Mastering noun clauses and their verb agreement in English

A noun clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that acts as a noun in a sentence. It can function as the subject, object, or complement of a sentence. Understanding how noun clauses agree with verbs is important for speaking and writing correctly in English.

Most of the time, noun clauses take singular verbs because they represent a single idea, even if there are plural nouns inside the clause. However, there are exceptions where plural verbs are used, and learners must understand these cases to avoid mistakes.

What is a Noun Clause?

A noun clause is a dependent clause that performs the job of a noun. It usually starts with words like:

• that
• what
• who
• whoever
• whom
• whomever
• whether
• why
• how
• if

Examples:

1. What he said is true. (What he said is a noun clause acting as the subject.)
2. I don’t know why she left. (Why she left is a noun clause acting as the object.)
3. The fact is that they were right. (That they were right is a noun clause acting as a complement.)

Now, let’s look at how noun clauses agree with verbs.

Noun Clauses and Singular Verb Agreement

Most noun clauses are treated as singular and take singular verbs, even when they contain plural nouns. This is because they express one whole idea rather than separate elements.

1. Noun Clauses as the Subject

When a noun clause is the subject of a sentence, the verb is usually singular.

Examples:

• What he knows is not relevant.
• That people need food is a basic truth.
• Why they arrived late remains a mystery.
• How students behave in class reflects their discipline.
• Whatever he says does not matter.

Even though there are plural words like “people” and “students” inside the noun clauses, the whole clause is a single idea, so the verb is singular.

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Noun Clauses as Objects

When a noun clause functions as the object, it does not control verb agreement. The verb agrees with the subject of the main clause.

Examples:

• She thinks that the boys are wrong. (The verb “thinks” agrees with the subject “she .”)
• They believe what the teachers say. (The verb “believe” agrees with the subject “they .”)
• We know who won the match. (The verb “know” agrees with the subject “we .”)

The noun clause here does not affect the verb in the main clause.

Noun Clauses After “It”

In some sentences, noun clauses follow the word “it”, and the verb remains singular.

Examples:

• It is surprising that they left early.
• It seems obvious that he was mistaken.
• It is true that she loves him.

Here, “it” is a dummy subject, and the actual subject is the noun clause, which is treated as singular.

Exceptions – When Noun Clauses Take Plural Verbs

Though most noun clauses take singular verbs, there are cases where plural verbs are used.

1. When the Clause Refers to Multiple Ideas

If a noun clause refers to more than one thing, the verb can be plural.

Examples:

• What matters most are love and honesty.
  (What matters most refers to two things, so we use “are .”)
• What cause the most problems are bad habits and poor planning.
  (The clause refers to two causes, so we use “are .”)
• All that she wants is/are peace and happiness. (These two possibilities exist because of “all”)
  (“All that she wants” refers to two things, so “are” is correct.)

However, if the clause refers to a single concept, the verb remains singular.

• What matters most is discipline. (Only one idea: discipline.)

2. When “There” is Used with Plural Subjects

When a noun clause introduces a sentence with “there,” the verb agrees with the noun inside the clause.

Examples:

• There are many reasons why he failed.
• There were several ideas that they suggested.

Here, “reasons” and “ideas” are plural, so the verb is plural.

However, if the noun is singular, the verb remains singular:

• There is a reason why she left.
• There was only one idea that we discussed.

3. When the Clause Refers to a List of Things

Sometimes, a noun clause acts as a summary for multiple things, leading to a plural verb.

Examples:

• What annoys me most are his excuses and his laziness.
• What inspires her are stories of success and hard work.

Here, “excuses and laziness” and “stories of success and hard work” are two things, so the verb is plural.