English Grammar & Syntax Quiz: Using Noun Clauses
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Using Noun ClausesQuestion 1 of 10

The audit has established as a fact—not merely raised as a possibility—that the figures in the appendix were copied accurately.

Which completion preserves that meaning and forms a grammatical noun clause? The audit demonstrates  .

whether the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
what the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
that the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
that whether the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
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English Grammar & Syntax Quiz

English Grammar & Syntax Quiz: Using Noun Clauses

Practice Using Noun Clauses in English Grammar & Syntax with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Using Noun Clauses, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for English Grammar & Syntax.

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Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

The audit has established as a fact—not merely raised as a possibility—that the figures in the appendix were copied accurately.

Which completion preserves that meaning and forms a grammatical noun clause? The audit demonstrates  .

  1. whether the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
  2. what the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
  3. that the figures in the appendix were copied accurately (correct answer)
  4. that whether the figures in the appendix were copied accurately
Explanation: When a verb like demonstrate takes a noun clause as its object, the subordinating conjunction you choose determines the meaning of the entire sentence. This question tests whether you can match the clause to the original passage's meaning — which states something as an established fact, not a question or uncertainty. The original passage uses "established as a fact" to convey certainty. The verb demonstrate similarly signals proof of something definite. Choice C — that the figures in the appendix were copied accurately — uses the conjunction that to introduce a declarative noun clause, asserting a confirmed statement as the object of demonstrates. This perfectly preserves the factual, certain meaning. C is your answer. Choice A fails because whether introduces an indirect question, implying doubt or uncertainty ("we don't know if..."). That directly contradicts the passage's meaning of established fact. Choice B is grammatically broken: what can introduce a noun clause, but only when it functions as a pronoun replacing a noun within the clause (e.g., what happened). Here, the clause already has all its parts — subject, verb, adverb — so what has no grammatical role and produces a nonsensical sentence. Choice D creates a redundant, ungrammatical construction by stacking that and whether together. Each would try to introduce the same clause separately, which is structurally impossible. Study tip: Train yourself to distinguish that (introduces a fact/statement), whether/if (introduces a question/doubt), and what/who/which (introduces a clause where the word replaces a missing noun). Matching the conjunction to the intended meaning is the core skill tested here.

Question 2

A revised policy differs from the earlier policy, and employees want to know if the revision affects their existing benefits. A memo answers both concerns.

Which sentence uses two coordinated noun clauses to express the memo's purposes correctly?

  1. The memo explains what changed and whether the revision affects existing benefits. (correct answer)
  2. The memo explains what did change and whether does the revision affect existing benefits.
  3. The memo explains that changed and what the revision affects existing benefits.
  4. The memo explains whether changed and that the revision affects existing benefits.
Explanation: When a verb like explain takes two objects that are clauses, those clauses must be grammatically parallel and properly formed. This question tests whether you can identify correctly structured noun clauses joined by coordination. A noun clause typically begins with a subordinating word — what, whether, that, how, why — and follows normal subject-verb order inside the clause. "What changed" works because what acts as the subject of changed. "Whether the revision affects existing benefits" works because it has a clear subject (the revision) and verb (affects). Answer A gives you exactly this: two well-formed, parallel noun clauses joined by and. Both serve as objects of explains, and both use correct internal word order. A is the right answer. Answer B breaks down in the second clause: "whether does the revision affect" inverts the subject and auxiliary verb as if forming a question. Inside a noun clause, you never use question word order — you keep standard declarative order (whether the revision affects, not whether does the revision affect). Answer C fails because "that changed" uses that without a subject before changed, leaving the clause without a proper subject-verb structure as a noun clause. Additionally, "what the revision affects existing benefits" has two competing objects and is grammatically incoherent. Answer D uses "whether changed," which again lacks a subject entirely, making it a fragment rather than a clause. "That the revision affects existing benefits" is technically a valid noun clause, but the first half is broken, so the coordination fails. Your takeaway: inside noun clauses, always preserve standard subject-verb order — never invert for questions, and never drop the subject.

Question 3

The witnesses made a single collective statement. That statement conflicted with the information recorded by the security camera.

Which sentence combines the ideas with correct noun-clause structure and subject-verb agreement?

  1. What the witnesses said were inconsistent with what the security camera recorded.
  2. What did the witnesses say was inconsistent with what the security camera recorded.
  3. What the witnesses said was inconsistent with what the security camera recorded. (correct answer)
  4. That the witnesses said was inconsistent with what did the security camera record.
Explanation: When a question asks you to combine two sentences using a clause as the subject, you need to think about two things: how to form a noun clause correctly, and whether the verb agrees with that clause as a singular subject. A noun clause acting as the subject of a sentence typically begins with what (not that when referencing a statement's content) and follows normal declarative word order — subject first, then verb. So "what the witnesses said" is the correct structure: what introduces the clause, the witnesses is the subject inside it, and said is its verb. This entire clause then functions as the singular subject of the main sentence. Noun clauses, no matter how long, are treated as singular, so the main verb must be was, not were. Choice C gets everything right: "What the witnesses said was inconsistent..." uses proper noun-clause word order and singular agreement — making it the correct answer. Choice A uses the right noun-clause structure but fails on agreement: "What the witnesses said were inconsistent" treats a singular noun-clause subject as plural, which is incorrect. Choice B inverts the word order inside the clause — "What did the witnesses say" uses question syntax rather than declarative syntax. Noun clauses must use statement word order, not interrogative word order. Choice D makes two errors: it uses that to introduce the clause (which doesn't work here since there's no preceding noun for it to reference) and again uses inverted question syntax in the second clause ("what did the security camera record"). Your takeaway: whenever a noun clause is the subject, flip any question phrasing back to statement order (what they said, not what did they say), and always pair it with a singular verb.

Question 4

Passing one test is a fact, but that fact is not sufficient evidence for the claim that the software is reliable.

Which sentence expresses both relationships by using one noun clause as the subject and another as the object of prove?

  1. That the software passed one test, does not prove what the software is reliable.
  2. That the software passed one test do not prove that the software is reliable.
  3. What the software passed one test does not prove whether the software is reliable.
  4. That the software passed one test does not prove that the software is reliable. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a question asks you to express two relationships using noun clauses, you need to check three things: the correct subordinating conjunction introducing each clause, proper subject-verb agreement, and no extra punctuation breaking the sentence. A noun clause acting as the subject of "prove" should begin with "that" when it states a definite fact — "that the software passed one test." Likewise, the object of "prove" should also use "that" when it introduces a specific claim — "that the software is reliable." With a singular noun-clause subject, the verb must be the singular "does not prove." D satisfies all three conditions perfectly: "That the software passed one test does not prove that the software is reliable." This is your correct answer. Here's why each wrong choice fails. A inserts a comma after the subject clause ("That the software passed one test**,** does not prove..."), which incorrectly separates the subject from its verb — a classic comma-splice trap. It also misuses "what" in the object clause, which would introduce an indirect question, not a factual claim. B gets the conjunctions right but uses the plural verb "do not prove" instead of the singular "does not prove" — the noun-clause subject is grammatically singular, so the verb must agree. C opens with "What the software passed one test," which is grammatically incoherent — "what" introduces a clause where the noun it represents plays a role inside the clause, but "one test" already fills that role. The object clause using "whether" also implies uncertainty rather than stating a claim. Your study tip: whenever a noun clause is the subject, treat it as a singular unit — the verb is always third-person singular, and no comma should separate it from that verb.

Question 5

A writer wants to revise the sentence Whether the shipment arrived on time remains uncertain by placing the long noun clause after the main predicate without changing its meaning.

Which revision is grammatically correct and preserves the noun clause as the postponed logical subject?

  1. It remains uncertain that the shipment arrived on time.
  2. It remains uncertain whether did the shipment arrive on time.
  3. The shipment remains uncertain whether it arrived on time.
  4. It remains uncertain whether the shipment arrived on time. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a sentence begins with a long noun clause as its subject, English grammar allows you to move that clause to the end and replace it with the dummy pronoun it at the front — a structure called extraposition or the "postponed logical subject." The real subject hasn't changed; it is simply a placeholder that makes the sentence easier to process. Recognizing this structure is the key to this question. The original sentence — Whether the shipment arrived on time remains uncertain — has the wh- clause as its subject. To extrapose it correctly, you place it as the dummy subject, keep the main predicate (remains uncertain), and attach the original noun clause at the end. That gives you D: It remains uncertain whether the shipment arrived on time — grammatically clean and meaning-preserving. Choice A fails because it swaps whether for that, which changes the nuance. That introduces a factual noun clause, while whether conveys uncertainty or a yes/no question. The original clause uses whether, so replacing it with that alters the meaning. Choice B has a word-order error: whether did the shipment arrive uses inverted question word order inside a noun clause, which is incorrect — embedded clauses require declarative order (whether the shipment arrived). Choice C misplaces the logical subject entirely; the shipment becomes the grammatical subject of remains uncertain, which distorts the meaning and leaves whether it arrived on time awkwardly dangling. As a quick rule of thumb: in extraposition structures, the dummy it must appear at the front, the wh- word must stay unchanged, and the clause inside must use statement word order, not question word order.

Question 6

Investigators know that the alarm sounded at midnight, but they do not yet know if the sensor failed before that time.

Which sentence correctly reports the investigators' unresolved question?

  1. The investigators asked whether had the sensor failed before the alarm sounded.
  2. The investigators asked whether the sensor had failed before the alarm sounded. (correct answer)
  3. The investigators asked that the sensor had failed before the alarm sounded.
  4. The investigators asked what the sensor had failed before the alarm sounded.
Explanation: When a question asks you to convert a direct question into reported (indirect) speech, two things must happen: the sentence needs the right subordinating conjunction, and the word order must shift from question form to statement form. In reported questions, you use "whether" or "if" to introduce a yes/no question, and the subject must come before the verb — not after it, as in a direct question. This is the key transformation: "Did the sensor fail?" becomes "whether the sensor had failed." Notice also that the tense shifts back (called backshift), so simple past becomes past perfect: "failed" becomes "had failed." Choice B handles all of this correctly. "Whether" appropriately introduces the embedded yes/no question, the subject ("the sensor") precedes the verb ("had failed"), and the past perfect correctly reflects backshift. B is your answer. Choice A fails on word order. "Whether had the sensor failed" keeps the inverted structure of a direct question — but indirect questions don't invert subject and auxiliary verb. That inversion belongs in direct speech only. Choice C uses "that" instead of "whether." "That" introduces reported statements, not reported questions. Saying "asked that the sensor had failed" implies the investigators stated a known fact, which contradicts the passage's premise that the outcome is unresolved. Choice D swaps in "what," which is a wh-word used for open-ended questions seeking information. Since the original question has a yes/no answer ("did it fail or not?"), "whether" is the correct connector — not "what." Your takeaway: in reported yes/no questions, always use "whether" (or "if") and flip back to normal subject-verb order. If you see an inverted auxiliary or the wrong connector, the sentence is wrong.

Question 7

The grant's renewal is uncertain. Its renewal or nonrenewal will determine whether the laboratory can retain its assistants.

Which sentence correctly presents the first unresolved issue as the subject and the second unresolved issue as the object of determine?

  1. Whether the grant will be renewed determine whether the laboratory can retain its assistants.
  2. Whether will the grant be renewed determines whether the laboratory can retain its assistants.
  3. Whether the grant will be renewed determines whether the laboratory can retain its assistants. (correct answer)
  4. That the grant will be renewed determines what the laboratory can retain its assistants.
Explanation: When a sentence uses a noun clause as a subject, two things must be true: the clause must be structured as a statement (not a question), and the verb must agree with that clause in number. Noun clauses beginning with whether function as singular subjects and take a singular verb. Choice C gets both of these right. "Whether the grant will be renewed" is a properly formed noun clause — notice the subject (the grant) comes before the verb (will be renewed), following standard declarative word order. This clause acts as the singular subject, so it correctly pairs with the singular verb determines. The object is another noun clause: "whether the laboratory can retain its assistants," which mirrors the original passage's unresolved second issue. C is your answer. Now for the distractors. Choice A uses the correct noun clause structure but pairs it with the bare verb determine instead of determines — a subject-verb agreement error, since a noun clause subject is treated as singular. Choice B inverts the word order inside the clause, writing "whether will the grant be renewed" as if it were a direct question rather than an embedded clause; embedded clauses must use statement order, not question order. Choice D replaces whether with that, which fundamentally changes the meaning — that signals a definite fact, while whether signals uncertainty. Since the passage explicitly calls the renewal "uncertain," that is semantically wrong here, and the phrase "what the laboratory can retain its assistants" is grammatically broken. Study tip: Whenever you embed a question inside a sentence, flip it back to statement word order (whether the grant will be renewed, not whether will the grant be renewed). That single habit eliminates a very common trap on grammar exams.

Question 8

After the final inspections, the committee will choose one of three proposed locations. The identity of the chosen location must not be announced before Friday.

Which sentence most accurately and grammatically expresses the information in the passage?

  1. What the committee selects after the inspections will remain confidential until Friday. (correct answer)
  2. That the committee selects after the inspections will remain confidential until Friday.
  3. What does the committee select after the inspections will remain confidential until Friday.
  4. Whether the committee selects after the inspections will remain confidential until Friday.
Explanation: When a question asks you to restate information using a noun clause as the subject of a sentence, your first task is identifying which subordinating word correctly introduces that clause. Noun clauses can begin with words like what, that, whether, or how — but each carries a distinct meaning and grammatical role. The passage tells us two things: the committee will choose a location, and that chosen location must stay secret until Friday. To combine these ideas, you need a noun clause that captures "the thing the committee selects" as the subject. The word what functions as a pronoun meaning "the thing that," making it perfect here — it simultaneously introduces the clause and serves as the object of "selects" within it. Option A does this correctly: "What the committee selects after the inspections" is a grammatically complete noun clause acting as the subject of "will remain confidential." Option B uses that, which introduces a noun clause only when a complete subject and verb follow it (e.g., "That she won surprised everyone"). Here, "that the committee selects" is structurally broken because that doesn't serve as the object inside the clause the way what does. Option C uses inverted question word order ("What does the committee select"), which is grammatical only in direct questions, not in embedded clauses — a very common trap. Option D uses whether, which signals a yes/no choice or uncertainty (e.g., "whether they will come"), not the identity of a specific thing chosen. A reliable tip: if the noun clause refers to a specific unknown thing — "the thing that" — use what. Reserve whether for yes/no situations and that only when a full clause follows.

Question 9

The analysts agreed that the discrepancy had a specific cause, but they had not yet identified that cause.

Which noun clause best completes the sentence? The analysts could not determine  .

  1. what had caused the discrepancy (correct answer)
  2. whether had caused the discrepancy
  3. that had caused the discrepancy
  4. what the discrepancy had caused
Explanation: When a sentence asks you to complete an embedded question — a question folded inside a larger sentence as a noun clause — you need two things: the right introductory word and correct word order. Unlike direct questions, noun clauses use standard subject-verb order, not inverted question order. Here, the blank follows "could not determine," meaning you need a noun clause that functions as the direct object. The original passage tells you the analysts couldn't identify the cause of the discrepancy, so the clause must express an unknown cause. Choice A, "what had caused the discrepancy," does exactly this: "what" introduces the noun clause, names the unknown (the cause), and the word order is correctly subject-first ("what" acts as subject → "had caused" is the verb). This matches the meaning and structure perfectly. Choice B fails grammatically — "whether" introduces a yes/no uncertainty ("whether something happened or not"), and it cannot stand alone here without a subject following it. The clause "whether had caused the discrepancy" is missing a subject entirely, making it ungrammatical. Choice C uses "that," which introduces a noun clause stating a known fact, not an unknown — it doesn't fit the meaning of "determine." More critically, it also lacks a subject after "that," producing a fragment. Choice D flips the meaning entirely: "what the discrepancy had caused" asks what the discrepancy caused, not what caused the discrepancy — the agent and the affected party are reversed. A useful strategy: before choosing an introductory word for a noun clause, ask yourself whether the unknown is a thing/person ("what/who"), a yes-no question ("whether"), or a stated fact ("that"). Matching the right introducer to the right meaning eliminates most distractors quickly.

Question 10

In which sentence does the bracketed clause function as the direct object of the main verb?

  1. [What the archivist discovered] changed the accepted date of the manuscript.
  2. The researchers debated [whether the ink had been added at a later date]. (correct answer)
  3. The claim [that the ink had been added later] required additional evidence.
  4. The manuscript [that the archivist discovered] was stored in a locked cabinet.
Explanation: When analyzing clauses in brackets, your first move should be to identify the grammatical role that bracketed clause plays relative to the main verb — specifically, ask yourself: what is the subject doing, and what receives that action? A direct object answers "what?" after a transitive verb and is a noun phrase or noun clause. In choice B, the main verb is debated, and the bracketed clause [whether the ink had been added at a later date] answers "debated what?" — making it a noun clause functioning as the direct object. This is the correct answer. Now consider why the other options don't fit. In choice A, the bracketed clause [What the archivist discovered] is itself a noun clause, but it occupies the subject position — it's what changed the date, not what receives the action. In choice C, the bracketed clause [that the ink had been added later] is an appositive clause — it renames and explains the claim rather than receiving any verb's action directly. Notice that removing it leaves a complete sentence with claim still intact as subject. In choice D, [that the archivist discovered] is a relative clause modifying manuscript, acting as an adjective rather than a noun, so it cannot be a direct object at all. A reliable strategy: first locate the main verb, then ask whether the bracketed clause fills a noun role after it. If yes, determine whether it's subject, object, or complement. Appositive and relative clauses are frequent distractors because they contain verbs too — but adjective and renaming functions are never direct objects.