Adjective and Adverb Clauses

Adjective Clauses

Adjective or Adjectival Clauses

Adjective clauses are dependent clauses

They modify nouns or pronouns

Adjective clauses clarify the noun or noun phrase

They answer questions about "which?" or "what type of“

You could cut them out of the sentence and it would still make sense

They usually come immediately after the noun or pronoun

A politician who is trustworthy has the support of the people.

Mount Etna, which is located in Italy, was once an active volcano.

Sam Spider, who robbed the bank, was caught today.

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

Adverb or Adverbial Clauses

Adverb or Adverbial Clauses

Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses

They modify verbs and verb phrases

Adverbial clauses answer questions about the verb phrase that relate to time, location, purpose, and condition.

consider what kinds of questions the clause answers

If the clause you are tying to identify answers the question "why?", "when?", "where?", "to what degree?", or "under what conditions?" then it is an adverbial clause.

Unlike adjective clauses, they are frequently movable within the sentence.

Subordinate Conjunctions

Adverbial clauses can be identified by the words or phrases that introduce them. Known as subordinating conjunctions,

These words and phrases signify time, cause and effect, opposition and condition. Examples:

after, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order that, once, provided that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether, while, why

When spring arrives, the flowers bloom.

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

The poor woman had no money because she had lost her job.

He is much younger than his brother is.