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Understanding Adverb Clauses

The document provides an overview of adverb clauses, which are dependent clauses functioning as adverbs in sentences, explaining how or why actions occur. It details the structure of clauses, examples of adverb clauses categorized by their function (place, time, cause, purpose, condition, concession, and result), and includes practice exercises for learners. The document emphasizes the importance of subordinating conjunctions in connecting adverb clauses to independent clauses.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
53 views6 pages

Understanding Adverb Clauses

The document provides an overview of adverb clauses, which are dependent clauses functioning as adverbs in sentences, explaining how or why actions occur. It details the structure of clauses, examples of adverb clauses categorized by their function (place, time, cause, purpose, condition, concession, and result), and includes practice exercises for learners. The document emphasizes the importance of subordinating conjunctions in connecting adverb clauses to independent clauses.

Uploaded by

Ninh Hai Vu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PREP-W COURSE PISA IELTS

LESSON 16. ADVERB CLAUSE

Definition
An adverb clause is a group of words that function as an adverb in a sentence. Adverb
clauses can be used to add explanatory detail to your writing and explain how or why
things happen.
What is a Clause?
A clause is a group of words that contain both a subject and a verb. This differs from a
phrase, which doesn't have a subject and a verb. For example, let's revisit our examples
of words being used together as adverbs:
 She walked like an old lady.
 She walked as if she were heading to the gallows.
In these examples, "like an old lady" does not contain a subject and a verb, and is,
therefore, an adverb phrase. However, "as if she were heading to the gallows" does
contain a subject (she) and a verb (were heading), making it an adverb clause.
Clauses can be either independent or dependent. Independent clauses are also called
sentences. They can stand alone and express a complete thought. Dependent clauses, or
subordinate clauses, cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example:
 Because he has a college degree, he got a great job.
 When the storm started, she was at the store.
 Bob wore the coat that I gave him.

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Each of these groups of words has a subject and a verb, but do not form a complete
sentence on their own. They are dependent on an independent clause for meaning.
What Is an Adverb Clause?
Adverb clauses, also known as adverbial clauses, are dependent clauses that function as
adverbs. Since they are dependent clauses, they must have a subordinating
conjunction to connect them to the rest of the sentence.
 When: after, when, until, soon, before, once, while, as soon as, whenever, by the
time
 How: if, whether or not, provided, in case, unless, even if, in the event
 Why: because, as, since, so, in order that, now that, because of /due to/owing to
 Where: wherever, where
Adverb clauses can be placed at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence. When placed
at the beginning or in the middle, they require a comma to offset them from the rest of
the sentence:
 Whether you like it or not, you have to go.
 The boy, although he is very bright, failed math.
However, when the adverb clause is at the end of a sentence, no comma is needed:
 She enjoyed the party more than he did.
Examples of Adverb Clauses

Because they act like adverbs in a sentence, adverb clauses answer the questions where,
when, why and how in a sentence. To see how they work, take a look at the examples
below:
1. Adverb Clauses of Place
These adverbial clauses answer the question where
 Wherever there is music, people will dance.
 You can drop by for a visit where we're staying for the summer.
2. Adverb Clauses of Time
These adverbial clauses answer the question when.
 After the chores are done, we will eat some ice cream.
 When the clock strikes midnight, she has to leave.
3. Adverb Clauses of Cause
These adverb clauses answer the question why.
 She passed the course because she worked hard.

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 Since he has long hair, he wears a ponytail.


4. Adverb Clauses of Purpose
These adverb clauses also answer the question why.
 He took off his shoes so that he would not ruin the carpet, .
 He ate vegetables in order that he could stay healthy.
5. Adverb Clauses of Condition
These adverb clauses answer the question how.
 If you save some money, you can buy a new game.
 Unless you hurry, you will be late for school.
6. Adverb Clauses of Concession
These adverb clauses answer the question how, albeit in a roundabout way.
 Even though you are 13, you can't go to that movie.
 Although you gave it your best effort, you did not win the match.
 She goes to school despite/in spite of raining.
7. Adverb Clauses of Result
 He was so tired that he had to stop working.
 So terrible was the storm that whole roofs were ripped off.
 It was such an interesting novel that I have read it three times

PRACTICE
Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer
1. I waited for my friend ......................................... he arrived.
A. until B. up to C. unless
2. He hid ......................................... his pursuers could not find him.
A. there B. where C. when
3. I am as intelligent ....................................... you are.
A. as B. so C. than
4. ............................................ he was not there, I left a message with his mother.
A. As B. So C. Therefore
5. We eat .............................................. we may live.
A. that B. so C. as
6. She was ........................................... tired that she could barely stand.
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A. so B. such C. as
7. .............................................. you eat too much, you may fall ill.
A. If B. Whether C. Unless
8. ........................................ he started early, he finished late.
A. As B. Though C. So
9. ............................................... you do not tell me everything, I will not be able to help
you.
A. If B. Unless C. Whether
10. Do not go ................................................ I get ready.
A. until B. unless C. up to

Exercise 2. Choose the correct answer


1. Last Sunday was_____ wet _____ we couldn't go to the movies.
a. so - that b. as - as c. less - than d. more - than
2. I did it_____ they asked me to.
a. because b. because of c. the reason d. since
3. The corresponding sentence "There are so many things for me to do that…"
is_____
a. have so many things to do that b. nobody has so many….
c. so many things are on me d. I do many things.
4. He was_____ tired that he slept all day.
a. such b. too c. so d. very
5. The boy was happy_____ he had done a good job.
a. because b. as c. unless d. because of
6. Although he tried hard, _____
a. but he failed b. yet he failed c. however he failed d. he failed
7. It was_____ that we had gone for a walk.
a. such a beautiful weather b. such a ice weather
c. so nice a weather d. so beautiful a night
8. Last yeas I earned _____my sister, who has a better position.
a. twice as much as b. twice more than b. twice as many as d. twice as more as
9. _____ the room, the man was no longer there.

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a. Entering b. When we entered


c. On entering d. Having entered
10. It looks as if the game_____ unless the rain stops.
a. will cancel b. would be cancelled c. will be cancelled d. would cancel
11. _____ Mrs. Richards was entering the dining-room, there was a knock on the front
door.
a. At the very moment b. So long as c. Only when d. During the time
12. When did you eat? As soon as he came, we _____ our dinner.
a. must have eaten b. ate c. were eating d. had eaten
13. How can we measure the price and things? However much_____ it will be worth it.
a. it cost b. it costs c. does it cost d. costs it
14. "The new mathematics teachers seems very pleasant".
a. a such nice b. a so nice c. such nice d. such a nicw
15. "I find the local newspaper to be _____ uninformative".
"Yes, there is hardly any international news".
a. so b. such c. so much d. such much
16. "Here, I brought you some flowers from my garden".
"Thank you. They're_____ beautiful colors".
a. so b. as c. such d. too
17. "Do you know why Erica failed the test?"
"I don't know. She spent_____ time studying".
a. so b. such much c. so much d. much
18. "Wendy is really tall for her age".
"She is so tall_____ her friends make fun of her".
a. so b. as c. that d. much
19. Some people are tall, _____ others are short.
a. whereas b. when c. as d. so
20. In some nations coffee is the favourite beverage, _____ in others it is tea.
a. when b. where c. while d. which
THE END

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Exercise 1
1. I waited for my friend until he arrived.
2. He hid where his pursuers could not find him.
3. I am as intelligent as you are.
4. As he was not there, I left a message with his mother.
5. We eat that we may live.
6. She was so tired that she could barely stand.
7. If you eat too much, you may fall ill.
8. Though he started early, he finished late.
9. If you do not tell me everything, I will not be able to help you.
10. Do not go until I get ready.

Exercise 2

1a 2a 3a 4c 5a 6d 7d 8a 9b 10c

11a 12b 13b 14d 15a 16c 17c 18c 19a 20c

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Common questions

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Adverb clauses of condition specify circumstances that affect the occurrence of the action, using conjunctions like 'if' and 'unless,' e.g., 'If you save some money, you can buy a new game,' indicating potential actions based on conditions. Conversely, concessive clauses acknowledge a contrast or exception with conjunctions such as 'even though' and 'although,' e.g., 'Even though you are 13, you can't go to that movie,' expressing limitations despite conditions. Together, they provide a broader view of actions by considering both conditions and exceptions within a scenario .

Adverb clauses of time and place serve critical roles in the narrative flow by situating events temporally and spatially. Temporally, they establish when actions occur, allowing seamless transitions, as in 'After the chores are done, we will eat some ice cream,' maintaining narrative progression. Locatively, they ground the story in specific settings, like 'Wherever there is music, people will dance,' creating a vivid sense of place and enhancing the immersive experience for the reader by anchoring events to locations .

Adverb clauses of cause provide the reason behind an action, using conjunctions like 'because,' 'since,' and 'as'; for example, 'She passed the course because she worked hard' explains the reason for passing. In contrast, adverb clauses of purpose indicate the intent or aim of an action, using conjunctions such as 'so that' or 'in order that;' for example, 'He took off his shoes so that he would not ruin the carpet,' highlights the intention behind removing shoes .

Subordinating conjunctions play a crucial role by linking adverb clauses, which are dependent, to the main clause, making the dependency structurally and semantically coherent. These conjunctions provide the necessary connection to indicate the relationship of when, how, why, or where between the clauses, thus enabling the adverb clauses to function properly as modifiers of the verb or the entire sentence .

Adverb clauses differ from adverb phrases by containing both a subject and a verb, making them clauses, whereas adverb phrases lack this structure as they do not contain a subject and a verb. Adverb clauses function as adverbs in a sentence to provide answers to questions like where, when, why, and how, giving more explanatory detail, whereas adverb phrases also modify verbs but do not provide a complete thought and are typically less complex .

Punctuation is essential when an adverb clause precedes the main clause or is inserted in the middle, as a comma is used to separate the clauses for clarity. For instance, 'Whether you like it or not, you have to go' demonstrates this by using a leading adverb clause with a comma. However, when the adverb clause appears at the end of a sentence, no commas are necessary, such as in 'She enjoyed the party more than he did' .

Adverb clauses of result effectively convey the outcome by illustrating the consequences or effects of a preceding event or action. For example, 'He was so tired that he had to stop working' highlights the unavoidable necessity to cease working due to tiredness. Similarly, 'So terrible was the storm that whole roofs were ripped off' vividly illustrates the severity of the storm's impact, thereby making the result clear and tangible to the reader .

Practice exercises facilitate better understanding and accurate application of adverb clauses by providing structured opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios. For instance, choosing correct conjunctions in sentences like 'I waited for my friend until he arrived' or 'Though he started early, he finished late' encourages learners to discern and internalize usage patterns. Additionally, exercises compel learners to evaluate sentence structure, enhancing grammatical precision and improving language fluency .

Adverb clauses of concession enrich narratives by introducing contrasting situations or unexpected outcomes, thus adding depth and complexity. They acknowledge the coexistence of opposing truths or actions, exemplified by 'Although you gave it your best effort, you did not win the match,' illustrating the dichotomy between effort and outcome. This nuanced perspective can evoke emotional responses and provoke deeper reflection on the part of the reader, enhancing the narrative's sophistication .

Adverb clauses answer questions such as where, when, why, and how, which provides specific, explanatory details, thereby enhancing the reader's comprehension of the actions or contexts described in a sentence. They function by modifying the verb to clarify the circumstances, purpose, or reasons of an event within the overall statement .

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