Adverbial clause

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An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb; that is, the entire clause modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. As with all clauses, it contains a subject and predicate, although the subject as well as the (predicate) verb may sometimes be omitted and implied (see below).

An adverbial clause is commonly, but not always, fronted by a subordinate conjunction--sometimes called a trigger word. (In the examples below the adverbial clause is italicized and the subordinate conjunction is bolded.)

• Mary, the aspiring actress, became upset as soon as she saw the casting list.

  (subject: she; predicate: saw the casting list; the clause modifies the verb became)

• Peter Paul, the drama teacher, met with Mary after she came to the next class.''

  (explicit subject: she; predicate: came to the next class.; predicate (verb): came; the clause modifies the verb met;)

• He talked carefully in order to appear fair.
• He talked carefully in order .. [that 'he'] appear fair.

  (implied subject, he, is omitted; predicate (verb): appear; the clause modifies the adverb carefully)

• The little boy preferred fierce dinosaurs, as [was] T rex.

  (subject of the clause: T rex; predicate of the clause: [was], implied; the clause modifies the adjective fierce.)

According to Sidney Greenbaum and Randolph Quirk, adverbial clauses function mainly as adjuncts or disjuncts, which parts also perform in a sentence as adverbial phrases or as adverbial prepositional phrases (Greenbaum and Quirk,1990). Unlike clauses, phrases do not contain a subject and predicate; they are contrasted here:

• We left the convention the day before.

  (adverbial phrase; contains no subject or predicate)

• We left before the speeches.

  (adverbial prepositional phrase; contains no subject or predicate--and no verb (action) is implied)

• We left after the speeches ended.

  (adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate)

• We left after the speeches.

  or, (".. after the speeches [ended]")

  (adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate, but the verb 'ended' is omitted and implied)

Video Adverbial clause

Types

Adverbial clauses are divided into several groups according to the actions or senses of their conjunctions:

Maps Adverbial clause

References

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Further reading

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External links

• Adverb Clause
• How to Use Adverb Clauses

Source of the article : Wikipedia