Question

In which sentence does the underlined noun clause contain an introductory word that has no function within the clause?

A.
A frenzy of interest was caused by whoever found gold in Bonanza Creek.

B.
Often, their only possessions were whatever they could carry on their backs.

C.
The miners believed that they could find gold quickly.

D.
John Bell chose which tributary to explore.

Answer 1

C. The miners believed that they could find gold quickly.

A noun clause is a dependent clause acting as a noun. In this case, the noun clause begins with "that". The introductory phrase are dependent clauses. It relies on the subject and verb in the main clause because it doesn't have its own subject and verb.