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Skill 7 : NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTORS

A noun clause is a clause that functions as a noun; because the noun clause functions as a noun.
It is used in a sentence as an object of a verb ( if it is follows a verb ) or an object of a
preposition ( if it follows a preposition ) .

Examples : I don’t know why he said such things Noun clause as object of VERB
Verb Noun Connector

I am thinking about why he said such things Noun Clause as object of PREPOSITION
Preposition Noun Connector

NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTORS

 what , when, where. why, how
 whether , if
 that

S V ( noun clause connector ) S V

Sally explained why she did it

Example : The citizens worry about _________ is doing

( A ) what the government
( B ) the government
( C ) it
( D ) is what the government

The correct answer is : A

Skill 8 : NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTORS / SUBJECTS

Some noun clause connectors can also be the subject of the clause at the same time.
Examples :
I know what happened yesterday. Noun Clause as Object of VERB

We are thinking about what happened yesterday. Noun clause as Object of PREPOSITION

NOUN CLAUSE CONNECTORS

who , what , which
S V ( noun clause connector / Subject ) V
Sally told me what happened

TOEFL EXERCISE ( Skills 7 – 8 ) : Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. Today the true story of _____ at Little Bighorn remains a mystery.
( A ) happened C. what happened
( B ) it happened D. what happening

2. For more than a decade, ______ that certain species are becoming scarce.
( A ) the warnings of bird watchers C. bird-watchers have warned
( B ) warn the bird-watchers D. a warning for bird-watcher
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3. Early in the eighteenth century, Halley accurately predicted when _____ of 1682 would
return.
( A ) the comet C. the comet was
( B ) was the comet D. had the comet

4. No single factor explains why _____ vary so greatly among individuals

( A ) aging affects C. aging has an effect
( B ) the effects of aging D. the aging effects

5. Lack of clarity about ______ the party in the coming year will be removed at the party’s
convention.
( A ) will lead C. they will lead
( B ) lead D. who will lead

6. We do not ____ the bow drill was first developed for woodworking or fire making.
( A ) whether it C. know whether
( B ) know whether it D. sure whether

7. Minute Man National Historical Park is a monument to where _____

( A ) the beginning of the Revolutionary war C. the revolutionary war to begin
( B ) in the beginning of the Revolutionary War D. the revolutionary war began

8. Tests on the colors of cars were conducted at the University of California to determine
_____the safest colors for cars.
( A ) which C. if
( B ) which were D. how were

9. The National Institute of Dental Research estimates _____ in fluoridated areas have about 25
percent less tooth decay than children elsewhere.
( A ) for school children C. that school children
( B ) school children’s D. that for school children

10. The process of photosynthesis explains how _____ able to use the energy in sunlight to
manufacture foods from the simple chemicals in air and water.
( A ) green plants C. planting greens
( B ) green plants are D. with green plants are

TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE ( Skills 1 – 8 ) : Choose the letter of the word of group of
words that best completes the sentence.

1. Air near the equator _____ a faster west-to-east motion than air farther from the equator.
( A ) to have C. has
( B ) it has D. having

2. About 4000 B.C, humans discovered that _____ obtained from special rocks called ores.
( A ) metals could be C. possibly metallic
( B ) the ability of metallic D. could metals be
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3. ______ quickly after an animal dies.

( A ) In the degradation of DNA C. DNA degrades
( B ) Degrading DNA D. For DNA to degrade

4. _____ aerodynamic design has contributed a major part in reducing resistance to motion.
( A ) Improved C. Improvement
( B ) It improves D. They improve

5. The southern part of Florida is much warmer in the winter than the northern part, so more
_____to the south.
( A ) flocking tourists C. flocks of tourists
( B ) touring flocks D. tourists flock

6. The moon’s gravity pulls water on the near side of the Earth toward the Moon, and this is
what ______ tides to occur.
( A ) the cause C. causing
( B ) causes D. the cause of
( C ) causing
( D ) the cause of

7. ______, they pick up fragments of rock which become frozen into the base of the ice.
( A ) Glaciers move C. They were glaciers
( B ) Glaciers moving D. As glaciers move

8. The tape measure first evolved from ___ used by the Egyptians.
( A ) the chains measure C. the chains are measuring
( B ) the chains are measured D. the measuring chains

9. A typical Atlantic hurricane starts as a low pressure system near ______

( A ) Africa coasts C. the African coast
( B ) coast to Africa D. African has a coast

10. It is not clear whether the subdivisions of the neocortex _____ units
( A ) individual C. they are individual
( B ) are individual D. individually

Skill 9 : ADJECTIVE CLAUSE CONNECTORS

An adjective clause describes a noun. Because the clause is an adjective, it is positioned directly
after the noun that it describes
Examples :
This is the house that I want to buy Adjective clause

The house that I want to buy is quite expensive

Adjective Clause
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ADJECTIVE CLAUSE CONNECTORS

whom which that
( for people ) ( for things ) ( for people or things )
S main V ( adjective clause connector ) S V
I like the dress that you are wearing
S ( adjective clause connector ) S V main V
That dress that you are wearing is beautiful
NOTE : The adjective connectors can be omitted. This omission is very common in SPOKEN English or in
casual written English. It is not as common in formal English or in structure questions on the TOEFL test.

Example : The job _____ started yesterday was rather difficult

( A ) when C. after
( B ) was D. that he

The answer is : …..

Skill 10 : ADJECTIVE CLAUSE CONNECTORS / SUBJECTS

In some cases, an adjective clause connector is not just a connector, an adjective connector can
also be the subject of the clause at the same time.

Examples :
We are looking at a house that is quite expensive. Adjective Clause

The house that is quite expensive seems like a great house.

Adjective Clause

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE CONNECTORS / SUBJECTS

who which that
( for people ) ( for things ) ( for people or things )
S main V ( adjective clause connector / subject ) V
I bought the dress that was on sale
S ( adjective clause connector/ Subject ) V main V
That dress that was on sale was beautiful
NOTE : Although adjective clause connectors ( skill 9 ) can be omitted in formal English, adjective clause
connector / subjects ( skill 10 ) can NEVER be omitted.

Example :
______ just dropped off a package for you is my sister
( A ) The woman C. Because the woman
( B ) The woman who D. With the woman

The answer is : …..

TOEFL EXERCISE ( Skills 9 – 10 ) : Choose the letter of the word or group of words that
best completes the sentence.
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1. Modern humans, who first appeared about 600,000 years ago, ______ Homo sapiens.
( A ) calling C. they called
( B ) were called D. they were called
2. The first writing _______ evidence of is on Mesopotamian clay tablets.
( A ) we C. has
( B ) that we D. that we have

3. _______ drought-resistant plants which store water in fleshy tissue.

( A ) Succulents are C. They are succulents
( B ) Succulents D. Succulents which are

4. Benjamin Kabelsky, whom ______ as Jack Benny, was a famous comedian in vaudeville
and on radio and television.
( A ) most people’s knowledge C. knowing most people
( B ) most people know D. the knowledge of most people

5. _____ that hunted other animals tended to have very narrows, sharp curved claws.
( A ) For dinosaurs C. Dinosaurs
( B ) Dinosaurs are known D. Like dinosaurs

6. The first eyeglasses had convex lenses for the aged who ____ far-sighted.
( A ) had become C. becoming
( B ) they had become D. it became

7. Chimney Rock , _____ 500 feet above the North Platte River, has eroded considerably in the
last two centuries.
( A ) stands C. it stands
( B ) in standing D. which stands

8. _____ that accompany recurring bouts of severe depression reduce bone density.
( A ) It change hormones C. The hormones change
( B ) Hormonal changes D. The change in hormones is

9. Willa Cather is an author ______ for her evocative and memorable vision of frontier prairie
life.
( A ) whom readers C. whom praisings
( B ) the praise of readers D. whom readers praise
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10. Mars’s tiny moon Phobos is a small mountain of rock that ______ from the asteroid belt by
Mars’s gravitational pull.
( A ) was probably captured C. the probable capture
( B ) it probably D. probably the capture

TOEFL REVIEW EXERCISE ( Skills 1 – 10 ) : Choose the letter of the word or group of
words that best completes the sentence.
1. ______ is famous as the home of the United States Naval Academy.
( A ) Annapolis C. Why Annapolis
( B ) Because of Annapolis D. Because Annapolis

2. Some scientists think _____ be a planet but a moon of Neptune.

( A ) that Pluto does not seem C. Pluto that might not
( B ) not Pluto D. that Pluto might not
3. With _____ of sophisticated oil lamps elaborate tools were made to cut the wicks.
( A ) appeared C. the appearance was
( B ) the appearance D. it appeared

4. Fort Union was the site of what ______ principal fur-trading post on the upper Missouri
River.
( A ) the C. was the
( B ) being the D. it was the

5. Since _____ commercial risk, it has to appeal to a large audience to justify its cost.
( A ) the face of the movie C. a movie faces
( B ) moving faces D. to face a movie

6. A current of water known as the Gulf Stream comes up from the Gulf of Mexico, and then
______ the North Atlantic toward Europe.
( A ) it crosses C. with its crosses
( B ) crossing D. crosses it

7. Systems ______ the two symbols 0 and I are called binary number systems.
( A ) use C. uses
( B ) they use D. using

8. Genes, _______ the blueprints for cell construction, exist in tightly organized packages
called chromosomes.
( A ) are C. which
( B ) they are D. which are
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9. The earth’s atmosphere consists of gases ______ in place around the Earth by the
gravitational pull of the planet.
( A ) held C. it holds
( B ) hold D. the hold

10. Oscar Hammerstein II collaborated with a number of composers including Jerome Kern,
whom ______ in writing the musical Snow Boat.
( A ) joined C. he joined
( B ) was joined D. joining