You asked for a lesson on adverb clauses. So I'm here to deliver. Adverb clauses are extremely common.
I'm sure you already use adverb clauses but you may not know it. In today's lesson I'm going to explain everything step by step. You know I love tests, so at the end of this lesson I have a test for you with eight questions.
Can you let me know your score in the comments below? Did you get eight correct out of eight? Maybe six correct out of eight?
And if you didn't do well on the test, don't worry. Adverb clauses are complex. If you learn one new thing in today's lesson I'm happy.
My name's Arnel, let's start. Before we begin with adverb clauses, let's do a mini review on adverbs. If you know what an adverb is, well, you're 50% there.
Adverbs are words that can describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. My teacher speaks slowly. Slowly the adverb describes the verb: speaks.
An adjective, today it's really cold. Really, my adverb, describes my adjective: cold. Another adverb.
. . Let's go back to the first example.
My teacher speaks quite slowly. Quite, my adverb, describes another adverb: slowly. But sometimes, one single adverb is not enough.
We want more information so we need an adverb clause. A clause is just a simple way of saying: Subject plus verb, that's a clause. I've divided this lesson into four simple parts: When, where, how, and why.
Part one: When (time). When it comes to the concept of time we can think: Before, during, and after. During means at the same time.
Let's visualize this. Yesterday I had a party from 6 to 10. This is during, during the party.
Before is any time before six. After is any time after 10. You can see we can use different words to describe: before, during, and after.
Yes, I know I have when in two different parts, but I'll explain the difference later. Let's start with, before. I cleaned my house before the guests arrived.
And guests are people you invite to your house. When did I clean my house? Before the guests arrived.
Conjunction, subject, verb. I have an adverb clause. It tells me, when.
I want you to visualize this: The conjunction is like the thing that connects the two carriages. The engine is the independent clause, it can go anywhere it wants - it's independent. I clean my house, is independent.
It's a perfect sentence without any help. The other carriage represents the dependent clause. It's dependent because it depends on the engine.
Before the guests arrived, is not a complete sentence. Which clause is more powerful? The independent clause.
The dependent clause is weaker, right? It's weaker, it's lower, it's subordinate. Subordinate means, in a lower position.
Like, you can have a boss and you can have subordinates. I have subordinates. So, in this clip this man is happy that he has subordinates.
Well, why am I teaching this word? Well, these words here are often called subordinating conjunctions. Why?
These conjunctions introduce the weaker dependent clause, right? My house was spotless by the time the guests arrived. Spotless is an adjective that means super clean.
So clean it's sparkling. My house was spotless. Conjunction, subject, verb.
I have my adverb clause. So what's the difference between before and by the time? Well, they're very similar.
But before is very general. Any time, before. By the time is more specific and it emphasizes that something is complete.
I wash my hands before I eat. This is very general, I do this every day. I wash my hands before I eat.
All of the children will have washed their hands by the time lunch is ready. Now I'm being more specific and I'm emphasizing: 25 kids in the classroom, all of their hands will have been washed. Conjunction, subject, verb.
I have my adverb clause. Can the clauses be switched around? Of course.
This is perfectly correct. But, writing tip: If your adverb clause comes first, use a comma to separate the two clauses. If your independent clause comes first you don't need a comma, keep that in mind.
So for the rest of this lesson I'm just going to switch the clauses around whenever I want. Until, we're still looking at, before. I cleaned until the guests arrived.
We have to wait until the client signs the contract. I don't want you to open that present until it's your birthday. You can see until means the action stops before something else.
The cleaning stops, the waiting stops, the not opening the present stops. Think about until like a giant stop sign. Here's a common mistake: Imagine you're waiting for an important package to arrive.
Hmm, can you help me? I haven't received the package until now (and this is typing, I'm typing). I haven't received the package until now.
This is a little bit confusing, because this means: you have received the package. You haven't received it, until now. So, if if you have the package, why do you need help?
If you're still waiting you need to say: I haven't received the package, yet. Let's move on to, during. During, during.
When you have a party you need food so I made pizza. As, while, when. The pizza was baking the kitchen smelled amazing.
This means during the cooking process the kitchen smelled amazing. As, while, when. Are they the same?
These words can be used in lots of different ways in English. In today's lesson they mean, during this time. If these words mean during this time, yes they are the same.
Let's do another example: My gums. My gums started to bleed as I was brushing my teeth. My gums started to bleed while I was brushing my teeth.
My gums started to bleed when I was brushing my teeth. Conjunction, subject, verb. I have my adverb clause and we have the independent clause as well.
Let's move on to, after. After everybody left, I cleaned my house again. I try to have dinner with Sally whenever I can.
When you get home please call me. Here we see when meaning, after. After you get home please call me.
So yes, when can also mean during but don't worry the context will make it clear. What's the difference between whenever and when? Well, whenever means: any time.
The time, the date, the month is not important. When is more specific. Whenever I can, that's not specific.
Maybe on a Monday, maybe on a Tuesday, whenever. When is more specific, this one moment, when you get home - call me. But sometimes these words can be used interchangeably.
For example, please send me pictures of your vacation when whenever you get a chance. As soon as I wake up I put on my glasses. Once I have a new address, I'll send it to you.
As soon as and once? Yeah, they mean after but they're more specific. They mean immediately after.
You know my party finished at 10:00. I ran to the bathroom as soon as everyone left. If my party finished at 10:00, I ran to the bathroom at 10:00 and 5 Seconds.
You know how it is. Now imagine a relay race. Once your teammate passes you the baton, you need to run.
Not just after, immediately after. I want you to leave me your score in the comments below as soon as the lesson finishes. Mini review.
I'm sure the concept of adverb clauses is becoming clearer to you, but let's do a quick review, and after this I think it's plain sailing. I fell in love with painting after I had my first class. Adverb clauses have a conjunction, subordinating conjunction, subject plus verb.
They are a dependent clause. They need an independent clause. They can't do anything without an independent clause.
Remember when you're writing, if your independent clause comes first, you don't need a comma to separate the two clauses. But, if your adverb clause comes first, make sure you add a comma. Part two: Where (Place).
Adverb clauses can also tell us, where. I'll meet you where we first met. I can meet you wherever you want.
So what's the difference between where and wherever? Well, just like when and whenever, where is more specific. Where he first met is one place.
The speaker and the Listener both know, where we first met. With wherever, the specific place is not important. I can meet you there, I can meet you there, wherever.
You know how when you stare at the Sun for too long you get like a big bright white light? I can say: Everywhere I look, I see a white light. We can eat anywhere you want.
Here's a common question: What's the difference between, everywhere and anywhere. Well, everywhere means: all locations. There and there and there and there.
All locations. Anywhere means: the one location is not important. There's okay, or there's okay, or there's okay.
Which sentence is more natural: Where do you want to go to eat for dinner? We can eat everywhere, we can eat anywhere. Well, the second one because you're saying it doesn't matter which restaurant we go to.
If you say we can eat everywhere, you kind of want to eat at every restaurant. Which is possible, but not really realistic. Let's do another example: I looked for my keys everywhere.
I look for my keys anywhere. The first one is correct, this means you checked all locations. The second one doesn't even make sense.
Okay, we're done with place. Let's move on to part three. Part three: How (Manner).
Manner means, how we do something. Like in the very first example of this lesson. My teacher speaks slowly.
How does she speak? Slowly, that's what I mean by manner, how we do something. Okay, Bridget looked at me.
Okay, we can see she looked at me, but I want to give you a bit more information. She looks a bit angry, right? Hmm, Bridget looked at me like I had said something insulting, but I didn't.
Insulting means (it's an adjective), it means: rude or disrespectful. Bridget looked at me as if I had said something insulting. Bridget looked at me as though I had said something insulting.
Conjunction, subject, verb. I have my adverb clause. What's the difference between like, as if, and as though?
Well, they mean the same thing. It's just that like is really less formal and is usually used in spoken English. Why do we have so many ways to say the same thing?
Well, it's all about variety, we need variety. Okay, Candace screamed like, as if, as though, she was being murdered. I thought there was a problem, but no, it was just a spider.
Like/as if/as though, someone had used a magic wand, my headache disappeared. Mark is a fast eater, he eats like/he eats as if/he eats as though he'll never see food again. Part four: Why reason as again yes in English there are lots of ways to use as but it can be used to give a (Reason).
The trees roots, and the roots are like the tree. . .
legs. The trees Roots had to be cut back because they were damaging the sidewalk. The trees roots had to be cut back since they were damaging the sidewalk.
The trees roots had to be cut back as they were damaging the sidewalk. All these adverb clauses give you the reason why. Are these three the same?
Well, because is the most common, I'm sure you are comfortable using because. Since and as mean the exact same thing, but they can be considered a little bit more formal. Let's get a little bit specific.
Yes, these three words can be used interchangeably, no problem. But many times, because often focuses on the reason, and as and since often focus on the result. What do I mean by that?
Let's take a look. I have result and reason. Result is like the effect, and reason is why there is this effect.
I had to call my landlord. What's the reason? Because my ceiling has a leak in it.
So here, because explains why I called my landlord. Now imagine there's a business meeting. Everybody knows that Bob is going to be 15 minutes late.
Someone can say let's start the meeting without Bob as/since he's going to be 15 minutes late. It's already clear to everyone that he's going to be late, so as/since focus a little bit more on the result. Let's start the meeting without him.
Let's do another example. Can we please move our dinner reservation to 7? Why?
Because a client booked a last minute appointment with me. The reason is very important because the listener probably doesn't know why you want to change the reservation. Imagine it's a really cold day.
A school principal can say: ooh, we need to grit these walkways. Grit is a noun and a verb. Grit the noun is what people put on their on their driveway, on the streets.
You know, it's a mixture of little rocks, sand, maybe some salt. The verb to do this is also: grit. Yes, I remembered we need to grit these walkways, as/since children may slip and hurt themselves.
You know the reason is kind of obvious, people don't put grit down for fun. So I hope you can kind of get the nuance, the feeling between: because, and as, and since. What about for?
Yes, for can also be used to introduce why. However, in modern English, for is not really that common. It kind of sounds like a poem.
My heart was broken for I loved him. My heart was broken because I loved him. So it's good to know that for means, this, but in your day-to-day conversations and even in your writing, I wouldn't suggest using, for.
I think it's time for a test. Some of you might be thinking: But I know there are other types of adverb clauses. The other types of adverb clauses are often not taught as adverb clauses.
For example, showing contrast. I went for a walk even though it was raining. Even though gives me a contrast.
Why would you go for a walk if it's raining? But I didn't care, I went for a walk even though it was raining. Even though it was raining is an adverb clause.
Adverb clauses can also show condition. If I lie down, I'll fall asleep. If I lie down is my adverb clause, I'm showing a condition.
But in today's lesson I wanted to focus on: when, where, how, and why. If you understand the concept of these, other adverb clauses become much easier. Let's do our test.
Okay, it's test time. You can see I have eight sentences and eight conjunctions. Can you please put the conjunctions into the spaces?
Just so you know, two of the conjunctions can go in two different spaces, keep that in mind. Pause the video to do this. Okay, here are the answers.
You can see with sentences six and seven, yes/like and as though can be used interchangeably. But like sounds better in sentence number seven because sentence number seven is really informal. Leave me your score in the comments below as soon as this lesson finishes.
Thank you so much for watching, I hope you learned something new, I'll see you next time! Bye! !
!
