What Are Adverbial Clauses?
Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses that function as adverbs in a sentence. They modify the verb, adjective, or another adverb in a sentence by providing additional information about time, place, manner, condition, purpose, or contrast.
Adverbial Clauses: Characteristics
Let's discuss the four main characteristics of adverbial clauses:
Adverbial clauses are adjuncts. (We can remove them without affecting grammaticality of the sentence)
Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses. (They cannot form a meaningful sentence on their own.)
Adverbial clauses normally start with a subordinating conjunction.
Adverbial Clauses: Types
Adverbial clauses modify the main verb of the independent clause by answering one of the following questions or talking about one of these topics:
Where
Adverbial clauses of place talk about where something happens. They often start with a preposition of place or a subordinating conjunction of place like:
where
wherever
anywhere
everywhere
Take a look at some examples:
We can go wherever you like.
He was standing where you are standing now.
When or How Often
Adverbial clauses of time talk about when or how often something happens. They start with subordinating conjunctions of time, such as:
She cries whenever she thinks about it.
We can go outside to play as soon as we finish our homework.
How
Adverbial clauses of manner talk about how something is done or happens. They start with subordinating conjunctions of manner like:
He looked at me as though I were his biggest enemy.
She talked to me like I was an idiot.
Why
Adverbial clauses of reason, purpose, and result talk about why the action of the sentence happens and what the result is. They start with one of the following subordinating conjunctions:
Reason: because, since, as, given
Purpose: in order to, so that, in order that, in case
Results: so...that, such...that
They didn't enjoy the camping trip because the weather was so bad.
She opened the door quietly in order to not wake the kids up.
To What Degree
Adverbial clauses of degree talk about to what degree something happens or express comparison. They start with subordinating conjunctions of degree and comparison such as:
Tipping a waiter is more common now than it was a decade ago.
She is as smart as she is pretty.
Condition
Adverbial clauses of condition introduce the condition that needs to be met for the main clause to happen. They start with subordinating conjunctions of condition such as:
They can come with us provided that they pay for their share.
Brian will not sleep unless you tell him a story.
Concession
Adverbial clauses of concession or opposition talk about contrast. They start with one of the following subordinating conjunctions:
I cannot accept that, although I appreciate your offer.
She must be about 30, whereas her husband looks about 60.
Adverbial Clauses: Structure
Adverbial clauses consist of the following parts:
The dependent marker (also called subordinating conjunctions)
The subject
The predicate: often a verb, but it can also be a verb plus its complements or modifiers
Adverbial Clauses: Punctuation
When the adverbial clause is at the beginning of a sentence, a comma is used to separate it from the main clause. This comma shows where the adverbial clause ends and the main clause starts. Here's an example:
Even though he never went to college, he owns a thriving business.
When the adverbial clause is at the end of a sentence, you need to consider whether the adverbial clause is essential (also called restrictive) or non-essential (also called non-restrictive) to the overall meaning of the sentence.
When it is essential, do not use a comma.
When it is non-essential, use a comma before it.
He said he was happy where he was.
I used to read a lot, though I don't have much time for books now.
Adverbial Clause vs. Adverbial Phrase
An adverb clause must have a subject and a predicate. An adverb phrase, however, does not have a subject and a predicate, rather, it consists of an adverb and its modifiers, or a prepositional phrase.
Adverbial Clause | Adverbial Phrase |
|---|---|
if it rains | very carefully |
when he met his wife | two years ago |
before she goes to bed | before sunrise |
Review
Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses that modify the main verb of independent clauses. They start with a subordinating conjunction which connects them to an independent clause. Adverbial clauses are used to answer the following questions or to express following concepts:
where
when or how often
how
why
to what degree
to express condition
to express concession
Quiz:
Sort the words to form a correct sentence.
Match each type of adverbial clause with its correct example.
Complete each sentence with the correct subordinating conjunction. (There are two extra options.)
We waited
the movie started.
He won't go outside
it stops raining.
I stayed inside
I was feeling sick.
She talks to me
I'm her best friend.
You can sit
you are comfortable.
Choose the sentence that is correctly punctuated.
Because it was raining they stayed indoors all day.
Because it was raining, they stayed indoors all day.
They stayed indoors all day because it was raining.
They stayed indoors all day; because, it was raining.
Choose the sentence that contains an adverbial clause.
They went to the store quickly.
She runs every morning before breakfast.
I'll call you when I arrive at the airport.
He loves reading books in his free time.
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