Adjective or Adverb - Which to

Use?
by Kenneth Beare

Updated January 24, 2018

Adjectives and adverbs are parts of speech and are used to provide additional
information about other words. Adjectives and adverbs are also known
as content words — words that provide important information in sentences.
Sometimes students are not sure when to use an adverb or an adjective. This
short guide provides an overview and rules to using both adjectives and
adverbs.

Adjectives

Adjectives modify nouns and can be used a few different ways in a sentence.
In their most simple form, adjectives are placed directly before a noun:
 Tom is an excellent singer.
 I bought a comfortable chair.
 She's thinking about buying a new house.
Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb "to be". In this
case, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence:
 Jack is happy.
 Peter was very tired.
 Mary'll be excited when you tell her.
Adjectives are used with sense verbs or verbs of appearance (feel, taste,
smell, sound, appear and seem) to modify the noun which comes before the
verb:
 The fish tasted awful.
 Did you see Peter? He seemed very upset.
 I'm afraid the meat smelled rotten.
Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They are easily

recognized because they end in "-ly" (with a few exceptions, of course!):
 Adjective --> careful / Adverb --> carefully
 Adjective --> quick / Adverb --> quickly
Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb:
 Jack drove carelessly.
 Tom played the match effortlessly.
 Jason complained about his classes constantly.
Adverbs are used to modify adjectives:
 They seemed extremely satisfied.
 She paid increasingly high prices.
 I was suddenly surprised by Alice.
Adverbs are also used to modify other adverbs:
 The people in the line moved incredibly quickly.
 She wrote the report unusually neatly.

More Adjective and Adverb Help

 Adjectives Explained
 Adjective Order
 Adverbs Explained
 Adverb Clauses
 Adverbs of Frequency

How to Use Adjectives

by Kenneth Beare

Updated April 03, 2017

An adjective describes how something 'is'. For this reason, we often use the verb 'to
be' when using adjectives. Adjectives are used to describe nouns. Example: He is
a good doctor. They Rule: Adjectives describe nouns. Here are two types of
sentences we use with adjectives.

Subject + To be + Adjective
Tom is shy.
Alice is happy.

Subject + Verb + Adjective + Noun

That is a big building!
Peter has a fast car.
The adjective is always invariable.
Example: beautiful trees, they are happy
Be careful!
 Adjectives don't have a singular and plural form OR a masculine, feminine and
neutral form.

 Adjectives are always the same! Never add a final -s to an adjective.

 Adjectives can also be placed at the end of a sentence if they describe the subject of
a sentence.

Example: My doctor is excellent.

NOT!!: difficults books
Rule: Adjectives are placed before the noun.
Example: a wonderful book very interesting people
Be careful!
 Don't place an adjective after the noun

Adjective Placement Patterns for

English Learners
by Kenneth Beare
Updated March 17, 2017
Adjectives describe nouns. Often, writers use only one adjective to describe a noun
either by placing the adjective in front of the noun or by using a stative verb and
placing the adjective at the end of the sentence. Such as: He's an interesting
person. OR Jane is very tired. In other cases, more than one adjective might be
used. Sometimes, three or even more adjectives are used! In this case, the
adjectives need to follow a pattern based on the category type of the adjective.
For example,
He's an excellent, older, Italian teacher.
I bought a huge, round, wooden table.
Sometimes, more than one adjective is used to describe a noun. In this case,
English speakers use a specific adjective order when placing each adjective. Each
adjective is separated by a comma. For example:
He drives a big, expensive, German car.
Her employer is an interesting, old, Dutch man.
When using more than one adjective to describe a noun place the adjectives in the
following order before the noun.
NOTE: We usually use no more than three adjectives preceding a noun.
1. Opinion
Example: an interesting book, a boring lecture
2. Dimension
Example: a big apple, a thin wallet
3. Age
Example: a new car, a modern building, an ancient ruin
4. Shape
Example: a square box, an oval mask, a round ball
5. Color
Example: a pink hat, a blue book, a black coat
6. Origin
Example: some Italian shoes, a Canadian town, an American car
7. Material
Example: a wooden box, a woolen sweater, a plastic toy
Here are some examples of nouns modified with three adjectives in the correct
order based on the list above. Notice that the adjectives are not separated by
commas.
 A wonderful old Italian clock. (opinion - age - origin)
 A big square blue box. (dimension - shape - color)
  A disgusting pink plastic ornament. (opinion - color - material)
 Some slim new French trousers. (dimension - age - origin)
Check your understanding of adjective placement with the following quiz on the
next page.
Place the three adjectives in the correct order before the noun. When you have
decided on the correct order, click through to the next page to see if you have
answered correctly.
 book interesting - small - Spanish
 picture modern - ugly - rectangular
 opinion old - boring - American
 apple ripe - green - delicious
 suit woolen - large - black
 house beautiful - modern - small
 magazine German - slender - strange
 cap cotton - funny - green
Explanation of adjective placement
 book interesting - small - Spanish
ANSWER: an interesting small Spanish book
 picture modern - ugly - rectangular
ANSWER: an ugly modern rectangular picture
 opinion old - boring - American
ANSWER: a boring old American opinion
 apple ripe - green - delicious
ANSWER: a delicious ripe green apple
 suit woolen - large - black
ANSWER: a large black woolen suit
 house beautiful - modern - small
ANSWER: a beautiful small modern house
 magazine German - slender - strange
 ANSWER: a strange slender German magazine
 cap cotton - funny - green
ANSWER: a funny green cotton cap
If you had problems, make sure to go back to the first page and read through the
explanation of adjective placement again.

Using Adverbs
by Kenneth Beare

Updated April 05, 2017

Understand using adverbs in order to describe how, when, or where

something happens. Here are explanations of each:

Adverb of Manner: How Something is Done

Adverbs of manner tell us how something is done. Adverbs of manner are

usually placed at the end of sentence or before the main verb:
Tom drives quickly.
She slowly opened the door.
Mary waited for him patiently.

Adverb of Time: When something is done

Adverbs of time tell us when / at what time something is done.

Adverbs of time are usually placed at the end of a sentence. They can also be
used at the beginning of a sentence followed by a comma.
The meeting is next week.
Yesterday, we decided to take a walk.
I've already bought my tickets to the concert.
Here are some of the most common adverbs of time: yet, already, yesterday,
tomorrow, next week/month/year, last week/month/year, now, ago. These
are used with other time expressions such as days of the week.

Adverb of Place: Where something is done.

Adverbs of place tell us where something is done. Adverbs of place are

usually placed at the end of a sentence, but they can also follow the verb.
I decided to rest over there.
She'll wait for you in the room downstairs.
Peter walked above me upstairs.
Adverbs of place can be confused with prepositional phrases such as in the
doorway, at the shop. Prepositional phrases tell us where something is, but
adverbs of place can tell us where something occurs.

Adverbs of Frequency: How often Something is Done

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something is repeatedly done. They

include: usually, sometimes, never, often, rarely, etc. Place adverbs of
frequency directly before the main verb.
She rarely goes to parties.
I often read a newspaper.
He usually gets up at six o'clock.
Exceptions
 Adverbs of frequency expressing infrequency are not used in the
negative or question form.
 Some adverbs of frequency are sometimes placed at the beginning of a
sentence. The most common of include 'sometimes' and 'often'.
Sometimes, I enjoy staying at home instead of going on
vacation.Often, Peter will telephone his mother before he leaves for
work.
 Adverbs of frequency follow - come after - the verb 'to be'.
He is sometimes late for work.I am often confused by computers.

Forming Adverbs from Adjectives

Rule: Adverbs are often formed by adding -ly to an adjective

Example: beautiful - beautifully, careful - carefully
Exceptions
 Some adjectives don't change in the adverb form. The most important
of these are: fast - fast, hard - hard
 Good is probably the most important exception. The adverb form of
'good' is 'well'.
He speaks English well.Tom plays tennis very well.
Rule: Adverbs can also modify an adjective. In this case, the adverb is
placed before the adjective.
She is extremely happy.
They are absolutely sure.
Exceptions
Do not use 'very' with adjectives that express an increased quality of a basic
adjective
Example: good - fantastic
She is an absolutely fantastic piano player.
Mark is a very good public speaker. In fact, he is an absolutely amazing
lecturer.

Using Adverb Clauses with Time

Expressions
by Kenneth Beare

Updated July 05, 2017

Adverb clauses provide additional information about how something is done.

They are much like adverbs in that they tell the
reader when, why or how someone did something. All clauses contain a
subject and a verb, adverb clauses are introduced by subordinating
conjunctions. For example,
Tom helped the student with the homework because he didn't
understand the exercise.
... because he didn't understand the exercise explains why Tom helped and is
an adverb clause.
Begin by studying adverb clauses which are often called "time clauses" in
English grammar books and follow specific patterns.

Punctuation

When an adverb clause begins the sentence, use a comma to separate the two
clauses. Example: As soon as he arrives, we will have some lunch. When the
adverb clause finishes the sentence, there is no need for a comma. Example:
He gave me a call when he arrived in town.
Adverb Clauses with Time

When
 He was talking on the phone when I arrived.
 When she called, he had already eaten lunch.
 I washed the dishes when my daughter fell asleep.
 We'll go to lunch when you come to visit.
'When' means 'at that moment, at that time, etc.'. Notice the different tenses
used in relationship to the clause beginning with when. It is important to
remember that 'when' takes either the simple past OR the present -
the dependent clause changes tense in relation to the 'when' clause.
Before
 We will finish before he arrives.
 She (had) left before I telephoned.
'Before' means 'before that moment'. It is important to remember that
'before' takes either the simple past OR the present.
After
 We will finish after he comes.
 She ate after I (had) left.
'After' means 'after that moment'. It is important to remember that 'after'
takes the present for future events and the past OR past perfect for past
events.
While, as
 She began cooking while I was finishing my homework.
 As I was finishing my homework, she began cooking.
While' and 'as' are both usually used with the past continuous because the
meaning of 'during that time' indicates an action in progress.
By the time
 By the time he finished, I had cooked dinner.
 We will have finished our homework by the time they arrive.
'By the time' expresses the idea that one event has been completed before
another. It is important to notice the use of the past perfect for past events
and future perfect for future events in the main clause. This is because of the
idea of something happening up to another point in time.
Until, till
 We waited until he finished his homework.
 I'll wait till you finish.
'Until' and 'till' express 'up to that time'. We use either the simple present or
simple past with 'until' and 'till'. 'Till' is usually only used in spoken English.
Since
 I have played tennis since I was a young boy.
 They have worked here since 1987.
'Since' means 'from that time'. We use the present perfect (continuous) with
'since'. 'Since' can also be used with a specific point in time.
As soon as
 He will let us know as soon as he decides (or as soon as he has
decided).
 As soon as I hear from Tom, I will give you a telephone call.
'As soon as' means 'when something happens - immediately afterwards'. 'As
soon as' is very similar to 'when' it emphasizes that the event will occur
immediately after the other. We usually use the simple present for future
events, although present perfect can also be used.
Whenever, every time
 Whenever he comes, we go to have lunch at "Dick's".
 We take a hike every time he visits.
'Whenever' and 'every time' mean 'each time something happens'. We use the
simple present (or the simple past in the past) because 'whenever' and 'every
time' express habitual action.
The first, second, third, fourth etc., next, last time
 The first time I went to New York, I was intimidated by the city.
 I saw Jack the last time I went to San Francisco.
  The second time I played tennis, I began to have fun.
The first, second, third, fourth etc., next, last time means 'that specific time'.
We can use these forms to be more specific about which time of a number of
times something happened.

More Adverb Clauses You Might Be Interested In:

 Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions

 Adverb Clauses with Expressions of Cause and Effect
 How to Reduce Adverbial Clauses
These type of clauses show an unexpected or non self-evident result based on
the dependent clause. Example: He bought the car even though it was
expensive. Take a look at the chart below to study the various usages of
adverb clauses showing opposition.
Punctuation
When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two
clauses. Example: Even though the it was expensive, he bought the car..
When the adverb clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a
comma. Example: He bought the car even though it was expensive.
For more information about how to use these words click on the link for an
explanation of the usage.
Adverb Clauses Showing Opposition
Even though, though, although

 Even though it was expensive, he bought the car.

 Though he loves doughnuts, he has given them up for his diet.
 Although he course was difficult, he passed with the highest marks.
Notice how 'though, even though' or 'although' show a situation which is
contrary to the main clause to express opposition. Even though, though and
although are all synonyms.
Whereas, while

 Whereas you have lots of time to do your homework, I have very little
time indeed.
  Mary is rich, while I am poor.
'Whereas' and 'while' show clauses in direct opposition to each other. Notice
that you should always use a comma with 'whereas' and 'while'.
More Adverb Clauses
 Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions
 Adverb Clauses to Show Opposition
 Using Adverb Clauses to Express Conditions
 Adverb Clauses with Expressions of Cause and Effect
These type of clauses are often called "if clauses" in English grammar books
and follow conditional sentence patterns. Take a look at the chart below to
study the various usage of different time expressions.
Punctuation
When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two
clauses. Example: If he comes, we will have some lunch.. When the adverb
clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a comma.
Example: He would have invited me if he had known.
If
 If we win, we'll go to Kelly's to celebrate!
 She would buy a house, if she had enough money.
'If' clauses express the conditions necessary for the result. If clauses are
followed by expected results based on the condition. More information on
the correct tense usage for the conditionals
Even if
 Even if she saves a lot, she won't be able to afford that house.
In contrast to sentences with 'if' sentences with 'even if' show a result that is
unexpected based on the condition in the 'even if'
clause. Example: COMPARE: If she studies hard, she will pass the exam
AND Even if she studies hard, she won't pass the exam.
Whether or not
 They won't be able to come whether or not they have enough money.
  Whether they have money or not, they won't be able to come.
'Whether or not' expresses the idea that neither one condition or another
matters; the result will be the same.
Notice the possibility of inversion (Whether they have money or not) with
'whether or not'.
Unless
 Unless she hurries up, we won't arrive in time.
 We won't go unless he arrives soon.
'Unless' expresses the idea of 'if not' Example: Unless she hurries up, we
won't arrive in time. MEANS THE SAME AS: If she doesn't hurry up, we
won't arrive in time.
'Unless' is only used in the first conditional.
In case (that), in the event (that)
 In the case you need me, I'll be at Tom's.
 I'll be studying upstairs in the event he calls.
'In case' and 'in the event' usually mean that you don't expect something to
happen, but if it does... Both are used primarily for future events.
Only if
 We'll give you your bicycle only if you do well on your exams.
 Only if you do well on your exams will we give you your bicycle.
'Only if' means 'only in the case that something happens - and only if'. This
form basically means the same as 'if'. However, it does stress the condition
for the result. Note that when 'only if' begins the sentence you need to invert
the main clause.
More Adverb Clauses
 Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions
 Adverb Clauses to Show Opposition
 Using Adverb Clauses to Express Conditions
 Adverb Clauses with Expressions of Cause and Effect
These type of clauses explain the reasons for what happens in the main
clause. Example: He bought a new home because he got a better job.. Take
a look at the chart below to study the various usages of different expressions
of cause and effect. Note that all of these expressions are synonyms of
'because'.
Punctuation
When an adverb clause begins the sentence use a comma to separate the two
clauses. Example: Because he had to work late, we had dinner after nine
o'clock..
When the adverb clause finishes the sentence there is no need for a
comma. Example: We had dinner after nine o'clock because he had to
work late.
For more information about how to use these words click on the link for an
explanation of the usage.
Adverb Clauses of Cause and Effect
Because
 They received a high mark on their exam because they had studied
hard.
 I'm studying hard because I want to pass my exam.
 He works a lot of overtime because his rent is so expensive
Notice how because can be used with a variety of tenses based on the time
relationship between the two clauses.
Since
 Since he loves music so much, he decided to go to a conservatory.
 They had to leave early since their train left at 8.30.
'Since' means the same as because. 'Since' tends to be used in more informal
spoken English. Important note: "Since" when used as a conjunction is
typically used to refer to a period of time, while "because" implies a cause or
reason.
As long as
 As long as you have the time, why don't you come for dinner?
'As long as' means the same as because. 'As long as' tends to be used in more
informal spoken English.
As
 As the test is difficult, you had better get some sleep.
'As' means the same as because. 'As' tends to be used in more formal, written
English.
Inasmuch as
 Inasmuch as the students had succesfully completed their exams, their
parents rewarded their efforts by giving them a trip to Paris.
'Inasmuch as' means the same as because. 'Inasmuch as' is used in very
formal, written English.
Due to the fact that
 We will be staying for an extra week due to the fact that we have not
yet finished.
'Due to the fact that' means the same as because. 'Due to the fact that' is
generally used in very formal, written English.
More Adverb Clauses
 Adverb Clauses with Time Expressions
 Adverb Clauses to Show Opposition
 Using Adverb Clauses to Express Conditions
 Adverb Clauses with Expressions of Cause and Effect

Adverbs of Frequency Sentence

Placement
by Kenneth Beare

Updated January 25, 2018

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens/is the case,

happened/was the case, will happen/will be the case, etc.
There are lots of them. Here are some examples:
  always - Peter is always getting into trouble.

 usually - They usually get their work done on time.

 frequently - My sister frequently goes shopping in Seattle.

 rarely - They rarely ask questions about the homework.

The most common adverbs of frequency in English in order from most often to
least often:
 always - He always does his homework.

 usually - They usually complete the work on time.

 often - I often watch movies online.

 sometimes - Jack sometimes comes over for dinner.

 occasionally - She occasionally asks a question.

 rarely - They rarely have any homework.

 never - I never complain at work.

Where do adverbs of frequency come in the sentence?

Word order can be confusing with adverbs of frequency. Here are different rules for
placement in sentences.
1. If the sentence has one verb in it (e.g. no auxiliary verb) we usually put the
adverb in the middle of the sentence, i.e. after the subject and before the verb:
subject / adverb / verb / predicate
 Tom usually goes to work by car.

 Mary often asks me for help.

2. The adverb usually comes after the verb "be":

subject / verb / adverb / predicate
 Tom is often late.

 Anne isn't usually sick.

 Peter isn't always right.

This is not the case if we put the adverb at the beginning or end of the sentence for
emphasis.
This rule also does not apply to short answers:
 Is she usually on time?
  Tell her not to be late.

 Yes, she usually is.

 She never is.

The rule is broken in other cases too, e.g.

Conversation 1
 Speaker A: What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?

 Speaker B: I normally am at school at this time, but my teacher is ill.

Conversation 2
 Speaker A: You're late again!

 Speaker B: usually am late on Mondays because the traffic is so bad.

Conversation 3
 Speaker A: Tom is late again!

 Speaker B: Tom usually is late.

3. If the sentence has more than one verb in it (e.g. auxiliary verb) we usually put
the adverb after the first part of the verb:
subject / helping verb or modal / adverb / main verb / predicate
 I can never remember his name.

 Anne doesn't usually smoke.

 The children have often complained about the playground facilities.

Exception:
In sentences with "have to" the adverb is in position A:
subject / adverb / have to / main verb / predicate
 We often have to wait for the bus.

 She never has to do any housework.

 They sometimes have to stay after class.

4. For emphasis we can put the adverb at the beginning or end of the sentence.
At the end is unusual - we usually only put it there when we have forgotten to put it
in earlier.
adverb / subject / main verb / predicate
  Sometimes we go to school by bus.

 Often he waits for her after class.

 Usually Peter arrives early for work.

or
subject / main verb / predicate / adverb
 We go to school by bus sometimes.

 They like to watch TV often.

 Jennifer busy a new car rarely.

Exceptions to the Rule:

"Always" can't go at the beginning or end of the sentence.
"Never", "seldom", "rarely" can't go at the end of a sentence. They only go at the
beginning of a sentence in "polemic statements". Then they have to be followed by
the word order for questions:
 Never has there been a better time to overcome our differences.

 Rarely do we have an opportunity like this.

 Seldom had the orchestra given a worse performance.

5. When using adverbs of frequency in the question form, put the adverb before the
main verb.
auxiliary verb / subject / adverb / main verb / predicate
 Do you often go to the cinema?

 Did he sometimes leave the classroom?

 Do they usually come late to class?

Exceptions:
"Never", "seldom", "rarely" and other adverbs of frequency with a negative sense
are not usually used in the question form.
6. When using adverbs of frequency in the negative form, put the adverb before the
main verb.
subject / helping verb / adverb / main verb / predicate
 They don't often go to the cinema.

 She doesn't usually wait for an answer.

  Peter doesn't normally want to come with us.

Exceptions:
"Never", "seldom", "rarely" and other adverbs of frequency with a negative sense
are not usually used in the negative form.

Adverbs or Adjectives? Confusing

English
by Kenneth Beare

Updated September 28, 2017

Adverbs and adjectives are important parts of speech. Adjectives describe how
something is or appears, while adverbs describe how, where or when something is
done. Here are some examples for review:
Adjectives:
 They live in an expensive mansion on the hill.

 The students took the difficult test.

 My father watched a boring film.

Adverbs:
 Tom drove the car very quickly.

 I told the students to do their homework carefully.

 Anna walked home slowly.

How Are Adjectives Used?

Adjectives are usually placed before the nouns they modify or at the end of a
sentence with a stative verb.
Before the noun:
 It's a beautiful house.

 She has an expressive voice.

Adjectives can also be placed at the end of sentence with a stative verb. Stative
verbs are verbs that express a state rather than an action. These include: be,
appear, feel, seem, etc.
 Tom is really intelligent.
  The children are impatient.

How Are Adverbs Used?

Adverbs of manner are often placed at the end of a phrase.
 Mary drove her car quickly towards the city.

 I ate my breakfast quickly and went to work.

Adverbs of frequency are usually placed before the verb.

 We don't often take vacations abroad.

 Peter sometimes goes bowling in the evening.

Confusing Adjectives and Adverbs

As you may have noticed, adverbs often end in "-ly". In fact, you can often change
an adjective into an adverb by simply adding "-ly".
For example, slow - slowly, careful - carefully, patient - patiently
He drove a slow car. -> He drove the car slowly.
She's a very careful student. -> She does her work very carefully.
That patient man has been waiting in line for two hours. -> The man waited
patiently in line for two hours.
However, there are a number of adjectives that end in "-ly" which can be confusing.
Here are some of the most common:
 Chilly - It was a chilly afternoon in the country.

 Costly - He made a costly mistake.

 Cowardly - The cowardly man refused to help his neighbors.

 Curly - Alice has curly red hair.

 Deadly - The agent was not afraid to use deadly force.

 Friendly - There are many friendly people in Portland.

 Jolly - Peter's a very jolly fellow.

 Likely - I'm sure he's a likely candidate for the position.

 Lively - We'll have a lively evening and then spend the weekend relaxing on the
beach.

 Lonely - Some lonely people are not really lonely, but like being alone.

 Lovely - What a lovely surprise to see you again!

  Manly - Manly behavior has changed greatly compared to fifty years ago.

 Silly - The silly boy got in trouble for bothering the people with his laughter.

 Stately - The stately house sits upon a hillside.

 Ugly - The ugly dog is actually very nice.

 Unlikely - In the unlikely event of an emergency, the system will sound an alarm.

 Womanly - Her womanly figure attracted many a man.

Adjectives and Adverbs With the Same Form

There are a number of adjectives and adverbs that have the same form. The two
most common are "hard" and "fast."
 She had a hard time at school. - Adjective

 She works very hard at her job. - Adverb

 Jack has a fast car. - Adjective

 Anna ran to the store fast. - Adverb

Here are some of the more uncommon adjective/adverb words that are the same,
or can be used in informal English with the same meaning.
Clean
Alan is a very clean man. - Adjective
Make sure to play clean. No cheating allowed. - Adverb
Clear
He has a clear chance of winning the election. - Adjective
He drove clear to Los Angeles. - Adverb
Easy
He said it was an easy test. - Adjective
Please take it easy and relax. - Adverb
Fair
She has fair skin and blonde hair. - Adjective
Play fair and the most deserving will win. - Adverb
Just
He is a just man. - Adjective
I just missed the bus. - Adverb
Late
The late report speaks about problems in the south. - Adjective
Hurry up or you'll arrive late. - Adverb
Sharp
The sharp stick hurt his hand. - Adjective
Make sure to be there at eight o'clock sharp.
- Adjective

conditional sentence (grammar)

y Richard Nordquist

Updated March 07, 2017

Definition
In English grammar, a conditional sentence is a type of sentence that expresses one
situation (the condition, antecedent, or protasis in a dependent clause) as a
condition for the occurrence of another situation
(the result, consequent, or apodosis in the main clause). Put simply, the basic
structure underlying most conditional sentences can be expressed as, "If this, then
that." Also called a conditional construction or a conditional.
In the field of logic, a conditional sentence is sometimes referred to as
an implication.
A conditional sentence contains a conditional clause, which is a type of adverbial
clause usually (but not always) introduced by the subordinating conjunction if, as
in, "If I pass this course, I will graduate on time." The main clause in a conditional
sentence often includes the modal will, would, can, or could.
A subjunctive conditional is a conditional sentence in the subjunctive mood, such
as, "If he were to show up here right now, I'd tell him the truth."
See Examples and Observations below. Also see:
 Conditional Clause

 Concessive

 End Weight

 Inference

 Past Subjunctive

 Putative Should

 Subordinate Clause
  What Is a Sentence?

Examples and Observations

In each of the following examples, the italicized word group is a conditional clause.
The sentence as a whole is a conditional sentence.
 "If I ruled the world,
Every man would be as free as a bird,
Every voice would be a voice to be heard,
Take my word, we would treasure each day that occurred."
(Leslie Bricusse and Cyril Ornadel, "If I Ruled the World." Pickwick, 1963)

 "If I ruled the world, was king on the throne,

I'd make peace in every culture, build the homeless a home."
(Nasir Jones et al., "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)," 1995)

 "Now, if I had been that young woman, I would have planted my feet, looked those
men straight in the eye, and dared them to try to put me on board a ship when I
didn't want to go, but times were different then."
(Jennifer Chiaverini, The Quilter's Apprentice, 1999)

 "Even if she were to confide in them all her suspicions, even if she were to tell
them about the pills, even if she were to lead them to her locker at the Greyhound
Bus Terminal and actually present them with her bloodied dress and the stacks of
hundred-dollar bills, she would be regarded with skepticism and outright
disbelief."
(Joy Fielding, See Jane Run. William Morrow, 1991)

 "All this can be a dreadfully boring business, unless you think you have a future."
(Bernard Malamud, "The German Refugee," 1964)

 Conditional Clauses That Are Not Introduced by a Conjunction

- "It is possible to construct conditional clauses that do not begin with if or unless.
The commonest way of doing this is to begin the clause with one of these
words: were, should, had. For example:

Were I to own a new BMW car, another ten microcomputers would be at my

command, so their advertisements claim.

Should you succeed in becoming a planner, you would be helping to create these
parameters.

Had I ignored my fitness, I could never have played international cricket for twenty
years."
 (John Seely, Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation, rev. 2nd ed. Oxford
University Press, 2013)

- "Were I to take a turn into the country, the trees would present a leafless, wintry
appearance."
(Thomas Paine, winter 1792)

- "Let Domingo be my heir should I fail to return, I said to the House that
surrounded me."
(Jane Lindskold, Child of a Rainless Year. Tor Books, 2005)

- "Yet this strangest of all things that ever came to earth from outer space must
have fallen while I was sitting there, visible to me had I only looked up as it
passed."
(H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, 1897)

 Using the Past Perfect in Conditionals

"If the situations are set in the past, the past perfect is used in the conditional
clause and a past perfect modal, usually would have, in the main clause.

- If we had been there yesterday, we would have seen them. (But we were not there
yesterday.)
- If he had been given a good mark, he would have told me. (But it seems that he
was not given a good mark.)

"If the auxiliary in the conditional clause is were, had, or should, we can
omit ifand front the auxiliary:

- Were she here now, there would be no problem.

- Had we stayed at home, we would have met them.
- Should you see him, give him my best wishes."

(Sidney Greenbaum and Gerald Nelson, An Introduction to English Grammar, 2nd

ed. Pearson, 2002)

 Direct and Indirect Conditions

"Conditional clauses generally express a direct condition, indicating that the truth
of the host clause (or apodosis) is dependent on the fulfillment of the condition in
the conditional clause (or protasis). However, some conditional clauses may
express an indirect condition that is related to the speech act:

[18] And if I remember rightly you had jaundice didn't you ('if I remember rightly
it would be true to say')
[19] I mean if I told you honestly things can be really interesting [...]
[20] [. . .] I did need to have a need to say <,> that I was doing something because
uhm <,> otherwise I wouldn't be anybody if you see what I mean
 "Direct conditions may be either open (or real) or hypothetical (or closed or
unreal). Open conditions leave completely open whether the condition will be
fulfilled:

[21] You're going to have huge trouble <,> if you've infected me.

In [21] the speaker does not give any indication whether he or she believes that the
condition--the infection by the person addressed--has been fulfilled."
(Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996)

 Material Conditionals in Logic

"A material conditional expresses another type of connection, neither causal nor
logical yet similar to other types of conditionals in that it cannot be true if it has a
false consequent and a true antecedent. An example of a material conditional is

If humans live on Jupiter, then my great-grandmother was an astronaut.

Although no natural link connects the antecedent and consequent in this

conditional, its meaning is clear. The point of this sentence, and others like it in
English, is to emphasize that the antecedent is false. It is a way of expressing 'No
way is there human life on Jupiter.'

"Although material conditionals are often just humorous ways of stating that
something is false, we can draw from them a logically useful principle about
interpreting sentential connectives. In a material conditional, the 'if . . . then . . .'
that connects the component sentences is a truth-functional connective. This
means that the truth of the conditional sentence is determined completely by (is
a function of) the truth of its component sentences. The only circumstance under
which a material is false is when it has a true antecedent and a false consequent.
That is why the compound sentence 'If there's human life on Jupiter then my great-
grandmother was an astronaut' can be used to state the falsity of 'there is human
life on Jupiter.' The consequent of the conditional ('my great-grandmother was an
astronaut') is obviously false. Yet the sentence as a whole is understood as true. But
if the antecedent were true, then the conditional would be false, for it would have a
true antecedent and a false consequent. Thus, a material conditional of the
form If (antecedent), then(consequent) is true unless the antecedent is true and the
consequent is false."
(Merrilee H. Salmon, Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, 6th ed.
Wadsworth, Cengage, 2013)

What Is an Independent Clause in English?

by Richard Nordquist

Updated May 25, 2017

In English grammar, an independent clause is a group of words made up of

a subjectand a predicate. Unlike a dependent clause, an independent clause is
grammatically complete—that is, it can stand alone as a sentence. An independent
clause is also known as a main clause or a superordinate clause.
Two or more independent clauses can be joined with a coordinating
conjunction (such as and or but) to form a compound sentence.

Pronunciation
IN-dee-PEN-dent claws

Examples and Observations

 A clause is a group of words that [contains] a subject and a verb. There are two
major types: independent clauses and dependent clauses. An independent clause
can stand alone as a sentence, beginning with a capital letter and ending with
terminal punctuation such as a period. A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a
sentence; instead it must be attached to an independent clause."

(Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson, The Writer's Digest Grammar Desk
Reference. Writer's Digest Books, 2005)
 "The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe."

(H.L. Mencken, "The Beloved Turnkey." Baltimore Evening Sun, February

12, 1923)
 "In an era when the average man was about five feet tall, the new emperor stood
six feet four."

(Dale Evva Gelfand, Charlemagne. Chelsea House, 2003)

 "I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left me. I lived a few weekswhile
you loved me."

(Humphrey Bogart in the movie In a Lonely Place, 1950)

 "He was a stocky dark man who wore a snap-brim hat like George Raft. The next
morning he hung around the Store until we returned from church."

(Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969)
 "Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket."

(George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, 1936)

  "Her hat is a creation that will never go out of style; it will just look ridiculous year
after year."

(Attributed to comedian Fred Allen)

 "Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue
at the end."

(Sid Caesar, quoted by Karin Adir in The Great Clowns of Television.

McFarland, 1988)
 "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."

(Attributed to comedian Milton Berle)

 "Roy pulled the attic door open, with a mighty jerk, and father came down the
stairs, sleepy and irritable but safe and sound. My mother began to weepwhen she
saw him. Rex began to howl."

(James Thurber, "The Night the Bed Fell." My Life and Hard Times, Harper
& Brothers, 1933)
 "Quietly he entered the room at the top of the stairs. It was dark inside and he
walked with caution. After he had gone a few paces his toe struck something
hard and he reached down and felt for the handle of a suitcase on the floor."

(Carson McCullers, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Houghton Mifflin, 1940)

Independent Clauses, Subordinate Clauses, and Sentences

"An independent clause is one that is not dominated by anything else, and
a subordinate clause is a clause that is dominated by something else. A sentence, on
the other hand, can be made up of numerous independent and/or subordinate
clauses, so it can't really be defined in terms of the syntactic concept of clause."
(Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Navigating English Grammar: A Guide to
Analyzing Real Language. Wiley-Blackwell, 2014)

Exercises
 Exercise in Identifying Sentences by Structure

 Practice in Identifying Independent Clauses

 Practice in Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses