Grammar theme for self-study: The complex sentence with an attributive clause theme 4
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause
Structure
Subordination using adverb clauses is one way to communicate relationships between ideas. However, unlike coordination, which connects two related ideas of equal importance, with subordination, the more important idea is expressed as a complete sentence (independent clause), and the less important idea is expressed as an adverb clause (dependent clause) which cannot stand alone; this makes a complex sentence.
Adverb clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction (also called a signal word) and include a subject and a verb. Here are some common subordinating conjunctions:
after before so that
although even if though
as even though unless
as if if until
as long as in order that when / whenever
as soon as once where / wherever
as though provided that whether
because since while
Introductory adverb clauses are set off from the main sentence by a comma:
After I go to the store, I will be coming straight home.
Because she exercises regularly, she is in terrific condition.
Adverb clauses that follow the main idea are usually not set off with commas.
I will be coming straight home after I go to the store.
She is in terrific condition because she exercises regularly.
Types of adverbial clauses
According to their semantics we distinguish adverbial clauses of place, time, manner, comparison, condition, concession, purpose, cause, result.
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of place
An adverbial clause of place defines the place or the direction of the action expressed in the principal clause. It may be introduced by one of the following conjunctions: where, whence, wherever, everywhere (that) and conjunctive adverbs with prepositions. A clause introduced by wherever can express direction as well as position.
He was standing where he always had stood, on the rug before the living-room fire.
From where he stood he could see nothing.
Alert! Adverbial clauses of place introduced by the conjunction where should not be confused with predicative or object clauses introduced by the conjunctive adverb where or its derivatives, or with attributive clauses introduced, by the relative adverb where. The descrimination is determined by the meaning and nature of the word the clause refers to.
The young people went off at once to wherever they were going. (adverbial clause)
I wonder where you are hurrying. (object clause)
This must be where my sister lives. (predicative clause)
Here is the house where we stayed last year. (attributive clause)
Theme 5
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of time
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of manner
Structure
An adverbial clause of time characterizes the action expressed in the main clause from the temporal point of view. The action may be expressed by a finite or non-finite form of the verb.
An adverbial clause of time may be introduced by conjunctions:
as, as soon as, as long as, when, whenever, while, now that, till, until, after, before, since;
recently formed conjunctions and phrasal conjunctions:
the time (that), the day (that), the moment, the instant, next time, every (each) time, directly, immediately, instantly, once.
Every conjunction in the above list imparts a particular shade of meaning to the temporal relation - priority, simultaneity, succession of actions, the beginning or the end of the action, repetition, coincidence of two actions, gradual development of a process, etc.
The conjunctions till and until introduce clauses which fix the end of the action in the main clause if the latter contains no negation, as in:
She resolved to wait till Clym came to look for her.
If the time reference in the subordinate clause with till or until is to a commencement point, the main clause is always negative.
He did not say a word till he was asked.
The conjunction since may introduce a clause which indicates the beginning of a period of time continuing until now or until some time in the past. In the first case the present perfect is used in the principal clause, in the second the past perfect. In a temporal clause the past indefinite tense is used in both cases. For example:
I have only seen him once since I left school.
She had been such of a companion to him since she was three years old.
If the actions expressed in both clauses are durative and still continuing, the present perfect tense is used in both the clauses, as in:
Since we have been friends we have never quarrelled.
Conjunctions of recent formation have mainly been formed from nouns denoting time, although some are formed from adverbs denoting time. They are the time, the moment, the instant, immediately, directly and others. Most of them are used to introduce subordinate clauses denoting the exact moment of the action in the main clause or the quick succession of the actions in both clauses.
We’ll be married the very moment we find a house.
Some of the temporal conjunctions are not confined to clauses of time. Thus as may be used to join clauses of cause, manner, concession, comparison and also to introduce parenthetic clauses. The conjunction since may introduce clauses of reason. The conjunctions when and while may express adversative relations, in which case they can hardly be considered subordinating conjunctions. When can introduce a clause containing a new piece of information, not prepared for by the preceding narrative, and thus indicates a quick succession of actions. The conjunction whenever generally expresses temporal relations, but the idea of time often mingles with that of concession.
At the sound of that knock she jumped up, when the brass candlestick clattered to the floor. (The conjunction when expresses the quick succession of actions.)
Adverbial clauses of manner characterize actions, states, qualities, circumstances. Therefore they may have different reference. The most common conjunctions to introduce them are as and the way.
Adverbial clauses of manner may modify the predicate of the main clause by attributing some quality to it.
I’m sorry I talked the way I did at lunch.
She cooks the turkey exactly as my mother did.
They may refer to attributes or predicatives characterizing a state or quality of a person or non-person.
Astonished, as one could be in such circumstances, he didn’t give a sign of it.
He was puzzled by the situation, as one could easily be in his place.
They may refer to an adverbial modifier, giving additional information or explanation concerning it.
He said it with contempt, as a grown-up serious man should treat such views.
In the second and the third case the connection between the clauses is rather loose, and the subordinate clause is generally set off by commas.