A clause that is used in the same way as a noun or pronoun, as in I know WHAT HE WAS DOING THERE. What is this type of clause called?

• A. Noun clause
• B. Relative clause
• C. Adverbial clause
• D. Independent clause

Answer: (A)

When a clause takes the place of a noun or pronoun, it’s called a noun clause (also known as a content clause). In the sentence I know what he was doing there, the clause what he was doing there functions as the direct object of the verb know. It names the thing that is known, and it can’t stand alone as a sentence. It starts with a wh-word (what) to introduce the content of the knowledge. This isn’t a relative clause, which would modify a noun, nor an adverbial clause, which would modify a verb, nor an independent clause, which could stand alone. So the best term for this kind of clause is noun clause.