Noun/Adjective/Adverb Clauses

Question

I don't understand any of the clauses [:^)] I have a really hard time identifying them. Can anybody help me? Give me some hints?

Miriam · Accepted Answer

I wouldn't know how to give a detailed explanation or description of all three types of clause in one post, so let's go step by step.

Let's start with adjectival (or relative) clauses, since these are the easiest to identify. They can function only as postmodifiers of a nominal head. This nominal head is called antecedent, and the relative pronoun that introduces the relative clause is replacing the nominal head. Relative clauses may appear both in the subject and in the predicate of a sentence.
[in the examples below, the clauses appear between parentheses]

"The girl (who lent me the books) is not here today."
The girl who lent me the books --> subject
is not here today --> predicate
girl --> head of the subject (noun)
who lent me the books --> adjectival clause, it postmodifies 'girl'. 'Who', the relative pronoun that introduces the clause, replaces 'girl'. We're not talking about just any girl but about the one who lent me the books.

Relative pronouns have a double function in the sentence:
a. they introduce the relative clause
b. they have a function within the clause itself.
[In the example: who --> subject of the clause
lent me the books --> predicate of the clause]

Relative clauses are generally introduced by relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that.
1. "This is the house (that I want to buy)."
2. "I know the man (whose wife works in the library)."
3. "The book (which I told you about) is out of print."
4. "The house (in which Jack lives) has a large garden."
5. "Mr. Brown, (whom you met at the club), is giving a party tonight."
6. "Bernard Shaw, (who wrote St. Joan), died in 1950."
7. "My car, (which broke down last night), is in the garage."

There are two types of relative clauses: "defining" or "restrictive", and "non-defining" or "non-restrictive".
- Sentences 1, 2, 3 and 4 contain examples of "restrictive" relative clauses. In those sentences the clause is a necessary part of the idea; if it is left out, the sentence may not make complete sence. These clauses define the antecedent (noun), they indicate, for example, which house out of all the possible houses, what man out of several possible men.
- The relative clauses in sentences 5, 6 and 7 are "non-restrictive". This means that the relative clause could be omitted and the rest of the sentence would still make sense. If we said "Bernard Shaw died in 1950", the sentence would still have meaning. The relative clauses in these sentences provide additional information that could be avoided. Non-restrictive relative clauses are differentiated from restrictive relative clauses by the use of a comma at the beginning and end of the clause (a comma in writing, and a pause in speaking).

'as' can also introduce a relative clause, after 'same' and 'such':
"I'll be surprised if he does the same way (as I do)."
"I've never heard such stories (as she tells)."

Relative clauses may even be introduced by 'where', 'when', 'why' if these words have the meaning 'in which', 'at which', 'by which', etc. (Be careful with these; sometimes these clauses are confused with adverbial clauses.)
"The place (where we met) was a lovely park."
"I remember the day (when she got married)."
"I don't know the reason (why you're so angry)."

In restrictive relative clauses, the relative pronoun is often omitted (mainly in spoken English) when it is the object of the clause.
In the sentence "The book (that I want) is on the table", the relative clause is "that I want". "I" is the subject of the clause, "that" and "want" form the predicate. Within the predicate, "want" is the verb and "that" (which is replacing the book) is the direct object. We could rephrase the clause as "I want that" --> 'that' meaning the books.
This is the case when you can omit the relative pronoun. you can say either "The books (that I want) are on the table" or "The books (I want) are on the table".
Even if you omit the relative pronoun, you will still have a relative clause. In this type of clause, we speak of "zero pronoun".

If this is not clear enough, hopefully someone else will come to help!

I wrote a post about nominal clauses a few days ago, it must be on the second page of this section now. You might want to look for it. The author of the thread is "Atesttaker"
I'll tell you about adverbial clauses later.

Miriam

Miriam · Answer

Here come the adverbial clauses! I hope it's not too late

To put it simple, we can say that adverbial clauses do the work of adverbs and can function as adjuncts or disjuncts.
Asjuncts are integrated within the structure of the sentence to at least some extent (Halliday calls these 'circumstantial adjuncts'). Disjuncts, on the other hand, are not integrated within the structure of the sentence (they are usually comments about either the form or the content of the sentence).
Adjunct: "It started to rain (when I left home)."
Disjunct: "Frankly speaking, I don’t like this idea at all."

Adverbial clauses may appear in final, initial or medial position (usually in that order of frequency). Semantically, adverbials can be of various categories: time, place, concession, condition, reason or cause, circumstance, purpose, result, manner and comparison. This, however, is not the only possible classification of adverbial clauses.
Adverbial clauses may be finite, non-finite, or verbless, depending on whether they contain a conjugated verb, a non-finite verb or no verb at all, respectively.

Examples:
Finite adverbial clause: "And (when the laughter dies), can't you see beyond the lines." [C. Palmer - 'Burning Bridges']
Non-finite adverbial clause: "He waits in silence (to lead us all home)." [Supertramp - 'Fool's Overture']
Verbless clause: "(When in difficulty), consult the manual."

Time
Adverbial clauses of time, when finite, are usually introduced by one of these subordinators: after, as, before, once, since, till, until, when, while, now that, as long as, as soon as.
"The waitress is practicing politics (as the businessmen slowly get stoned)." [B. Joel - 'Piano man']
"(When tears are in your eyes), I will dry them all." [Simon and Gar***el - 'Bridge over trouble water']
"Should I sing (until I can't sing any more)?" [Pink Floyd - 'What do you want from me']
"(Now that I have found you), you must not slip away." [D. Gates - 'Goodbye Girl']

Place
These are usually introduced by 'where' or 'wherever'.
"But my father would find us (wherever we went)." [Jon and Vangelis – 'The friends of Mr Cairo']
"He'll follow me (wherever I go)."

Concession
These are usually introduced by 'although' (or, more informally, 'though'), and also by 'while', 'whereas', 'even if', 'even though', 'however' (with an adjective), among other subordinators.
"(Though the wound went deep), still he's calling us out of our sleep." [Supertramp - 'Fool's Overture']
"(However dark is your night), just keep turning your cheek." [C. Palmer - 'Farewell to arms']
"(Even though you know it's the wrong thing to say), say you don't care." [Alan Parson's Project - 'Don't let it show']
"(Even if you want to believe there's a way), I won't be there." [Alan Parson's Project - 'Don't let it show']

Condition
Usually introduced by 'if', 'unless', 'whether', 'as long as', 'on condition (that)', 'provided (that)'.
"(If you smile when they mention my name) they'll never know you." [Alan Parson's Project - 'Don't let it show']
"And (if you're asking me when), I'll say it starts at the end." [Jon and Vangelis – I'll find my way home']
"I won't go to the party (unless he asks me nicely)."
"I will go (as long as/ on condition that/ provided that/) he asks me nicely."

Reason or cause
Introduced by 'because', 'since', 'as'.
"To martyr yourself to caution is not going to help at all (because there'll be no safety in numbers when the right one walks out of the door)." [Pink Floyd – 'Lost for words']
"(Since love is lord of heaven and earth), how can I keep from singing?" [Enya – 'How can I keep from singing']

Circumstance
Semantically, these clauses are half-way between conditional clauses and clauses of reason. On addition to 'because', 'since' and 'as', the subordinator 'seeing (that)' can introduce circumstantial clauses as well.
"Since/ as/ because/ seeing that you won't help me), I must do the job myself."
"But then, (as nothing happens quite the same), investigation is the game.” [Jon and Vangelis – 'The friends of Mr Cairo']

Purpose
These are more often infinitive than finite clauses. 'In order to', 'so that' and 'so as to' may also introduce clauses of purpose.
"I would give everything I own (to touch you)." [G. Lake – 'Lend your love to me tonight']
"They climbed higher (in order to/ so as to/ get a better view)."

The conjunction 'lest' may also introduce clauses of purpose, but it is rather formal and archaic. It has the meaning 'for fear that' or 'in order that… not'.
"(Lest/ in case that the wall should collapse), they evacuated the building."

Result
'so that' is the usual subordinator for this type of clause.
"He spoke very quietly, (so that it was difficult to hear what he said)."

Manner and comparison
Clauses of manner are usually introduced by 'as'. Also, 'as if' and 'as though' introduce a clause of manner which involves comparison.
"I'll do the exercises (as I've been taught)."
"She cooks a turkey exactly (as my mother did)."
"He treats me (as if I were a stranger)."
"He looks (as if he’s sick)."
"He ran (as though his life depended on it)."

Comparative clauses
Usually introduced by 'as' (preceded by so, as or such in the main clause) and 'than' (preceded by a comparative in the main clause).
"The work is not so easy (as I thought)."
"She felt more miserable (than she could say)."

Another type of comparative clause has the form "the ... the+ comparative".
"The harder you work, the more you’ll earn."

Miriam

Malory · Answer

I'm helping my son with homework.

Directions say: Identify subordinate clause and tell wither it is an adjective clause, adverb clause or noun clause.

1) Along a racetrack, he set up many cameras whose shutters were controlled by threads stretched across the track.

2) They were the first artists in history to know exactly what a horse really looked like at each point in its stride.

Directions sayIdentify the noun clause and tell how it is used: subject, predicate nominative, direct object, indirect object or object of a perposition.

1) My sister Michelle made another discover at the bowling alley.

2) Later on, I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious baked beans.

3) Someone should give whoever inveted Boston baked beans an award.

HELP! Email me at Email Removed

Paco2004 · Answer

1) Along a racetrack, he set up many cameras whose shutters were controlled by threads stretched across the track.
Adjectival clause
2) They were the first artists in history to know exactly what a horse really looked like at each point in its stride.
Noun clause

1) My sister Michelle made another discover at the bowling alley.
No noun clause
2) Later on, I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious baked beans.
No noun clause
3) Someone should give whoever invented Boston baked beans an award.
Indirect object

paco

(Edited subject line only, Paco-- MM)

Noun/Adjective/Adverb Clauses

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