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Dependent Clauses: Adverbial, Adjectival, Nominal

Dependent clauses can function as adverbial, adjectival, or nominal clauses. [1] Adverbial clauses function like adverbs to describe verbs, answering questions about time, place, manner, etc. They begin with subordinating conjunctions. [2] Adjectival clauses function like adjectives to describe nouns, answering questions about which or what kind. They usually begin with relative pronouns. [3] Nominal clauses function as subjects, objects, or complements, naming people, places, things, or ideas. They may begin with interrogatives or expletives.

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36 views13 pages

Dependent Clauses: Adverbial, Adjectival, Nominal

Dependent clauses can function as adverbial, adjectival, or nominal clauses. [1] Adverbial clauses function like adverbs to describe verbs, answering questions about time, place, manner, etc. They begin with subordinating conjunctions. [2] Adjectival clauses function like adjectives to describe nouns, answering questions about which or what kind. They usually begin with relative pronouns. [3] Nominal clauses function as subjects, objects, or complements, naming people, places, things, or ideas. They may begin with interrogatives or expletives.

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CLAUSES

Dependent Clauses: Adverbial,


Adjectival, Nominal
Dependent clauses may work like adverbs, adjectives, or nouns in complex
sentences.

1. Adverbial clauses

Like a single-word adverb, an adverbial clause describes a verb (in the


sentence's main clause) and answers one of these questions

where? why? how? when? to


what degree?

An adverbial clause begins with a subordinating conjunction, which makes the


clause subordinate (dependent).

Common subordinating conjunctions:

after in order (that) unless

although insofar as until

as in that when

as far as lest whenever

as soon as no matter how where

as if now that wherever

as though once whether

because provided (that) while


before since why

even if so that

even though supposing (that)

how than

if that

inasmuch as though

in case (that) till

Example of adverbial clause answering when?

When will the flowers bloom? Answer: when spring arrives

Example of adverbial clause answering why?


Why didn't the poor woman have money? Answer: because she had lost
her job

Example of adverbial clause answering where?

Where is there fire? Answer: where there is smoke

Example of adverbial clause answering how?

How did he answer the question? Answer: as if he knew the subject quite
well

Example of adverbial clause answering to what degree?


To what degree of lateness will Jones arrive? Answer: (later) than Smith
(will arrive)

Another example of an adverbial clause answering to what degree?

To what degree is he young? Answer: (younger) than his brother (is)

Comma use with adverbial clauses

Comma use with adverbial clauses depends upon placement of the adverbial
clause.

If the adverbial clause introduces the sentence, place a comma between it and
the main clause.
If the adverbial clause follows the main clause in a sentence, do not place a
comma between the two.

2. Adjectival clauses

Like a single-word adjective, an adjectival clause describes a noun (in the


sentence's main clause) and answers one of these questions

which one? what kind?

An adjectival clause usually begins with a relative pronoun, which makes the
clause subordinate (dependent).

Common relative pronouns:

that which who whom whose

NOTE: Use who, whom, and whose to describe people.

Use that and which to describe things.

Adjectival clauses always follow the person, place, or thing they describe,
usually immediately.

Example of adjectival clause answering which one?

Which book did Joe read? Answer: the one that I gave him
Example of adjectival clause answering what kind?

What kind of politician has the support of the people? Answer: one who is
trustworthy

Adjectival clauses may also begin with selected subordinating conjunctions:

when - to describe a time

where - to describe a place

why - to describe a reason


Comma use with adjectival clauses

Comma use with adjectival clauses depends upon essentiality of the adjectival
clause.

If the adjectival clause is essential (or "needed"), no commas should be used to


separate it from the main clause.

Generally, essential adjectival clauses should not begin with which.

Examples

Since the adjectival clauses in the above examples are needed to clarify the
noun that they describe, they are essential and should not be separated from
the rest of the sentence with commas.
If the adjectival clause is nonessential (or "not needed"), commas should
separate it from the main clause.

Nonessential adjectival clauses should not begin with that.

Examples

Since the adjectival clauses in the above examples are not needed to clarify
the noun that they describe, they are nonessential and should be separated
from the rest of the sentence with commas.

Note the difference between the sentences in each pair:


3. Nominal Clauses

Like a noun, a nominal clause names a person, place, thing, or idea. A nominal
clause may function in a sentence as any of the following:

subject subjective complement appositive


object of preposition direct object indirect
object retained object
Nominal clauses may begin with interrogatives:

who whom what which whoever whomever whatever


when where how why

An interrogative beginning a nominal clause has a function within the nominal


clause.

Each of the following examples illustrates

 a nominal clause

 the function of the nominal clause within the sentence

 the function of the interrogative within the nominal clause

Nominal clause as subject in sentence

Nominal clause as subjective complement in sentence

Nominal clause as object of preposition in sentence


Nominal clause as direct object in sentence

Nominal clause as indirect object in sentence

Nominal clause as retained object in sentence


Nominal clauses may also begin with expletives:

that whether if

An expletive beginning a nominal clause has no function within the nominal


clause.

Nominal clause beginning with expletive that

Expletive: pure subordinating conjunction

Nominal clause beginning with expletive whether


Nominal clause beginning with expletive if

Expletive: sub conjunction

https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/AdvAdjNomClause.htm

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