1. Students bracket the relative pronoun and underline the adjectival clause in each of the following sentences, for example:
Tomorrow I will ride my new BMX [that] I got for my birthday.
a. This competition, which is held twice a year, is for Under 12’s.
b. The trainer, who is my friend’s dad, was a champion.
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A c. The boys whom he is training now could be champions too.
d. My dad prefers tennis, which he still plays.
e. The farmer whose land we use often gives us apples.
2. Students add adjectival clauses to each of the following.
a. I bought a new guitar yesterday at our music store.
b. My sister plays a trumpet.
c. We have a music room to practise in.
d. We shall both play in the concert.
e. I have a new dress for the party.
3. Students add three adjectival clauses to the following sentence, each introduced with a different relative pronoun: who, which, whose, whom, that.
Gillian was sitting in the front row.
4. Students join the two sentences to make one, by using an adjectival clause.
a. The headmaster was angry. He glared at us over his spectacles.
b. He had seen us go down to the river. The river was out of bounds.
c. Benny started to cry. His father is very strict.
d. Mr Prophet said he was especially angry with Jack. He had given him detention last week.
e. I apologised about our bad behaviour. It was not very responsible.
5. Students analyse the following sentences, after they have written one up on the board, using the format shown in the examples on pages 162–3, 165.
a. We had a team of oxen that pulled the load of produce to the market.
b. My mother, who milked the cows, made butter and cheese.
c. This is the old churn that she used for making butter.
d. My father, whose horses are very old now, still rides occasionally.
e. That is the horse which used to win the races.
C
Checklist: adjectival clauses and relative pronouns
Students should now be able to:
• list the relative pronouns used to join adjectival clauses to nouns
• recognise and mark adjectival clauses in sentences or passages
• use relative pronouns correctly to form their own adjectival clauses
Adverbial clauses
There are more kinds of adverbial clauses than there are adverbial phrases, as their construction enables us to convey a greater variety of meaning. Although the kinds of clauses can often be recognised by the conjunction, such as if or because, used to join it to the rest of the sentence, this can be misleading and should not be relied on. Instead, we classify them by asking ourselves what kind of information the clause is intended to convey – what messages does the person being addressed get from the information?
By substituting the following suggested phrases, you can deter- mine the type of adverbial clause being used.
clause type Phrase
Time at the time that
Place at the place that
Reason because/for the reason that
Manner in the way that
Condition on the condition that
Result as a result
Purpose in order that
Concession in spite of the fact that Comparison (more) than
The word ‘as’ can make things tricky as it may introduce any of the following clauses:
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• My uncle arrived home as we were putting the tools away.
[adverbial clause of time]
• We were tired as we had worked hard all afternoon. [adverbial clause of reason]
• The shed was as clean as a whistle. [adverbial clause of comparison]
• Uncle Andy laid tea on the patio as he had been shown.
[adverbial clause of manner]
Below are examples of each kind of adverbial clause that can be used for both instruction and exercise. It is wise to teach only two or three kinds at a time, to avoid confusion.
Adverbial clause of time
This clause tells you more about the time that something happens.
My aunt jumped when she saw the spider.
at the time that
Finite verbs: jumped, saw Main clause: My Aunt jumped Conjunction (link): when
Subordinate clause: she saw the spider
Adverbial clause of time, modifying the verb ‘jumped’ in the main clause.
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of place
This clause tells you more about where something happens.
She swept the shed where the spiders were building webs.
in the place that
Finite verbs: swept, were building Main clause: she swept the shed Conjunction: where
Subordinate clause: the spiders were building webs
Adverbial clause of place, modifying the verb ‘swept’ in the main clause.
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of reason
This clause tells why something is done, or happens.
Bella screamed because a spider dropped on her arm.
for the reason that
Finite verbs: screamed, dropped Main clause: Bella screamed Conjunction: because
Subordinate clause: a spider dropped on her arm
Adverbial clause of reason, modifying the verb ‘screamed’ in the main clause.
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of manner
This clause tells you more about the way in which something is done.
I cleaned out the tool cupboard as she had shown me.
in the way that
Finite verbs: cleaned out, had shown
Main clause: I cleaned out the tool cupboard
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Conjunction: as
Subordinate clause: she had shown me
Adverbial clause of manner, modifying the verb ‘cleaned out’ in the main clause.
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of condition
Discuss the meaning of the word ‘condition’. This clause tells us something that may happen under certain conditions. Note also the use of the subjunctive mood.
You would need to go to hospital if you were bitten by a venomous spider.
in the case that
Finite verbs: would need, were bitten
Main clause: you would need to go to hospital Conjunction: if
Subordinate clause: you were bitten by a venomous spider Adverbial clause of condition, modifying the verb ‘would need’ in the main clause
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of result
This clause tells us something which happened as a result of another happening.
My sister likes insects, so she reads about them in the encyclopedia.
as a result
Finite verbs: likes, reads
Main clause: my sister likes insects
Conjunction: so
Subordinate clause: she reads about them in the encyclopedia
Adverbial clause of result, modifying the verb ‘likes’ in the main clause
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of purpose
This clause tells us why something is done.
She is working hard so that she can become an entomologist.
for the purpose that
Finite verbs: is working, can become Main clause: she is working hard Conjunction: so that
Subordinate clause: she can become an entomologist
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My sister likes insects so she reads about them in the encyclopedia.
Adverbial clause of purpose, modifying the verb ‘is working’ in the main clause
Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of concession
This clause tells you that something happened in spite of another occurrence.
Although I like insects I do not wish to study entomology.
in spite of the fact that
Finite verbs: like, do wish
Main clause: I do not wish to study entomology Conjunction: although
Subordinate clause: I like insects
Adverbial clause of concession modifying the verb ‘do (not) wish’
in the main clause Complex sentence
Adverbial clause of comparison
This clause describes how something compares with something else.
That spider was more colourful than the others in the shed (were).
compared with
Finite verb: was, (were)
Main clause: That spider was more colourful Subordinate clause: than the others in the shed (were)
A
Adverbial clause of comparison modifying the verb ‘was’ in the main clause
Complex sentence
In adverbial clauses of comparison, the verb is often omitted, as it is understood, so the above sentence makes sense even with the omission of the word ‘were’. However, we show that it is understood.