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It's time to dive into the adverbial clause.Or is it an adverb clause? What's the difference? Is the clause the same as an adverb phrase? Or an adverbial phrase? No, that's something different. What about just plain, normal adverbs?If the definitions are difficult to keep separate, don't worry! With a…
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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenIt's time to dive into the adverbial clause.
Or is it an adverb clause? What's the difference? Is the clause the same as an adverb phrase? Or an adverbial phrase? No, that's something different. What about just plain, normal adverbs?
If the definitions are difficult to keep separate, don't worry! With a few simple concepts and tricks, you can master the adverbial clause, tell it apart from similar terms, and recognize it in every form.
Before going further into adverbial clauses, here's a general reminder about clauses. These are the main points that will help you understand adverbial clauses.
Now you can press forward with adverbial clauses!
Fig. 1 - An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that acts as an adverb.
All of these different clause types are starting to get confusing. To clarify before getting started, here's the Definition of an adverbial clause.
An adverbial clause (also called an adverb clause) is a dependent clause that acts as an adverb.
You might come across both the terms adverbial clause and adverb clause. Just know that they mean the same thing! As a reminder, here's the Definition of an adverb.
An adverb is a word that adds information to an adjective, verb, or another adverb.
An adverb clause can replace a single adverb in a sentence. Because it's a dependent clause, an adverbial clause can't exist on its own; it has to be attached to an independent clause.
How is this different from an adverbial phrase?
First it was adverbs and adverbial phrases, and now adverbial clauses? Why are the terms so similar? The differences can be confusing but are laid out here; you can refer back to this if you get confused about the definitions.
This verb trick is an easy way to tell phrases from clauses, but it's not perfect. There are a few exceptions discussed below.
An adverbial clause can sometimes add more information than a regular adverb can. It can give information about time, place, manner, reason, condition, and more.
Fig. 2 - "I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person," Harriet Tubman.
This is taken from a quote by abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The adverbial clauses have been replaced with just single adverbs. Take a look:
"Afterward, I looked at my hands curiously. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I smiled happily."
Now look at the original quote:
"When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven." —Harriet Tubman1
Can you feel the difference? The adverb clauses are much more impactful than the single adverbs, and they make for more powerful imagery.
There are five adverbial clauses in the original quote: When I found; I had crossed that line; to see; if I was the same person; like I was in heaven.
There are nine major types of adverbial clauses. Here's a list of the types of adverbial clauses, plus examples to demonstrate each type.
An adverb clause of time tells you when something happens.
These adverb clauses start with words like when, before, after, as soon as, since, whenever, while, and until. Here are some examples:
An adverb clause of place tells you where something happens.
These adverb clauses start with words like where and wherever.
An adverb clause of manner tells you how something happens.
These adverb clauses start with words like as if, like, as though, and so ... that.
An adverb clause of condition tells you what condition needs to be met for something to happen. In other words, something will happen if something else happens first.
Adverb clauses of condition start with words like if, as long as, whether, and unless.
An adverb clause of purpose tells you the goal of an action.
Adverb clauses of purpose start with words like so, so that, in order for, and that.
An adverb clause of reason tells you why something happens.
Adverb clauses of reason start with words like because, since, that, and as.
An adverb clause of Comparison compares and contrasts itself with the clause next to it.
Adverb clauses of Comparison start with words like as, than, and like.
Wait, doesn't the fourth example not have a subject and a predicate? That's just a phrase, right? Well, in some adverbial clauses, the verb can be removed because it's implied. The writer could fill in the rest of the clause if they wanted to, like this: You decorate cakes better than these contestants decorate cakes. However, even though the writer does not state the verb, the reader can still understand the verb that would be there, so this example is still an adverbial clause.
An adverb clause of concession admits something.
Adverb clauses of concession start with words like although, even though, while, despite, though, and in spite of.
An adverb clause of result tells you what happened as a result of the clause next to it.
Adverb clauses of result start with words like such that and so ... that.
Now you've learned the types of adverbial clauses, but how would you identify an adverbial clause in the wild?
To identify an adverbial clause, ask yourself which word is receiving more information from the clause. If the word is a verb, adjective, or adverb, it's an adverbial clause.
If you bring me my wallet, I'll give you some money for the groceries.
What word is receiving more information from this clause?
What will happen if you bring me my wallet? I'll give. Give is a verb. That means this clause is an adverbial clause.
The city where I used to live is hosting the Olympics.
Where means it's specifying the place, which means is adverbial ... right? Not so fast; what word is receiving new information from this?
What is where I used to live? The city. City is a noun, not a verb, adjective, or adverb. Since this modifies a noun, it's not an adverbial clause, but an Adjectival Clause.
You can identify the different types of adverbial clauses by asking yourself what kind of question the clause answers. Here are some examples:
Try this for yourself: the next time you read something, try and find all of the adverbial clauses, and figure out what kind of questions the clauses are answering.
1 Sarah Hopkins Bradford, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman, 1869.
An adverbial clause (also called an adverb clause) is a dependent clause that acts as an adverb.
To identify an adverbial clause, ask yourself which word is receiving more information from the clause. If the word is a verb, adjective, or adverb, it's an adverbial clause.
Here are some examples of adverbial clauses:
There are nine major types of adverbial clauses:
An adverbial clause can sometimes add more information than a regular adverb can. It can give readers information about time, place, manner, reason, condition, and more.
Flashcards in Adverbial Clause20
Start learningWhat type of adverbial clause is this?
In her own house, she danced like nobody was watching.
Time
What type of adverbial clause is this?
You solved that puzzle like your life depended on it.
Manner
What is an adverbial clause?
An adverbial clause (also called an adverb clause) is a dependent clause that acts as an adverb.
Is an adverbial clause a dependent or independent clause?
Dependent
True or false:
You can remove the verb from an adverbial clause of comparison if the verb is already implied.
True
What is the purpose of an adverbial clause?
An adverbial clause can sometimes add more information than a regular adverb can. It can give us information about time, place, manner, reason, condition, and more.
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