Relative Clauses Questions Medium
Relative clauses and noun clauses are both types of dependent clauses, but they serve different functions in a sentence.
Relative clauses are used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause. They are introduced by relative pronouns (such as who, whom, whose, which, or that) or relative adverbs (such as when, where, or why). Relative clauses can be restrictive or non-restrictive. Restrictive relative clauses provide essential information about the noun or pronoun, and they are not separated by commas. Non-restrictive relative clauses provide additional, non-essential information, and they are separated by commas.
Example of a restrictive relative clause: "The book that I bought yesterday is very interesting." (The relative clause "that I bought yesterday" restricts the noun "book" and provides essential information about it.)
Example of a non-restrictive relative clause: "My sister, who is a doctor, lives in New York." (The relative clause "who is a doctor" provides additional information about the noun "sister," but it is not necessary for understanding the main idea of the sentence.)
On the other hand, noun clauses function as nouns within a sentence. They can act as subjects, objects, or complements. Noun clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions (such as that, whether, if, or why) or interrogative pronouns (such as who, what, when, where, why, or how).
Example of a noun clause as a subject: "What she said surprised me." (The noun clause "What she said" acts as the subject of the sentence.)
Example of a noun clause as an object: "I don't know where he went." (The noun clause "where he went" acts as the direct object of the verb "know.")
In summary, the main difference between relative clauses and noun clauses is their function within a sentence. Relative clauses provide additional information about a noun or pronoun, while noun clauses act as nouns themselves, serving as subjects, objects, or complements.