Can you think of an example of an adverb clause? Can you think of different types of adverb clauses?
Position. Let’s first look at the position of an adverb clause. An adverb clause can come before or after a sentence.
Commas. When it comes before a sentence, you need a comma after the clause. Notice that I just put the comma after the clause.
Let’s look at a few examples by looking at some funny videos.
Please start at .20 seconds and listen to this lady call 911 about a turkey, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SFpZlKBvY8
Because this woman doesn’t know how to cook her turkey correctly, she calls 911 for help.
Notice that we put the comma after the clause but before the main sentence.
Now, we can take the same clause and move it to the end of the sentence.
She calls 911 for help because this woman doesn’t know how to cook her turkey correctly.
So what do we do with commas? When the clause is at the end of the sentence, there are usually no commas. Notice there is no comma when we put the clause at the end of the sentence. We didn’t put a comma before because.
The only exception to this was when you have contrast clauses; these clauses are clauses about differences. Women like to talk about men, while men like to talk about sports or other things.
Notice that the clause is at the end of the sentence but we put a comma. We put a comma to show the reader quickly that is a contrast clause.
So what are the rules for commas again? If the clause is at the beginning, there is a comma after the clause and before the main sentence. If the clause is at the end of the sentence, there is usually no clause except when you use contrast. You will see words like while or whereas.
Types. Now let’s go to the types of adverb clauses. There are several types of adverb clauses.
1.Time. One of the most common types of adverb clauses is time. The words that begin an adverb clause are called subordinators or subordinating words or subordinating conjunctions. There are several of these for time. We are not going to go into all of them here. We are going over the most popular.
When and after are considered the most popular.
When you watch this video, you might laugh. (Please watch this video again and start at 2:33, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SFpZlKBvY8)
When means during. After you watch this video, you might laugh. When occurs at the same time and after obviously occurs next or later.
2.Cause/Reason. A second type is cause or reason. The most common word here is because. Two synonyms that we use for because are as and due to the fact that. These words are considered more formal and so we use that when we are writing a topic for a research paper or for business.
I am writing about fun videos so I wouldn’t use as or due to the fact that. If I were writing about the economy or something more serious, I could use not just because but also as or due to the fact that. Because can be used for informal or formal.
3.Unexpected result. A third type of adverb clause is unexpected result. This type is sometimes referred to as opposition or contrast. It can begin with although, though or even though. In formal writing, you can use despite the fact that or in spite of the fact that.
I call it unexpected result because there is another clause for contrast. Please start at 1:48 to see this lady and what she calls 911 about, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SFpZlKBvY8
Although you would think this woman would know how to get out of her car, she didn’t and called 911.
This is unexpected because you would think everyone would know how to get out of their car.
4.Direct contrast, contrast or strong contrast. This fourth type is called anyone of these terms: direct contrast, contrast or strong contrast.
The words that begin this clause are while or whereas. This clause is not unexpected. It just refers to differences or contrasts.
While women like to talk about men, men usually prefer to talk about sports.
It’s not unexpected. The two groups are just different.
We just went over briefly 4 types and I picked them because they are some of the most common. We will look at 4 other types later. We first want to get these types down and learn the sophisticated structures related to each of these 4 types before we go on to the other 4 types: result, purpose, manner and conditional.
So do you remember the position of an adverb clause? What about the comma rules? Can you name the 4 types that we just went over?