ADVERB CLAUSES

What is an adverbial clause?

An adverbial clause, sometimes referred to as an adverb clause, is a group of words that, together,
functions as an adverb. This means that the clause describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or
another adverb. Unlike other types of clauses, an adverbial clause is always a dependent clause. This
means that it cannot stand on its own as an independent sentence.

Adverbial clauses make sentences richer by providing additional context and description that
standard adverbs cannot. See how adverbial clauses and adverbs compare in these examples:

He bakes cakes weekly.

He bakes cakes before he leaves for work every Sunday.

Eagerly, my brother agreed to the business proposal.

As dollar signs flashed in his eyes, my brother agreed to the business proposal.

As you see in these examples, adverbial clauses can appear at any point in a sentence. They can be
literal or figurative, like the clause in the fourth example.

Every part of speech, as well as every kind of phrase and clause, is a tool designed for a specific
purpose. When you need to write a succinct sentence, use an adverb. When you need more
information, use an adverbial clause.

What’s the difference between an adverbial clause and an adverbial phrase?

An adverbial clause is similar to, but not the same as, an adverbial phrase. Both are groups of words
that play the adverb role, but with one key difference: An adverbial clause contains a subject and a
verb, while an adverbial phrase does not.

Here are a few examples of adverbial phrases:

Andrei eats his lunch with gusto.

We thought, through logic, that the next bus would come at 3:10.

And here are similar examples of adverbial clauses:

Andrei eats his lunch faster than everyone else eats.

We thought, because the bus has been so predictable lately, that the next one would come at 3:10.

Types of adverbial clauses

Adverbial clauses come in many different forms. Each of these forms is characterized by the nature
of the information the clause is communicating.

Adverbial clauses of manner

An adverbial clause of manner describes how the action described in the sentence’s main clause is
taking place or previously took place. The conjunction used are: as, as the way...., like....

Here are a few examples:

She addressed the crowd as she had practiced in the mirror.

They designed the new product the way innovators problem-solve around design flaws.

Adverbial clauses of place

Adverbial clauses of place describe where the action in a sentence’s main clause takes place. The
conjunction used are: where, whereever.

See how they work in these examples:

My son told me another fight broke out where he eats lunch at school.

They drove beyond where the city ends.

Adverbial clauses of condition

With an adverbial clause of condition, you can communicate the conditions related to the verb,
adverb, or adjective in the sentence’s main clause. The conjunction used are: if, unless, as long as, on
condition that..., provided that...., whether, until

These examples demonstrate a few ways to use adverbial clauses of condition:

We’ll be sitting in the conference room until they tell us to leave.

Whether my husband likes it or not, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents’ house.

Adverbial clauses of reason

Adverbial clauses of reason tell us the reason for the action being taken in the sentence’s main
clause. These clauses generally use subordinating conjunctions like because, unless, and since, as.
Here are a few examples of sentences that include adverbial clauses of reason:

We adopted these two cats because they are a bonded pair.

He’s amazing at billiards since he spent his youth working in a pool hall.

Adverbial clauses of time

Adverbial clauses of time communicate when the action in a sentence takes place.

The conjunctions used are: when, whenever, as, since, before, after, till, until....

Before she got home, she called and ordered a pizza.

They assembled, dressed, and marched out as the band played.

Adverbial clauses of purpose

Like adverbial clauses of reason, adverbial clauses of purpose frequently involve subordinating
conjunctions. These two kinds of clauses can look similar, but they have one key difference: While
adverbial clauses of reason give the reason why something is happening, adverbial clauses of
purpose explain the reason to take a specific action.

The conjunctions used are: in order that, in order to..., so

Here are a few examples:

We studied all night so we would pass the exam.

So that they could ease the traffic flow, the event organizers split the group into three cohorts.

Adverbial clauses of comparison

Adverbial clauses of comparison are clauses that communicate how the subject of the dependent
clause compares to the subject in the main clause. There are two types of adverbial clauses of
comparison: adverbial clauses of comparison of degree and adverbial clauses of comparison of
manner. The conjunction used are:

As....adverb ...as

...er than....
More... than....

The ...est in / of

The most ....in/ of

Here are a few examples of adverbial clauses of comparison of degree:

Felix is as good at video games as he is good at weight lifting.

We expected the afternoon class to perform better on the test than the morning class did.

Here are a few examples of adverbial clauses of comparison of manner:

The events unfolded as the oracle prophesized.

My wedding vows went as well as I’d hoped.

Adverbial clause of concession

In an adverbial clause of concession, the writer acknowledges or admits a factor that modifies the
main clause. Take a look at these adverbial clauses of concession:

Despite how I had good intentions, the interaction went horribly wrong.

The department head hired the first person they interviewed, though twenty people applied for the
job.

Examples of adverbial clauses

Previously, we demonstrated how adverbial clauses can appear at the beginning or at the end of a
sentence. They can also appear in the middle, as they do in these examples:

Our team, whenever they win a match, acts like a swarm of bees and comes together as a cohesive
unit.

Udarsh sat, because his usual spot at the table was taken, in a chair in the corner.

Adverbial clauses can be long, sometimes even longer than their sentences’ main clauses:
Because there was ice on the road and I’d already slipped and fallen twice in the last week, I stayed
home from school.

My sister, although she showed more patience than I’ve ever seen her have before, still rushed
ahead.

They can also be quite short:

I took out the trash because it stunk.

It was dark in the hallway, so Nina illuminated it after she found a match in her backpack.

Adverbial clause FAQs

What is an adverbial clause?

An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb in a sentence.

What is an example of an adverbial clause?

Here are two examples: José, as he tried to contain his excitement, awaited the company’s response.

What are the different types of adverbial clauses?

Here are the different types of adverbial clauses:

Adverbial clauses of manner

Adverbial clauses of place

Adverbial clauses of condition

Adverbial clauses of reason

Adverbial clauses of time

Adverbial clauses of purpose

Adverbial clauses of comparison (of degree and manner)

Adverbial clause of concession

Complete the sentences with the given adverbial clauses. "before, after, whenever, while, until and
as soon as".

1. I went up to my room to drop off my bags ..... I checked in.

2. I saw a stranded dolphin .....I was walking down the beach.

3. We had better wait here under the tree .....the rain slows down a bit.

4. I promise, I will call you soon ....we get there.

5. We'd better start our hike back to camp ....it gets dark.

6. Don't forget to brush your teeth ....you go to sleep.

7. I will let you know ....I get any information about your promotion.

8. Don't bother to call me .....you have any problem.

9. You should pick up Daniel from work ....you finish your dinner.

10. I prefer to drive ....I have a chance to travel.

11. You can't go anywhere ....you finish your assignments.

12. I didn't know about the accident ....I talked to Sam.

13. I called the firefighters ....I saw the smoke coming from the forest.

14. I feel homesick .....I eat a homemade cake.

15. My hands begin to shake nervously ....I am angry.

16. Finish your homework .....dinner is ready.

17. I feel much better .....taking a shower.

18. Finish your homework ....going to bed.

19. The lights went out ....I was trying to fix the computer.

20. We are not leaving anywhere .....everything is sorted out.

Identify the type of adverb clauses of the sentences below.

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.

1. While the cat's away, the mice will play.

2. A lie travels around the world while truth is putting her boots on.
3. If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.
4. Memory is deceptive because it is colored by today's events.
5. Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.
6. You have to kiss a lot of toads before you find a handsome prince.
7. Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
8. Life is what happens when you are making other plans.
9. As soon as you forbid something, you make it extraordinarily appealing.
10. Everything is funny, as long as it's happening to somebody else.
11. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
12. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
13. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
14. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
15. Don't cross the bridge till you come to it.
 Cause and effect
Struktur Kalimat atau Rumus Kalimat Cause and Effect (Sebab Akibat)
In general, ada dua struktur kalimat yang bisa kamu buat, yaitu:

1. Cause and Effect (Kalimat Sebab Akibat) yang Diikuti oleh Noun
Pada jenis ini, sebuah signal words akan diikuti oleh noun atau noun phrase. Masih ingat apa
itu noun phrase? Noun phrase adalah sebuah frasa yang terdiri dari noun (kata benda) dan
semua pengubahnya (biasanya determiners dan modifiers).

Berikut adalah contoh signal words yang biasa digunakan dalam jenis kalimat ini:

Because of
Thanks to
As a result of
Due to
As a consequence of
Owing to
Yang perlu kamu garis bawahi adalah, klausa yang menyatakan sebab (cause) akan selalu
disimpan setelah signal words. Struktur kalimat yang umum digunakan adalah sebagai
berikut:

Signal words + Cause + Effect

Effect + Signal words + Cause
Contoh kalimatnya sebagai berikut, simak cause dan effect pada bagian yang digarisbawahi
ya!

Due to Alfy’s cheating, he got a D from the lecturer.

(Karena Alfy ketahuan menyontek, dia mendapatkan nilai D dari dosen.)
He always get punished because of his waking up late habits.
(Dia selalu kena hukuman karena kebiasaan bangun telat.)

As a result of heavy rain, we canceled the camping event.

(Karena hujan yang sangat deras, kita membatalkan acara camping.)

Baca Juga: Prepositions: Preposisi dalam Bahasa Inggris

2. Cause and Effect (Kalimat Sebab Akibat) yang Diikuti oleh Subject + Verb
Selanjutnya, kalimat cause and effect bisa dibentuk menggunakan rumus signal words yang
diikuti oleh subject dan verb. Signal words yang umum dipakai yaitu:

Because
Since
As
For
Masih sama seperti aturan pada jenis pertama, kamu harus meletakkan klausa yang
menunjukkan cause setelah signal words. Pola kalimatnya pun sama, yaitu:

Signal words + Cause + Effect

Effect + Signal words + Cause
Perhatikan contoh kalimat di bawah ini, untuk bagian cause dan effect akan ditandai dengan
garis bawah:

I didn't go to Devi's house because she was doing her office task.
(Aku tidak pergi ke rumah Devi karena dia sibuk mengerjakan tugas kantor.)
My boyfriend and I canceled our date since he was playing games with his friends.
(Pasangan saya dan saya membatalkan kencan kami karena dia bermain game dengan
teman-temannya.)
As it is still raining, we have to go home wearing our raincoats.
(Karena ini masih hujan, kita harus pulang menggunakan jas hujan kita.)

Kamu penasaran nggak, apa bedanya because dan because of? Jadi, because of adalah signal
words/linking words dengan jenis preposition (preposisi). Aturannya, setelah preposisi akan
selalu diikuti oleh noun atau pronoun.

Nah, kalau because adalah subordinate conjunction atau kata penghubung yang digunakan
pada awal klausa sebelum subjek dan kata kerja (verb).

Makanya, kalau kamu amati kembali, because of termasuk signal words untuk jenis kalimat
pertama, sedangkan because jadi bagian dari signal words untuk jenis kalimat kedua.

Baca Juga: Conjunction: Konjungsi Bahasa Inggris

Language Form dari Cause and Effect (Sebab Akibat)

Seperti biasa, kalimat dalam bahasa Inggris nggak akan jauh dari yang namanya tenses,
begitu pula dengan kalimat yang mengandung cause and effect. Ini gaya penulisan kalimat
sebab akibat dalam bahasa Inggris:

Menggunakan tenses yang tergantung dengan konteks waktu dalam kalimat, dalam hal ini
dapat berupa past tense, present tense, atau future tense.
Banyak menggunakan kata kerja (verb) dan noun (kata benda).
Contoh Kalimat Cause and Effect (Sebab Akibat) dan Artinya
Ini beberapa contoh kalimat cause and effect (sebab akibat) dalam bahasa Inggris:

As a result of COVID, many companies are implementing work from where for their
employees.

There was a graduation ceremony on the city square, so traffic was at a standstill.

I’ve started eating a much healthier diet. Consequently, I’ve lost weight and have more
energy.

Thanks to my beloved boyfriend, I recovered from a difficult situation.

He worked hard on his thesis, therefore he graduated on time.

Exercise: Cause and Effect Essays Cause = Merah Effect = Kuning

(a) Underline the cause and highlight its effect in each of the following
sentences.
1. After the dog bit her, we had to take her to the hospital.
2. Her computer stopped working due to a virus.
3. The police arrested him because he committed a crime.
4. She set fire to the curtain first before the whole house burnt down.
5. If she gets accepted to university, she will become a doctor.
6. Unless she finds a replacement, she will be fired.
7. Owing to the lack of customers, the restaurant closed down this week.
8. Since she is scared of clowns, she never goes to the circus.
9. He passed his first year at university; as a result, his parents bought him a
car.
10.She is lazy, therefore she has failed all of her subjects.

(b) Complete the sentence by filling in a cause or an effect as required. Circle what
was needed to complete each sentence: cause or effect. Circle nya kutandain dengan
highlight ijo
1. Melanie did not go to school because she is sick
cause/effect
2. Due to him waking up late, Jason was late for work again.
cause/effect
3. Since Zinzi bought all the chocolate in the shop, Sarah didn’t have the chance to buy any
cause/effect
4. If 6 people get in, there won’t be enough space in the car.
cause/effect
5. Khulani works late every Friday so that, she gets extra wages
cause/effect
6. Since Jamie’s parents found out about the party he hosted without their
permission, he got grounded for 3 months
cause/effect
7. Owing to the movie’s popularity, the tickets were all sold out.
cause/effect
8. In view of Mandisa’s fear of heights, she never gets on high places
cause/effect
9. As a result of Thabo’s silence, he never makes any friends
cause/effect
10. Jenny shouted at Mark first, therefore Mark also shouted at Jenny
cause/effect

(c) Read through the following passage, underlining causes and highlighting
effects.

I woke up late this morning because my alarm clock did not ring. As a result, I
had to rush to get ready for school and I made a huge mess all over the house. I
missed the bus because I had to go back home to fetch my cellphone.
Consequently, I was late for school, and my lecturer was not pleased with me at
all. Due to the fact that my day had been going so badly, I was in a bad mood and
I shouted at my friends. Since I was in such a bad mood, they didn’t want to hang
out with me and they left. After they left, my day only got worse. In view of all
that happened today, I’ve decided that I need two alarm clocks instead of one, to
make sure I wake up on time in the mornings.

Now, tabulate your causes and the related effects using a table similar to the one
below:
Cause Effect
eg. My alarm clock did not ring. I woke up late.

(d) You have been given a cause and its effects. Link the cause and its effects using
a few sentences. Remember to use your linking words.

1. CAUSE: terrorist attack; bomb explosion

EFFECT: people killed; families grieving; multiple funerals
2. CAUSE: global warming
EFFECT: heat waves in summer; people fainting; overcrowding in hospitals

(e) Write a paragraph in which you explain something that happened to you in
terms of its causes and effects.