A noun clause can be used in apposition to a noun or a pronoun. Study the following sentences.
- Your statement that you didn’t take the money can’t be believed.
- His belief that someday he would succeed cheered him through his failures.
- The news that he is alive made us happy.
- The belief that the soul is immortal is almost universal.
Noun clause as the complement of a verb of incomplete predication
In each of the following sentences the noun clause is used as the complement of a verb of incomplete predication.
- My belief is that he will come.
- It seems that he will top the list of successful candidates.
How to construct a sentence having a noun clause?
Making a sentence having a noun clause is very easy. One way is to begin a sentence like this:
He said that…
Whatever clause you put after ‘that’ will automatically become a noun clause.
- He said that he would come.
- He said that he would wait.
- He said that he was not interested in the offer.
Instead of ‘said’ you can use any of the following verbs:
Know, believe, think, realize, feel, hope, understand, wish, see, notice, find, discover, note, hear, listen, tell, ask, request, explain, suggest, reply etc.
- She suggested that I should consult a doctor.
- I realized that I had made a mistake.
- I believe that the soul is immortal.
- I discovered that the boy was missing.