Sunday 1 April 2012

Adverbial Clauses




Adverbial clause



An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb. In other words, it contains a subject (explicit or implied) and apredicate, and it modifies a verb.
  • I saw Richard when I went to the store. (explicit subject I)
  • She sat quietly in order to appear polite. (implied subject she)


According to Sidney Greenbaum and Randolph Quirk, adverbial clauses function mainly as adjuncts or disjuncts. In these functions they are like adverbial phrases, but due to their potentiality for greater explicitness, they are more often like prepositional phrases (Greenbaum andQuirk,1990):
  • We left after the speeches ended. (adverbial clause)
  • We left after the end of the speeches. (adverbial prepositional phrase)
Contrast adverbial clauses with adverbial phrases, which do not contain a clause.
  • I like to fly kites for fun.
Adverbial clauses modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. For example:
  • Hardly had I reached the station when the train started to leave the platform.
The adverbial clause in this sentence is "when the train started to leave the platform" because it is a subordinate clause and because it has the trigger word (subordinate conjunction) "when".

Kinds of adverbial clauses



kind of clausecommon conjunctionsfunctionexample
time clauseswhen, before, after, since, while, as, as long as, until,till, etc. (conjunctions that answer the question "when?"); hardly, scarcely, no sooner, etc.These clauses are used to say when something happens by referring to a period of time or to another event.Her goldfish died when she was young.
conditional clausesif, unless, lestThese clauses are used to talk about a possible or counterfactual situation and its consequences.If they lose weight during an illness, they soon regain it afterwards.
purpose clausesin order to, so that, in order thatThese clauses are used to indicate the purpose of an action.They had to take some of his land so that they could extend the churchyard.
reason clausesbecause, since, as, givenThese clauses are used to indicate the reason for something.I couldn't feel anger against himbecause I liked him too much.
result clausesso...thatThese clauses are used to indicate the result of something.My suitcase had become so damaged on the journey homethat the lid would not stay closed.
concessive clausesalthough, though, whileThese clauses are used to make two statements, one of which contrasts with the other or makes it seem surprising.I used to read a lot although I don't get much time for books now.
place clauseswhere, wherever, anywhere, everywhere, etc. (conjunctions that answer the question "where?")These clauses are used to talk about the location or position of something.He said he was happy where he was.
clauses of manneras, like, the wayThese clauses are used to talk about someone's behaviour or the way something is done.I was never allowed to do thingsas I wanted to do them.
Sumber : Wikipedia.org



http://www.gunadarma.ac.id/

It's About Direct and Indirect Speech


Direct Speech

To tell exactly what someone has said is called direct speech (sometimes called quoted speech)
Here what a person says appears within quotation marks ("...") and should be word for word.
For example:
He said, "Today's job is on board."
or
Today's job is on board," he said.

Indirect Speech / Reported Speech

Indirect speech (sometimes called reported speech), doesn't use quotation marks to enclose what the person said and it doesn't have to be word for word.
When reporting speech the tense usually changes. This is because when we use reported speech, we are usually talking about a time in the past (because obviously the person who spoke originally spoke in the past). The verbs therefore usually have to be in the past too.



Example :
Indirect Speech :
"I'm Playing Football on School Field", he said


Direct Speech :
He said he was playing football on school field





Tense change

As a rule when you report something someone has said you go back a tense: (the tense on the left changes to the tense on the right):



Direct speechIndirect speech
Present simple 
He said, "It's Hot outside."
Past simple 
He said it was Hot outside.
Present continuous 
She said, "I'm Learning English online."
Past continuous 
She said she was Learning English online.
Present perfect simple 
he said, "I've been Take this job since 1999."
Past perfect simple
he said she had been take this job since 1999.
Present perfect continuous 
She said, "I've been teaching English for seven years."
Past perfect continuous 
She said she had been teaching English for seven years.
Past simple 
She said, "I taught online yesterday."
Past perfect 
She said she had taught online yesterday.
Past continuous 
She said, "I was teaching earlier."
Past perfect continuous 
She said she had been teaching earlier.
Past perfect 
She said, "The lesson had already started when he arrived."
Past perfect 
NO CHANGE - She said the lesson had already started when he arrived.
Past perfect continuous
She said, "I'd already been cooking for five minutes."
Past perfect continuous 
NO CHANGE - She said she'd already been cooking for five minutes.


Modal verb forms also sometimes change:


Direct speechIndirect speech
will
She said, "I'll teach English online tomorrow."
would
She said she would teach English online tomorrow.
can
She said, "I can teach English online."
could
She said she could teach English online.
must
She said, "I must have a computer to teach English online."
had to 
She said she had to have a computer to teach English online.
shall
She said, "What shall we learn today?"
should
She asked what we should learn today.
may
She said, "May I open a new browser?"
might
She asked if she might open a new browser.