A conjunctive is a question word which also serves as a conjunction. In some sentence patterns, a conjunctive together with a following infinitive can act as the direct object.

Read the sentence given below.

• I don’t know where to turn for help.

Here the phrase where to turn for help (conjunctive + infinitive) acts as the direct object of the verb know.

As you know the object of a verb is a noun or a noun equivalent. By expanding a noun or a noun-phrase into a noun-clause, we can change a simple sentence into a complex sentence.

Study the examples given below.

• I don’t know where to turn for help.

The noun phrase where to turn for help can be changed into the noun clause where I should turn for help.

• I don’t know where I should turn for help. (This sentence consists of one main clause (I don’t know) and one dependent noun clause (where I should turn for help).)

Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences by changing the conjunctive + infinitive into a noun clause.

1. We must find out what to do next.

2. Do you know what to look for?

3. I will show you how to manage it.

4. Please show him where to put his things.

5. Please tell me how to learn a foreign language.

Answers

1. We must find out what we should do next.

2. Do you know what you should look for?

3. I will show you how you should manage it.

4. Please show him where he should put his things.

5. Please tell me how I can learn a foreign language.