ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

SECTION I - PRELIMINARY NOTES ON ADVERBS, ADVERB PHRASES, ADVERBIALS

A. Adverbs :
Adverbs - "… "the most nebulous and puzzling of the traditional word classes"; "it is tempting to say
that the adverb is an item that does not fit the definitions for other word classes" ( Comprehensive
Grammar of English, Quirk et al., Page 440)

Meaning : modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs – everything except nouns. They indicate the time,
place, manner, degree, frequency, duration, viewpoint, etc. of an event, action or process
Form: mostly realised by the -ly suffix added to an adjective (beautifully, fortunately, actually). Eg.
1. A robin was singing beautifully in the garden..

B. Adverb Phrase:
A phrase with an adverb as the head. Eg.
2. The lecturer spoke very clearly.

C. Adjunct / adverbial as clause constituent

Subjects, Predicates, Objects, and Complements are the basic constituents of clauses. To this list we
can add Adjuncts (Adverbials) some of which are obligatory to the sentence structure. Eg.
3. She put the book on the table.

However, adverbials “are the most peripheral of the clause elements subject, verb, object,
complement and adjunct/adverbial which make up the structure of a clause.” (Glossary of English
Grammar, Leech)

Meaning : Adverbials, as element of a clause, add extra meaning about the event or state of affairs
described.
Distinctive Syntactic Property : adverbials generally can be placed in a variety of different places in
the clause without change of meaning :
Eg. The teacher / has called / me / a fool / twice
S- V- O- C- A
4. Twice, the teacher has called me a fool.
5. The teacher has twice called me a fool

Types of Adjunct meaning (following, SIEG, Pullum and Huddlestone, pp79)

1. MANNER He drove quite recklessly.

2. PLACE They have breakfast in bed.
3. TIME I saw her last week.
4. DURATION We lived in London for five years.
5. FREQUENCY She telephones her mother every Sunday.
6. DEGREE We very much enjoyed your last novel.
7. PURPOSE / checked all the doors to make sure they were shut.
8. RESULT It rained all day, with the result that they couldn 't work.
9. CONDITION If it rains the match will be postponed.
10. CONCESSION Although he's rich, he lives very simply.

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SECTION II - ADVERBIAL CLAUSES ( CLAUSE ADJUNCTS)
Act as an adverbials/adjuncts in the main clause or sentence they belong.
Are always optional because they don’t depend on the verb.
Are flexible in terms of their position in the sentence – can occur initially or finally.

MEANING: Adverbial clauses can be said to modify the verb phrase or a whole sentence –
that is, they add extra information in terms of time, condition, concession, cause or reason,
result etc.

FORMS :
Adverbial clauses may be realised by finite structures,
Eg. :
1. When you receive that card, you should know that you are not being invited to join in
the joy of welcoming a child into this world.
or by non-finite forms,
Eg. :
2. A civil servant may withhold information or mislead his Minister in order to protect a
malefactor or to hide a scandal.
3. “I want some money," the fellow whispered, once again, giving me one of those false
smiles
4. ... when peace abounds it can easily be taken for granted, but when interfered with or
disrupted, it is very difficult to restore.
5. ... because, rather than discard his tribal argument, he reiterated it

TYPES OF MEANINGS IN ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

COMMONLY (BUT EXAMPLE

NOT EXCLUSIVELY)
USED SUBORDINATOR
1 TIME (with finite clauses)after, 1. ... but it all came about when I thought I had a lot of time ..
as, once, since, until 2. You never examine any patient while standing on the left
when, while, side of the bed
(with –ing clauses) as 3. She spent months typing while cooped in prison.
once, until, when, 4. I awoke one morning to find the house in an uproar
whenever, whilst 5. Tell me after I’ve eaten my dinner.
(with –ed clauses) as soon 6. She wrote to me when she arrived in Oxford.
as, once, till, until, when,
while, whenever, whilst
with to- clauses : emphasis
on end -result
(for temporal sequences)
before, now that, no
sooner than, once,
during which time,
2 PLACE where, wherever 7. Where the fire had been we saw nothing but blackened ruins
subordinators common to 8. They went wherever they could find work
time and place adjuncts: 9. Take the right lane when the road splits in two
when, until, as, just after, 10. The road stops just after it goes under a bridge.

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 once 11. We are celebrating our silver wedding this year
3 CONDIT if, unless, in case, as long 12. If you put the baby down, she’ll scream. (direct condition)
ION as, given that, provided 13. His style is florid, if that’s the right word. (indirect
that, supposing that condition)
assuming that 14. In case you want me, I’ll be in my office till 2pm
15. If Colin is in London, he is undoubtedly staying at the
Hilton. (open conditional)
16. If you had listened to me, you wouldn’t have made so many
mistakes (hypothetical conditional)
17. If they are terrorists, I’m the pope. (Rhetorical conditional)
18. If you believe that you will believe anything (rhetorical
conditional)
4 CONCE although, though, even if, 19. He’s getting married whether he gets a job or not
SSION if (in the sense of even if, 20. Its possible if difficult
or even though) , while, 21. It was an exciting game although no goals were scored.
whereas, Whether or not
(exhaustive condition)
5 CONTR whereas, while, whilst 22. Mr Larson teaches physics while Mr. Corby teaches
AST chemistry
6 EXCEPT but that, except, except 23. I would pay you now except that I don’t have any money on
ION that, only, save, save that me.
24. Nothing would satisfy the child but that I place her on my
lap
25. I would have asked you only my mother told me not to.
7. REASO because, since, as, for 26. We had to hide in the banana plantation at night because we
N were going to be beaten up
27. Since the weather has improved, the game will be held as
planned.
28. As Jane was the eldest, she looked after the others.
29. Drive carefully because it is snowing.
8 PURPOS (finite subordinate clauses) 30. Peter was playing to win
E to, so that, so, in order 31. They had to take some of his land so that they could extend
that ( non-finite) in order the churchyard.
to, so as to
9 RESULT so, so that 32. My suitcase had become so damaged on the journey home
that the lid would not stay closed.
33. We paid him immediately so he left contented
10 PREFER rather than, sooner than 34. Rather than go by air, I’d take the slowest train
ENCE 35. They’ll fight to the finish sooner than surrender
11 COMME as you know, to be 36. There were no other applicants, I believe, for the job
NT honest, I believe, 37. I’m working the night shift, as you know.
speaking as a layman, 38. What was more upsetting, we lost our luggage (rel, clause)
stated bluntly, in other 39. I’m not sure what to do, to be honest (to-infin. clause)
words
12 MANNE as, as if, as though, 40. I was never allowed to do things the way I wanted to do
R them.
41. She’s acting like she really doesn’t like him
42. He speaks as though he were the boss.

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Section III- THE VERB IN SUBORDINATE CLAUSES
(From A Student’s Grammar of the English Language by Quirk and Greenbaum, pp 292 – 303)

A. The Present Tense in Adverbial and Content Clauses

In many temporal, conditional and concessional clauses, the simple present is preferred
instead of the modals will or shall for making references to the future.
When she arrives, the band will play the National Anthem
While I am away the children will look after the house
Whether or not they win this battle, they won’t win the war
Whatever they say, I won’t pay.

B. The hypothertical Past and hypothetical past perfect

Verbs in hypothetical conditionals are backshifted. That is, past tense form is used for the
present and future time reference, and the past perfect form for past reference, The general rules
for verbs in conditionals is given below:

Name of conditional IF- Clause Main clause Situation Example

Verb verb
REAL-Factual present present Generally true If Tom wants something he just
“ZERO” or OPEN goes out and buys it.
REAL- factual past Past Generally true If you wanted something in the
past, you saved for it
REAL- predictive present Present Likely If he runs he’ll catch the bus
“FIRST“ modal
UNREAL- past Past modal Unlikely If I had a car, I’d lend it to you
hypothetical
“SECOND“
UNREAL- Past Past modal Impossible If I had called Jack before, he
counterfactual - perfect perfect would have helped
hypothetical
(THIRD)
UNREAL- subjunctiv Past modal Impossible If I were a carpenter, would
counterfactual - e you…
hypothetical
(THIRD)

All conditionals used for :

• restating,
• contrasting,
• listing alternatives,
• giving examples

C. Present and Past Subjunctive

In American English the present subjunctive is used in content clauses even if the matrix
verb is past, after verbs, adjectives or nouns that express necessity, plan or intention for
the future.
Eg.

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43. Congress has voted that the present law be maintained (AM Engl)
44. Congress has voted that the present law should be maintained (Br. Engl)
45. We insisted that he leave at once (more common in Am E)
46. We insisted that he left at once (more common in Br E)
47. It is essential that a meeting be convened this week (AmE)
48. It is essential that the meeting is convened this week (Br E)

The past (or were) subjunctive is used in formal styles in hypothetical conditional clauses and
other constructions where there is a hypothetical meaning.
Eg.
49. I wish she were married
50. If only I were not so nervous
51. I’d rather I were in bed
52. Suppose he were lost.

D. Putative SHOULD

Should is used extensively (esp. in Br. Eng.) in content clauses to convey the sense of a
“putative” situation, ie.e one which is recognized as existing or coming into existence. Compare:
Eg.
53. I’m surprised that he should feel lonely
54. I’m surprised that he feels.

In the first sentence The loneliness is being questioned, but in the second, it is accepted as a fact.
More examples that illustrate the non-factuality of the putative should are:
Eg.
55. I prefer that she should drive
56. It worries me that their only child should travel alone
57. I’m anxious that I shouldn’t be in the way.

E: The Perfect with SINCE in adverbial clauses of time

In adverbial clauses of time with SINCE, the matrix clause generally requires the present perfect
if the stretch of time referred to includes the present. The verb in the since clause can be in the
past or present perfect
Eg.
58. I have lost ten pounds since I started swimming
59. Since leaving home, Larry has written to his parents just once.
60. Derek hasn’t stopped talking since he arrived.

The present perfect is used in both matrix and subordinate clause when the since clause refers to
a time upto the present:
Eg.
61. Max has been tense since he has been taking drugs.
62. I’ve had a dog, ever since I’ve owned a house.

When the whole period is set in past time, the past perfect or simple past is used in both clauses
Eg.
63. Since the country (had) achieved independence, it (had) revised its constitution twice

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F. The Perfect With other adverbial clauses of time

When an after-clause or when-clause refers to a sequence of two past events, the verb in the
adverbial time clause may be in the past perfect though it is more commonly in the simple past.
64. We ate our meals after /when we returned / had returned from the game. (all forms
mean roughly the same thing)

There may be a contrast in meaning if when-is the subordinator and the when clause expresses
duration.
Eg.
65. They walked out when I gave the lecture (i.e as soon as I started giving the lecture)
66. They walked out when I had given the lecture (i.e. after I finished giving the lecture).

The present perfect is common in adverbial clauses of time and condition when the clauses
refer to a sequence of future events.
67. When they’ve scored their next goal, we’ll go home
68. As soon as I have retired, I’ll buy a cottage in the country
69. After they have left, we can smoke
70. If I’ve completed my essay by this afternoon, I’ll call you.

In all these cases (68- 71) we could also use the simple present in the subordinate clause.