SKILL 10: USE NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTOR/SUBJECTS CORRECTLY
In Skill 9 we saw that noun clause connectors were used to introduce noun subject clauses or
noun object clauses. In Skill 10 we will see that in some cases a noun clause connector is not just
a connector; a noun clause connector can also be the subject of the clause at the same time.
I do not know what is in the box.
NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF VERB
We are concerned about who will do the work.
NOUN CLAUSE AS OBJECT OF
PREPOSITION
Whoever is coming to the party must bring a gift.
NOUN CLAUSE AS
SUBJECT
In the first example there are two clauses: I do not know and what is in the box. These two
clauses are joined by the connector what. It is important to understand that in this sentence the
word what serves two functions. It is both the subject of the verb is and the connector that joins
the two clauses.
In the second example there are two clauses. In the first clause we is the subject of are. In
the second clause who is the subject of will do. Who also serves as the connector that joins the
two clauses. The noun clause who will do the work functions as the object of the preposition
about.
In the last example there are also two clauses: whoever is the subject of the verb is coming,
and the noun clause whoever is coming to the party is the subject of must bring.
The word whoever serves two functions in the sentence: It is the subject of the verb is coming,
and it is the connector that joins the two clauses.
The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the structure
section of the TOEFL test.
Example :
____was on television made me angry.
(A) It
(B) The story
(C) What
(D) When
In this example you should notice immediately that there are two verbs, was and made, and each
of those verbs needs a subject. Answers (A) and (B) are incorrect because it and the story cannot
be the subject for both was and made at the same time. Answer (D) is incorrect because when is
not a subject. In answer (C) what serves as both the subject of the verb was and the connector
that joins the two clauses together; the noun clause what was on television is the subject of the
verb made. Answer (C) is therefore the best answer.
SKILL 11: USE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE CONNECTORS CORRECTLY
An adjective clause is a clause that describes a noun. Because the clause is an adjective, it is
positioned directly after the noun that it describes.
The woman is filling the glass that she put on the table.
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
The glass that she put on the table contains milk.
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
In the first example there are two clauses: woman is the subject of the verb is filling, and
she is the subject of the verb put. That is the adjective clause connector that joins these two
clauses, and the adjective clause that she put on the table describes the noun glass.
In the second example there are also two clauses: glass is the subject of the verb contains,
and she is the subject of the verb put. In this sentence also, that is the adjective clause connector
that joins these two clauses, and the adjective clause that she put on the table describes the noun
glass.
The following example shows how these sentence patterns could be tested in the Structure
section of the TOEFL test.
Example :
The gift____selected for the bride was rather expensive.
(A) because
(B) was
(C) since
(D) which we
In this example you should notice quickly that there are two clauses: gift is the subject of
the verb was, and the verb selected needs a subject. Because there are two clauses, a connector is
also needed. Answers (A) and (C) have connectors, but there are no subjects, so these answers
are not correct. Answer (B) changes selected into a passive verb; in this case the sentence would
have one subject and two verbs, so answer (B) is not correct. The best answer to this question is
answer (D). The correct sentence should say: The gift which we se -lected for the bride was
rather expensive. In this sentence gift is the subject of the verb was, we is the subject of the verb
selected, and the connector which joins these two clauses.
The following chart lists the adjective clause connectors and the sentence patterns used
with them:
ADJECTIVES CLAUSE CONNECTOR
Who Which That
(for people) ( for things )
Adjective connector /
subject S V
S V
I liked a
book which you recommended
S V Adjective connector /
subject S V
The book which
you
recommende
d was interesting
NOTE : the adjective connectors can be omitted. This omission is very common
in spoken English or in casual written English. It is not as common in formal
English or in the Structure section of the TOEFL test.
EXERCISE (Skills 10-11): Each of the following sentences contains more than one clause.
Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice. Circle the connectors. Put boxes around the
clauses. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
_____ 1. I have no idea about when the meeting is supposed to start.
_____ 2. We have been told that we can leave whenever want.
_____ 3. The racquet with whom I was playing was too big and too heavy for me.
TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 10-11): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. Dolphins form extremely complicated
allegiances and_____continually change.
(A) enmities that
(B) that are enmities
(C) enmities that are
(D) that enmities
2. Scientists are now beginning to conduct
experiments on_____trigger different sorts
of health risks.
(A) noise pollution can
(B) that noise pollution
(C) how noise pollution
(D) how noise pollution can
3. The Apollo 11 astronauts_____of the
Earth’s inhabitants witnessed on the
famous first moonwalk on July 20,1969,
were Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
(A) whom
(B) whom millions
(C) were some
(D) whom some were
4. At the end of the nineteenth century.
Alfred Binet developed a test for
measuring intelligence _____ served as the
basis of modern IQ tests.
(A) has
(B) it has
(C) and
(D) which has
(E)
Sumber :
Johan h.f, anne juwita. 2009. smart way to toefl. jakarta : generasi cerdas.
e-book, https://indahnyaduniamaya.files.wordpress.com.
