Adverbial Clause
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An Adverbial Clause is a linguistic clause that ...
- See: Conjunction (Grammar)#Subordinating Conjunctions, Adpositional Phrase, Dependent Clause, Clause, Adverb, Subject (Grammar), Predicate (Grammar), Adjunct (Grammar), Disjunct (Linguistics), Adverbial Phrase.
References
2016
- (Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/adverbial_clause Retrieved:2016-5-19.
- An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb; that is, the entire clause modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. As with all clauses, it contains a subject and predicate, although the subject as well as the (predicate) verb may sometimes be omitted and implied (see below).
An adverbial clause is commonly, but not always, fronted by a subordinate conjunction sometimes called a trigger word. (In the examples below the adverbial clause is italicized and the subordinate conjunction is bolded.)
- Mary, the aspiring actress, became upset as soon as she saw the casting list.
- ::(subject: she ; predicate: saw the casting list ; the clause modifies the verb became)
- Peter Paul, the drama teacher, met with Mary after she came to the next class.
- ::(explicit subject: she ; predicate: came to the next class. ; predicate (verb): came ; the clause modifies the verb met ;)
- He talked carefully in order to appear fair.
- He talked carefully in order .. [that 'he'] appear fair.
- ::(implied subject, he, is omitted; predicate (verb): appear ; the clause modifies the adverb carefully)
- The little boy preferred fierce dinosaurs, as T rex.
- The little boy preferred fierce dinosaurs, as [was] T rex.
- ::(subject of the clause: T rex ; predicate of the clause: [was], implied; the clause modifies the adjective fierce.)
According to Sidney Greenbaum and Randolph Quirk, adverbial clauses function mainly as adjuncts or disjuncts, which parts also perform in a sentence as adverbial phrases or as adverbial prepositional phrases (Greenbaum and Quirk,1990). Unlike clauses, phrases do not contain a subject and predicate; they are contrasted here:
- We left the convention the day before.
- ::(adverbial phrase; contains no subject or predicate)
- We left before the speeches.
- ::(adverbial prepositional phrase; contains no subject or predicate and no verb (action) is implied)
- We left after the speeches ended.
- ::(adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate)
- We left after the speeches.
- ::or, (".. after the speeches [ended]")
::(adverbial clause; contains subject and predicate, but the verb 'ended' is omitted and implied)
- An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb; that is, the entire clause modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. As with all clauses, it contains a subject and predicate, although the subject as well as the (predicate) verb may sometimes be omitted and implied (see below).