A nominal clause

  A nominal clause, also known as a noun clause, is a type of dependent clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. Like other clauses, it consists of a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Instead, it functions as a noun phrase, taking on various roles such as the subject, object, or complement in the main clause. Nominal clauses serve the same grammatical roles as nouns and noun phrases. They can act as subjects of sentences: "What he said" surprised everyone. They can function as direct objects: She doesn't understand "why he left." Nominal clauses can also serve as objects of prepositions: I'm worried about "what will happen." Additionally, they can function as subject complements: Her goal is "to succeed." Nominal clauses often begin with words or phrases such as "that," "whether," "if," "what," "who," "where," or "how." These subordinating conjunctions introduce the clause and connect it to the main clause. For example: I don't know "whether she'll come." He wonders "what they want." She asked "where he was going." In summary, a nominal clause is a type of dependent clause that acts as a noun within a sentence, functioning as a subject, object, complement, or object of a preposition. It is introduced by subordinating conjunctions and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

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