ADVERB CLAUSES
• 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. To identify adverb
clauses, you'll need to understand what an adverb
does as well as how a clause is formed.
WHAT IS AN ADVERB?
• An adverb is a part of speech that describes an adjective, another adverb or a
verb. Adverbs give more information about how an action was performed. In
general, they answer questions like, how, why, where and when.
AN ADVERB DOES THIS WITH JUST ONE WORD, BUT GROUPS OF WORDS CAN ALSO PERFORM
THIS FUNCTION IN SENTENCES.
She walked slowly.
She walked like an old lady.
She walked as if she were heading to the gallows.
• In each of these sentences, the italicized word or words answer the question
how and describe the verb "walked." In the first sentence there is only one
adverb, but in the other two sentences, a group of words work together to act
as an adverb.
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
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.
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.
• Being able to spot a subordinating conjunction will help you recognize an
adverb clause. Below are some examples, which are grouped by what type
of adverb question they answer:
• 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, inasmuch as
• 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.
ADVERBIALS OF PLACE
Most adverbials of place are prepositional phrases:
• They are in France at present.
• Come and sit next to me.
• We use adverbials of place to describe location, direction and distance.
LOCATION
• We use adverbials to talk about where someone or something is:
• He was standing by the table.
• You'll find it in the cupboard.
• You'll find it inside.
DIRECTION
• We use adverbials to talk about the direction in which someone or something
is moving:
• Walk past the bank and keep going to the end of the street.
• It's difficult to get into the car because the door is so small.
• They always go abroad for their holidays.
DISTANCE
• We use adverbials to show how far things are:
• Birmingham is 250 kilometres from London.
• We live in Birmingham. London is 250 kilometres away.
ADVERB CLAUSE OF PLACE
• Adverb clauses of place tell us about where something happens. We can use ‘where’,
‘wherever’, and ‘everywhere’:
• Wherever I go, I always see McDonald’s.
• I’m not sure where she lives.
• We met kind people everywhere we went.
• Note that clauses beginning with ‘whenever’, ‘wherever’, and ‘everywhere’ show that
something always happens in a place or at a certain time.
