The complex sentence with an attributive clause

Connectors which introduce attributive clauses

Types

Examples

Relative pronouns: who, whose, whom, what, which, that, as

Relative adverbs: when, where, whence, wherein

Attributive clauses function as modifiers to a word of nominal character, which is generally called the antecedent. Attributive clauses fall into two types, depending on the degree of connection and the relation they bear to the antecedent:

• attributive limiting clauses

• attributive descriptive clauses

Attributive limiting clauses:

• are closely connected with the antecedent;

• cannot be removed from the sentence, because the information contained in the attributive clause singles out, determines, or particularizes the person, thing, idea, etc., expressed by the antecedent;

• are not set off by a coma;

• may be joined asyndetically

Attributive descriptive clauses:

• are characterized by a looser connection with the main clause. Usually it contains additional information about the antecedent and may be left out without any serious change in the meaning of the main clause;

• are generally commad off. They are joined by the same connectives as limiting clauses, except the relative pronoun that;

• can not be joined asyndetically;.

He was a man one always forgot.

A library is a place where they keep books.

At this age, which I judged to be near fifty, he looked extremely young.

I returned to London, where I remained for a week.

Type of the adverbial clause

Conjunctions

Specific features

Examples

An adverbial clause of place

Conjunctions: where, whence, wherever, everywhere (that)

Conjunctive adverbs with prepositions

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 discrimination is determined by the meaning and nature of the word the clause refers to.

He was standing where he always had stood, on the rug before the living-room fire.

From where he stood he could see nothing.

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)

An adverbial clause of time

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.

An adverbial clause of time characterizes the action expressed in the main clause from the temporal point of view.

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

He did not say a word till he was asked.

They did not marry until she was forty.

The boy did not start to read until he went to school.

An adverbial clause of manner

Conjunctions: as, the way

1. Adverbial clauses of manner characterize actions, states, qualities, circumstances.

2. Adverbial clauses of manner may modify the predicate of the main clause by attributing some quality to it.

3. They may refer to attributes or predicatives characterizing a state or quality of a person or non-person.

4. They may refer to an adverbial modifier, giving additional infor­mation or explanation concerning it.

I’m sorry I talked the way I did at lunch.

She cooks the turkey exactly as my mother did.

Astonished, as one could be in such circumstances, he didn’t give a sign of it.

He said it with contempt, as a grown-up serious man should treat such views.

An adverbial clause of comparison

Conjunctions: as, like, as if, as though, than

Correlative conjunctions: as... as, so... as, as..., as, if

1. Adverbial clauses of comparison characterize the action expressed by the predicate in the main clause by comparing it with some real or hypothetical circumstance or action.

2. The conjunctions as if and as though may also introduce appositive and predicative clauses, as the comparative meaning may combine with different syntactic connections.

They don’t have long intervals like they do at other theatres.

She had a look as if she had something in her mouth.(appositive clause)

She looked as if she had something in her mouth. (predicative clause)

She looked at me as if nothing was wrong. (adverbial clause)

An adverbial clause of condition

Conjunctions: if, unless, once, in case. provided (that), providing (that), suppose (that), supposing (that), considering (that), given (that), granted (that), granting (that), admitting (that), presuming (that), seeing (that).

Adverbial clauses of this condition contain some condition (either real or unreal) which makes the action in the main clause possible.

If anything troubles you, you’d better tell me.

An adverbial clause of concession

Conjunctions: although, though, if;

Correlative conjunctions: though...yet, whether...or; Conjunctive pronouns or adverbs: whoever, whatever, whichever, whenever, wherever as,

Composite соnjunсtiоns: no matter how, no matter what, for all that, despite that, in spite of the fact, despite the fact, even if, even though, even when.

In complex sentences with concessive clauses there is a contrast between the content of the main clause and that of the subordinate one: the action or fact described in the main clause is carried out or takes place despite the action or state expressed in the subordinate clause.

Whoever he may be, he seems to be an honest man at least.

An adverbial clause of purpose

Conjunctions: that, so that, lest, so as, so, in order that, for fear that.

Clauses of purpose generally express the purpose of the action, which is stated in the main clause. The verb-predicate in the subordinate clause is in the subjunctive mood as it expresses a planned but not a real action.

The conjunctions lest and for fear (that) introduce clauses stating what is to be prevented, as both the conjunctions have a negative meaning.

I tell you all this so that you may understand me perfectly.

He was like a man who is afraid to look behind him lest he should see something there which ought not to be there.

An adverbial clause of cause

Conjunctions: as, because, since, so, that, lest, seeing (that), considering

Composite conjunctions: for the reason that, in view of the fact that, in so far as (insofar as), by reason of.

Adverbial clauses of cause (or causative clauses) express the reason, cause, or motivation of the action expressed in the main clause or of its content as a whole.

As he was tired he preferred to stay at home.

Since there is no help, let us try and bear it as best we can.

An adverbial clause of result (consequence)

Conjunctions: so that, that.

An adverbial clause of result denotes some consequence or result of the action expressed in the main clause.

I was so tired that I could hardly speak