A nominal clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun phrase in a sentence. It can be used as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, a subject complement, an object of a preposition, or an appositive.

Here are some examples of nominal clauses:

• Subject (nominal clause): What I want is to be happy.
• Direct object (nominal clause): I know that you are right.
• Indirect object (nominal clause): She explained to whoever would listen.
• Subject complement (nominal clause): The fact that he is innocent is clear. Her goal is to find out what went wrong.
• Object complement (nominal clause): They appointed her as whoever shows the most dedication.
• Object of the preposition (nominal clause): He has a strong opinion about whether the project will succeed.
• Appositive: The idea, we should go to the movies, is a good one.

Nominal clauses can be introduced by a variety of words, including:

• Wh-words: what, who, whom, which, when, where, why, how
• *That
• *Whether
• *If
• *Whether or not
• *As if
• *As though

Here are some more examples of nominal clauses with their introductory words:

• Wh-word clauses: I wonder what you want.
• That clauses: I know that you are right.