That the question should be reconsidered, is here a noun clause, used in apposition with the noun motion, and explains the meaning of the noun.

5. The noun clause may also be used as the object of a preposition, thus:

The noun clause, what he claims, is here the object of the preposition, to.

Exercise 2

In the following sentences the noun clauses are printed in italics. Determine whether they are used as the subject, or object of the verb, as predicate complement, in apposition, or as the object of a preposition.

  1. The fact is that I was not listening.
  2. Whatever King Midas looked upon turned to gold.
  3. He acknowledged what we had suspected.
  4. We will never know what the real situation was.
  5. The fact that the wage is insufficient can be easily proved.
  6. He replied to what had been asked.
  7. The claim was that he had made a speech inciting to riot.
  8. The law that labor unions are in restraint of trade was upheld.
  9. That we cannot win by compromise is readily apparent.
  10. Labor demands that it shall have its full product.
  11. Whoever controls education controls the future.
  12. He came to where the militia was in camp.

Exercise 3

Write sentences containing noun clauses used: