English Grammar-adverbial Clauses

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 SVOC- 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. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

MANNER PLACE TIME DURATION FREQUENCY DEGREE PURPOSE RESULT CONDITION CONCESSION

He drove quite recklessly. They have breakfast in bed. I saw her last week. We lived in London for five years. She telephones her mother every Sunday. We very much enjoyed your last novel. / checked all the doors to make sure they were shut. It rained all day, with the result that they couldn 't work. If it rains the match will be postponed. 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

1

TIME

2

PLACE

COMMONLY (BUT EXAMPLE NOT EXCLUSIVELY) USED SUBORDINATOR (with finite clauses)after, 1. ... but it all came about when I thought I had a lot of time .. 2. You never examine any patient while standing on the left as, once, since, until side of the bed when, while, (with –ing clauses) as 3. She spent months typing while cooped in prison. 4. I awoke one morning to find the house in an uproar once, until, when, 5. Tell me after I’ve eaten my dinner. whenever, whilst (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, 7. Where the fire had been we saw nothing but blackened ruins where, wherever subordinators common to 8. They went wherever they could find work 9. Take the right lane when the road splits in two time and place adjuncts: when, until, as, just after, 10. The road stops just after it goes under a bridge. 2

3

CONDIT ION

4

CONCE SSION

5

CONTR AST EXCEPT ION

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once if, unless, in case, as long as, given that, provided that, supposing that assuming that

although, though, even if, if (in the sense of even if, or even though) , while, whereas, Whether or not (exhaustive condition) whereas, while, whilst but that, except, except that, only, save, save that

7.

REASO N

because, since, as, for

8

PURPOS E

9

RESULT

(finite subordinate clauses) to, so that, so, in order that ( non-finite) in order to, so as to so, so that

10 PREFER ENCE 11 COMME NT

12 MANNE R

rather than, sooner than as you know, to be honest, I believe, speaking as a layman, stated bluntly, in other words as, as if, as though,

11. We are celebrating our silver wedding this year 12. If you put the baby down, she’ll scream. (direct condition) 13. His style is florid, if that’s the right word. (indirect condition) 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) 19. He’s getting married whether he gets a job or not 20. Its possible if difficult 21. It was an exciting game although no goals were scored.

22. Mr Larson teaches physics while Mr. Corby teaches chemistry 23. I would pay you now except that I don’t have any money on 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. 26. We had to hide in the banana plantation at night because we 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. 30. Peter was playing to win 31. They had to take some of his land so that they could extend the churchyard. 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 34. Rather than go by air, I’d take the slowest train 35. They’ll fight to the finish sooner than surrender 36. There were no other applicants, I believe, for the job 37. I’m working the night shift, as you know. 38. What was more upsetting, we lost our luggage (rel, clause) 39. I’m not sure what to do, to be honest (to-infin. clause) 40. I was never allowed to do things the way I wanted to do 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 REAL-Factual “ZERO” or OPEN REAL- factual REAL- predictive “FIRST“ UNREALhypothetical “SECOND“ UNREALcounterfactual hypothetical (THIRD) UNREALcounterfactual hypothetical (THIRD)

IF- Clause Verb present

Main clause verb present

Situation

Example

Generally true

past

Past

Generally true

present

Likely

past

Present modal Past modal

If Tom wants something he just goes out and buys it. If you wanted something in the past, you saved for it If he runs he’ll catch the bus

Unlikely

If I had a car, I’d lend it to you

Past perfect

Past modal perfect

Impossible

If I had called Jack before, he would have helped

subjunctiv e

Past modal

Impossible

If I were a carpenter, would you…

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. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.

Congress has voted that the present law be maintained (AM Engl) Congress has voted that the present law should be maintained (Br. Engl) We insisted that he leave at once (more common in Am E) We insisted that he left at once (more common in Br E) It is essential that a meeting be convened this week (AmE) 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 5

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.

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