................?

2 What does this word mean?

Do you know ....................................................................................?

3 What’s the time?

I wonder ..........................................................................................

4 Do they often punish you?

You can tell me ..............................................................................

5 Where did you park your car?

Can't you remember .....................................................................?

6 Have the police found the missing boy?

We wonder .....................................................................................

7 Where does Jack live?

Do you have any idea ....................................................................?

8 What time did they leave?

Who knows ......................................................................................?

9 Where can I change some money?

Could you tell me ...........................................................................?

10  Why didnt Tom come to the party?

I don’t know ....................................................................................... 

Excersise 1

Exercise 1: Change the questions to a noun clause.

1.     What time is it?

I would like to know ____________________________________________________.

2.    Why don’t they like go dancing?

__________________________________________________ is a mystery.

3.    Who left open the door of the car?

He doesn’t saw ________________________________________________________.

4.    Who is the lady in the black dress?

I wonder to know ______________________________________________________. 

5.    Whose car is this?

Does he know _______________________________________________________?

6.    What time did the flight arrive?

She would like to know _______________________________________________.

7.    How much cost the T-shirt?

Tom didn’t ask ______________________________________________________.

8.    Which one is the capital of India?

_______________________________ was the question that the teacher made.

9.    When is mother’s day?

Melissa doesn’t remember ____________________________________________.

10.  Why she couldn’t take the bus on time?

Her mother can understand ___________________________________________.

Excercise 2

Fill in the blanks with the suitable conjunctions given

(more than one alternative might be possible in some cases)

 that         why             if            which             whether                when

 who        where          whose      what           how

1. The poor boy couldn't ever learn __________ killed him.

2. I've been trying to understand __________ it is Nick who insisted that the teachers should come

up with a new proposal to the next meeting in order to improve their teaching ability.

3. You'll be surprised to learn __________ hair I've found on the collar of your husband.

4. __________ really want to find out is __________ you've made this mistake on purpose.

5. You should have guessed __________ she would surely let you down even at the most 

unexpected occasions.

6. It's clearly understood __________ he took the trouble to help you in the garden.

7. __________ he's telling the truth or not will never be known.

8. It is not difficult to understand __________ different people speak different languages.

9. People, at times, can be so blind that they don't even see __________ is in front of their eyes.

Word Formation

An English word can consist of three parts: the root, a prefix, and a suffix. The root is the part of the word that contains the basic meaning, or definition of the word. The prefix is a word element placed in front of the root, which changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. A suffix is a word element placed after the root, which changes the word's meaning as well as its function.

Common Prefixes

Prefix		Meaning		Examples
anti-		against		antibiotic
bi-		two		bicycle
contra-		against		contradict
di-		two		diameter, dichotomy
dis-		apart, away from		dissatisfied, disillusion
ex		former		ex-wife
ex-, e-		go out from		exit
extra-		beyond		extraterrestrial
hyper-		extremely		hyperactive
in-, im-, il-, ir-		negative, not		incapable, impossible, illogical, irresponsible
inter-		between		interaction, intermingle
intra-		within		intracoastal
intro-		inward		introduction
macro-		large		macroeconomics
micro-		tiny, small		microscope
mis-		wrong		misuse, misinform
mono-		one		monolingual
multi-		many		multinational
neo-		new		neophyte, neonatal
non-		negative, not		non-binding
omni-		all		omnipotent
poly-		many		polyglot
post-		after		postwar
pre-		before		previous
re-		again		reply, rearrange
retro-		backwards		retroactive
semi-		half		semiannual
sub-		under		submarine, subordinate
super-		above		supersede
tri-		three		tricycle, triplets
un-		negative, not		unidentified
uni-		one		unilateral

Common Suffixes

Suffix		Part of Speech		Examples
-er, -or		noun		teacher, director
-ance, -ence		noun		difference, attendance
-ant, -ent		noun		deviant, President
-ee		noun		employee, trainee
-ess		noun		stewardess, waitress
-ian		noun		electrician, beautician
-ism		noun		Communism, theism
-ics		noun		mathematics, statistics
-ist		noun		chemist, artist
-ity		noun		rarity, velocity
-ment		noun		achievement, astonishment
-ness		noun		happiness, fondness
-ship		noun		relationship, friendship
-tion, -ation		noun		action, coronation
-ate		verb		deviate, create
-ify		verb		typify, solidify
-ize		verb		tenderize, authorize
-able, -ible		adjective		reliable, capable, sensible
-al		adjective		comical, radical
-ful		adjective		wonderful, helpful
-ish		adjective		impish, sheepish
-ive		adjective		creative, sensitive
-ous, ious		adjective		dangerous, impervious
-ly		adverb		quickly, happily
-ally		adverb		athletically, accidentally

Komodo Dragon

Cycling is bad for the environment

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1303/130305-cycling_1.mp3

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1303/130305-cycling.mp3

An American (1) ____ has said cycling is bad for the environment. He also said cyclists should pay a (2) ____  to ride their bikes on the roads. Ed Orcutt, a representative from Washington State, sent an e-mail to the (3) ____ of a local bike shop to outline his thinking. He wrote: "A cyclist has an increased heart rate and (4) ____. That means that the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is…a (5) ____ gas…cyclists are actually polluting when they ride." Mr Orcutt said: "You can't just say that there's no pollution as a result of riding a bicycle….You would be (6) ____ off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving in a car."

Mr Orcutt also believes cyclists should be taxed to use the roads. He said it was (7) ____ that motorists have to pay all of the costs of building and repairing roads. He wrote: "Currently (8) ____ are paying to use their cars on the roads…so if cars pay for the roads they are (9) ____, it only makes sense that bicyclists would also be required to pay for the roads they use when they are actually (10) ____ on them." Dale Carlson, owner of the Tech Bike Shop said Mr Orcutt's ideas were wrong. He wrote: "People who choose to ride a bicycle instead (11) ____ driving a car actively reduce congestion." He added: "They save wear and (12) ____ on our roads and bridges, and reduce the [need for police] to patrol our highways."

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	lawman	(b)	lawyer	(c)	lawnmower	(d)	lawmaker
2.	(a)	taxing	(b)	taxes	(c)	taxi	(d)	tax
3.	(a)	owns	(b)	owner	(c)	owning	(d)	own
4.	(a)	desperation	(b)	perspiration	(c)	respiration	(d)	relaxation
5.	(a)	greenish	(b)	Greenland	(c)	greenhouse	(d)	greenie
6.	(a)	giving	(b)	taking	(c)	moving	(d)	doing
7.	(a)	fair	(b)	unfair	(c)	unfairly	(d)	fairly
8.	(a)	motorists	(b)	motors	(c)	motored	(d)	motorist
9.	(a)	useful	(b)	using	(c)	usable	(d)	used
10.	(a)	bicycles	(b)	biker	(c)	biking	(d)	cyclists
11.	(a)	for	(b)	from	(c)	of	(d)	as
12.	(a)	bear	(b)	fear	(c)	pear	(d)	tear

EU bans sale of all animal-tested cosmetics

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1303/130313-animal_testing.mp3

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1303/130313-animal_testing_1.mp3

People in Europe will no (1) ____ be able to buy cosmetics that were tested on animals. The European Union has banned (2) ____ cosmetics that were developed using animal testing. The EU is also asking other countries to do the (3) ____. The total ban follows an earlier one from 2009, when companies could test on animals for (4) ____ human health issues. Tonio Borg, the EU's commissioner for health, said the ban, "gives an important signal on the (5) ____ that Europe attaches to animal welfare". Mr Borg said the EU would help the industry find different ways of developing new cosmetics. He said this would, "(6) ____ an example of responsible innovation in cosmetics without any compromise on consumer safety".

Animal rights campaigners say the ban is an (7) ____ victory. They have campaigned for decades (8) ____ animal testing. A spokesman from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charity said: "Animal testing in the (9) ____ of beauty has never been acceptable." He added the work for animal rights activists was not (10) ____. "This is a great day for animals but…there are still many animals being used across the world to develop cosmetics," he said. Cosmetics companies were very (11) ____ over the new law. A Cosmetics Europe spokesman said European companies would fall behind in developing new products. He added that, "consumers in Europe won't have (12) ____ to new products".

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.	(a)	long	(b)	length	(c)	longer	(d)	longing
2.	(a)	all	(b)	whole	(c)	entire	(d)	every
3.	(a)	same	(b)	name	(c)	game	(d)	came
4.	(a)	serious	(b)	series	(c)	sores	(d)	cereals
5.	(a)	amount	(b)	volume	(c)	cost	(d)	value
6.	(a)	get	(b)	bet	(c)	let	(d)	set
7.	(a)	important	(b)	importance	(c)	imported	(d)	importantly
8.	(a)	opposite	(b)	again	(c)	rival	(d)	against
9.	(a)	name	(b)	shame	(c)	blame	(d)	game
10.	(a)	above	(b)	over	(c)	around	(d)	through
11.	(a)	fury	(b)	angry	(c)	madly	(d)	cross
12.	(a)	access	(b)	recess	(c)	success	(d)	depress

Don't Be Stupid

http://www.rong-chang.com/ne/audio/es105.mp3

Why do people ................... stupid things? Some people try to walk across freeways. They get run over. Some people ................... on the edge of cliffs. They slip and fall to their ...................  Some people think a gun is not loaded. They ................... the gun at a friend. They pull the trigger. They kill ................... friend. Some people want to watch a storm up close. They go to the ocean. They feel the ...................  They see the big waves. They are ...................  Then a big wave takes them out to sea. They drown. Many people ................... school. They say that school is boring. They want to ...................  School is not fun. They hate homework. They get a job at McDonald's. All day ................... they ask the ...................  "Do you want fries with that?" Is that fun? No, but it is stupid. Some people ................... their wives or husbands. They get ...................  Their marriage ends. They are alone. Many people smoke cigarettes. They get cancer. Many people drink and drive. Drinking and driving is ................... the law. It's ...................  It's stupid. But people do it every day.

Rewrite Exercises

Rewrite the Sentences by using the words in brackets.
1. Mr. Short used a long ladder. He wanted to reach the high ceiling. (so that)
………………………………………………………………………………………
2. My father gave me extra money. He didn’t want me to borrow any from my friends.
(in case)
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Andrew’s friends visited him. They wanted to congratulate him on his graduation.
(in order to)
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. I’m learning English. I want to get a better job. (to)
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The driver stopped. Then the children could cross the road. (so that)
………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Tom put the cream in the fridge. That would keep it cool. (to)
………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Mark is going to repair the roof. Then the rain won’t come in. (so that)
………………………………………………………………………………………
8. We often switch off the heating. It saves money. (in order to)
………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Pamela wore boots. Her feet wouldn’t get wet. (so that)
………………………………………………………………………………………

10. They have a car, but they rarely use it. (though)
…………………………………………………………………………………
11. He was innocent, but he was sent to prison. (although)
…………………………………………………………………………………
12. He was a number of relatives living nearby, but he never visits them. (even though)
…………………………………………………………………………………


13. He stayed up late, even though he was very tired. (despite)
…………………………………………………………………………………

14. He stayed outside in the cold weather, even though he felt ill. (despite)
…………………………………………………………………………………
15. People continue to smoke, even though they know the dangers. (in spite of)
…………………………………………………………………………………

16. It rained this morning. The children played in the garden. (while)
………………………………………………………………………………………
17. What did you do? The doorbell rang. (when)
………………………………………………………………………………………
18. I walked along Main Street. I realized a man behind me. (when)
………………………………………………………………………………………
19. I started to play football when I was five. (since)
………………………………………………………………………………………
20. The windows are dirty. I last cleaned them last month. (since)
………………………………………………………………………………………
21. He last shaved a week ago. (for)
………………………………………………………………………………………
22. Maybe the train leaves at six. I don’t catch it. (If)
………………………………………………………………………………………
23. He went to London. He wanted to work there. (to)
………………………………………………………………………………………
24. No sound could be heard. The walls were very thick. (because)
………………………………………………………………………………………
25. My bed is terribly hard. I can’t sleep well. (so ……… that)
………………………………………………………………………………………
26. We bought this house in 1990. (since)
………………………………………………………………………………………
27. He may come late. He will call us. (If)
………………………………………………………………………………………
28. Paris isn’t as crowded as New York. (more)
………………………………………………………………………………………
29. You can't go out if you don't wear your coat. (without)
………………………………………………………………………………………
30. You will get higher grade when you study more. (by)
………………………………………………………………………………………




Join each pair of sentences using SO / SUCH ….. (THAT):
1. It was a very warm evening. We had dinner outside in the garden.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
2. He was very nervous. He couldn’t eat anything.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Our neighbours’ party was very noisy. We couldn’t sleep.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
4. The restaurant was very crowded. They couldn’t find anywhere to sit down.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
5. We were all having a good time. We didn’t want to stop.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
6. He’s got a very good memory. He never needs to write anythind down.
…………………………………………………………………………………….