ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

A. Adverbial Clause (Using after, before, while and when)

Study the following examples.
 a.  When the baby was in his bed, the big snake approached him.
                (adverbial clause)                    (independent clause)


 b.  She locked the door to make the gold inside safe before the woman left the

      house.
                 (independent clause)                    (adverbial clause)

Notes:
*   Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses which cannot stand alone. The big

     snake approached him is the independent (main) clause .
*   The time introducers of adverb clause can be put either as the first or second.

a. Time Introducer After
Example:

• The dog was killed by the villagers after it wounded the baby.
  mean: After means happening at that time subsequent to a certain time.

b. Time Introducer Before
Example:

• Before he died, he said some important words to his sons.
  mean: Before means earlier in time or previously.

c. Time Introducer When
Example:

• When I was a child, I went to the jungle with my uncle.
  mean: When means 'at that time'.

d. Time Introducer While
Example:

• While she was sitting at the porch of her house, a big frightening man came.
  mean: While means 'during that time'.

B. Adverbial Clause to Show Cause-effect Relationships (Using

    because, since, as, for, and because of)

            Adverbial clauses to show cause-effect relationship are usually necessary in the analytical and hortatory expositions. Therefore, it is very important to understand the use of conjunctions of cause-effect relationship.

A.  The uses of because, since, as, and as long as
      Study the following examples.

      a.   Flood happen regularly because the rivers cannot accommodate the great

amount of
                                                                    water.
             (independent clause)   because +                        (adverbial clause) 
            Subject + Verb/to-be                                    Subject + Verb/to-be

      b.  Because the rivers cannot accommodate the great amount of water, floods

            happen regularly.
           Because +    (adverbial clause)                               (independent clause)

      c.  The prices of basic commodities rise as the fuel prices increase.

      d.  You should study more intensively since the exam will come soon. 

      e.  They won't go to school as long as they can't afford to pay school fee and

            the expensive books.

Note:
1.  As and since mean the same: "because". As long as means "but only if".
2. The conjunctions (because, as, since, as long as) may come before or after the

     independent (main)  clause. Compare examples a and b.
3. When the conjunctions come before the independent clause, a comma is

     needed.
4. Both independent clause and adverbial clause consist of a subject and

    predicate (verb/to-be).

B.  The use of "because of"
      Study the examples.

      a.  Because the quality is low, the product cannot be sold at a good price.
           Because + adverbial clause, Independent Clause

      b.  Because of the low quality, the product cannot be sold at a good price.
           Because of + Noun , Independent Clause.

C. Adverbial Clause of Time (Using by the time, until, once, as and

    as soon as)

            To make texts, especially narratives become coherent, it is necessary to use adverbial clause of time. Some of the common words to introduce adverbial clause of time are: until, as, by the time, once and as soon as.

Study the following examples.
a.   I stayed in the house until the rain stopped.
b.   As the woman was waiting for her husband in front of the house, the child

      began crying.
c.   By the time the man arrived, the child had already slept.
d.   Once he got the chance, he hit the big man in the head.
e.   As soon as the rain started, he stopped his car.

Notes:
*  Until or till means "to that timeand then no longer" (till is used usually in

    speaking).
*  As means "while", during that time.
*  By the time means "one event is completed before another event".
*  Once and as soon as means the same, "when one event happens, another event

    happens soon afterwards"

~  Adverb clauses are sub (dependent) clauses which are used before or after the
    independent (main clauses).
    E.g. Once he finished his food, he ran to the jungle to hunt wild animals.
                   Adverbial clause                                 Main clause

            He ran to the jungle to hunt wild animals as soon as he finished his food.
                   Main clause                                          Adverbial clause

Taken from:
Kistono, dkk. 2007. The Bridge English Competence. Jakarta: Penerbit Yudistira.