ADVERB CLAUSES in English - adverbs and adverbials

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! !

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