Il negozio, nel quale ho comprato la rivista, era chiuso. (The shop where I bought the magazine was closed.)

The verb is in the subjunctive mood instead, when a possible, uncertain, wished, feared or hypothetical situation is presented:

Non sembra esserci nessuno di cui mi possa fidare. (There seems to be nobody I can trust.)

Qualsiasi persona che conosca le regole, può giocare. (Anybody that knows the rules can play.)

The interrogative pronoun chi is actually a double pronoun, in that it always refers to people. It stands for:

whoever (that)

he/she (who)

those (who)

and therefore it often introduces a relative clause.

Chi ha già terminato il compito, può lasciare la stanza. (Those who have already completed the assignment can leave the room.)

Che (that) is by far the most frequently used relative pronoun.

Noun clauses have the same function that a noun, used as a subject or an object, has in a sentence.

Eâ ben saputo che il vino migliore è fatto in Francia.

(It is well known that the best wine is made in France.) (clause acts as a subject)

So che il vino migliore è fatto in Francia.

(I know that the best wine is made in France. )(clause acts as an object)

La mia convinzione che il vino migliore sia fatto in Francia, è corretta.

(My belief that the best wine is made in France is correct.) (clause is appositive to subject)

Noun clauses:

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occur most frequently as the object of the verb in the main sentence. Compare:

Lui si lamentava ai suoi amici di sua moglie. (He complained to his friends about his wife.)

Lui si lamentava ai suoi amici che sua moglie era una cattiva cuoca. (He complained to his friends that his wife was a bad cook.)

The verbs in the main clause usually express mental activities or states and speech:

credere (to believe)

sapere (to know)

dichiarare (to declare)

dire (to tell)

ricordare (to remember)

scrivere (to write)

mostrare (to show)

chiedere (to ask)

spiegare (to explain)

consigliare (to suggest)

dispiacersi (to regret)

sognare (to dream)

predire (to predict)

Insegnare (to teach)

accorgersi (to realize)

rispondere (to answer)

menzionare (to mention)

notare (to notice)

Non ho notato se lui portava gli occhiali. (I didn't notice whether he was wearing the glasses.)

Credo che sia una persona onesta. (I believe that she is an honest person.)

Non so se abbia intenzione di venire alla festa. (I don t know whether or not she plans to come to the party.)

Noun clauses must be linked to the main clause with che (that) or se (if) and take the indicative if they express a real and certain situation, and the subjunctive if they express an unreal, uncertain or possible condition:

Indicative:

So che il vino migliore è fatto in Francia. (I know that the best wine is made in France.)

Subjunctive:

Penso che ilvino migliore sia fatto in Francia. (I think that the best wine is made in France.)

However, the noun clause takes the conditional if it expresses an unreal, uncertain or possible condition that is likely to happen in the future:

Penso che dovresti farlo. (I think that you should do that.)

Sequence of tenses in noun clauses:

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The main verb in the present does not require sequence of tenses.

Lui dice che: (He says (that):

l'autobus arriva sempre in ritardo. (the bus always arrives late.)

l'autobus sta per arrivare. (the bus is arriving.)

l'autobus è arrivato in ritardo. (the bus has arrived late.)

l'autobus arrivò in ritardo. (the bus arrived late.)

l'autobus arriverà presto. (the bus will arrive soon.)

l'autobus potrebbe arrivare presto. (the bus may be arriving soon.)