Nominal Clause

A Nominal Clause is a subordinate clause that functions as a noun phrase.

• AKA: Noun Clause.
• Context:
  • It must contain the Sentence Subject.
  • It must contain a Finite Verb.
  • It can range from being a Finite Clause to being a Non-Finite Clause.
  • It can be replaced by a Pronoun.
  • It can be subordinated by Subordinating Conjunctions: how that what when where whether which who why.
• Example(s):
  • “I don't know [where he went]”; replacement test: “I don't know [that]”
  • “[That she can't lift her foot] concerns me”; replacement test: “[It] worries me”
  • “[Smoking cigarettes] can cause cancer.”; replacement test: “[They] can cause cancer”
  • “[When you did it] is not what I'm after.”; replacement test: “[That] is not what I'm after”
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Noun Phrase without a Finite Verb, such as: “feeding it”.
• See: Linguistic Clause, Verb Clause.

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References

2009

• http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/nominal_clause
  • A clause that is used as a subject or object.
    • Example: "whatever you want to do"

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