ADVERBIAL CLAUSES

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In the examples in this article, the verbs are shown underlined and the adverbial clauses are shown in bold type.

The subject of words describing actions (adverbs) is traditionally divided into –

1. Descriptions using one word, such as –

loudly, quietly, rapidly, slowly, happily, silently, carefully,  or

2. Descriptions using whole groups of words

that relate to the action but do not obviously describe it. These are called adverbial clauses.

Examples of adverbial clauses are –

1)    She ran as if the devil were at her back.

2)   He ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

3)  You can call me whenever you feel like it.

4)  However charming you may be, I don’t like your face.

Does it help you to be told by text books that these are ‘adverbial clauses’ which can be sub-divided into clauses of ‘purpose’, of ‘cause’, of ‘condition’?  No – and it didn’t help me when I learned English over fifty years ago either.

I don’t believe that anyone – including English-speaking people – can learn English by studying these ancient ways of describing the use of ordinary English words.

This kind of sentence analysis gives much more information than we need

and, even if it is accurate, IT IS NOT HELPFUL.

Do not be intimidated or worried by these ‘adverbial clauses’ in textbooks. You do not need them.

And remember, it is not necessary to use a word describing action; the action might be enough. Consider, for example –

‘The lion ate the man.’ Does that sentence need anything else?

The topic is also about translation – you can use adverbs of place, quantity, degree and so on without even knowing that they ARE adverbs.

That is what native English speakers do naturally; they are not usually conscious of all these rules.

Your dictionary will give you the correct word and all you have to do is place it correctly in the sentence.

You should not try to memorize these examples as a list; read this note more than once and when you are reading English try to pick out examples of adverbs in action.

Please see -

Adverbs Introduction

Adverbs in Use

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By the way – have you read our article A Tale of Two Cities?