LESSON 26: DEPENDENT CLAUSES (ADVERB) · This next bit of information might just blow your mind. Dependent clauses function as one part of speech! The WHOLE CLAUSE comes together

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LESSON 26: DEPENDENT CLAUSES (ADVERB) Relevant Review

• Clauses are groups of words with a subject and a verb.

• Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

o They answer the adverb questions. (How? When? Where? Why? To what

extent?)

Lesson

Do you remember that phrases are groups of words that don’t have a subject and a verb? Do you also remember that phrases act as single parts of speech? I hope so! Phrases are units of language. You’ve studied verb phrases and prepositional phrases. Today, we'll learn about another kind of language unit: clauses.

Way back in lesson 16, you started to learn about clauses, and it's time for us to learn more!

A clause is a group of words that does contain a subject and a verb.

The cat meowed.

Whenever the cat meowed

Both of those examples are clauses. They both contain a subject (cat) and a verb (meowed).

Did you notice anything funny about those two clauses? The first clause can stand alone as a complete sentence and the second clause can't!

We have names that we give to these two main categories of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses.

An independent clause (also called a main clause) is a group of words with a subject and a verb. It expresses a complete thought. Independent clauses are independent, and can stand alone as complete ideas. Every complete sentence needs at least one independent clause. Examples: Mark ate dinner at 6:00. The cat meowed. I swam at the health club.

The sentences we’ve diagrammed so far have all contained only independent clauses.

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A dependent clause (also called a subordinate clause) is a group of words with a subject and a verb. It doesn't express a complete thought. Dependent clauses cannot stand alone. They are dependent and need to be attached to an independent clause in order to make sense. Examples: Because Mark ate dinner at 6:00

Whenever the cat meowed

Since I swam at the health club

Did you notice that those examples of dependent clauses each had a subject and a verb but they didn't express a complete idea?

This next bit of information might just blow your mind. Dependent clauses function as one part of speech! The WHOLE CLAUSE comes together to perform the job of an adverb, adjective, or noun.

Over the next few lessons, we'll learn about all three kinds of dependent clauses. Right now, we’ll study dependent clauses that act as adverbs.

They Act As One Part of Speech (Adverbs)

Jim ran yesterday.

Yesterday is a one-word adverb telling us more about the verb ran. It’s telling us WHEN he ran. Jim ran at daybreak.

At daybreak is an adverbial prepositional phrase telling us more about the verb ran. It’s telling us WHEN he ran. You know all about prepositional phrases.

Jim ran before he ate breakfast.

Before he ate breakfast is telling us more about the verb ran. It’s still telling us WHEN he ran, but this time, it’s not one word and it’s not a phrase. It is a whole clause!

Before he ate breakfast is a dependent clause. It has a subject (he) and verb (ate), and it can’t stand alone because it doesn't express a complete thought.

Since the clause is modifying the verb of the independent clause (ran), it’s acting as an adverb. It is a dependent adverb clause. You can call these kinds of clauses adverb clauses for short if you'd like.

Tip: Adverb clauses answer the adverb questions. Subordinating Conjunctions

Adverb clauses are introduced by special words called subordinating conjunctions. In the example above, before is the subordinating conjunction.


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You know that coordinating conjunctions join sentence elements that are equal. Subordinating conjunctions also join things together. Guess what they join together?

Subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent adverb clauses. They connect dependent adverb clauses to independent clauses.

Examples: because, before, until, after, whenever, if, while, when, since

They are also the words that make dependent adverb clauses dependent. Look at this independent clause. Shelby cuts my hair.

Look at what happens when we put a subordinating conjunction at the beginning.

Whenever Shelby cuts my hair Presto! Just by adding the subordinating conjunction, we made the independent clause a dependent clause!

Diagramming Dependent Adverb Clauses

Jim ran before he ate breakfast.

Diagram the independent clause at the top. Diagram the dependent adverb clause below it. Connect the two clauses with a slanted, dotted line originating from the word in the independent clause that the adverb clause is modifying (ran).

Put the subordinating conjunction on the dotted line. Notice that the whole clause acts as an adverb, but the individual words play their own roles within the clause.

before he ate breakfast dependent adverb clause (adverb)

before subordinating conjunction

he subject (pronoun)

ate verb (transitive active)

breakfast direct object (noun)


Lesson 26 Sentence Diagramming Exercises

1. If our team wins the game, we’ll celebrate!

Key

If our team wins the game, we’ll celebrate! sentence – statement

we’ll celebrate independent clause

we subject of independent clause (pronoun)

‘ll celebrate verb phrase (independent clause)

‘ll (or will) helping verb (independent clause)

celebrate main verb (intransitive complete) (independent clause)

If our team wins the game dependent clause (adverb) (telling us WHEN we’ll celebrate)

If subordinating conjunction introducing adverb clause

team subject of adverb clause (noun)

our adjective in adverb clause

wins verb of adverb clause (transitive active)

game direct object of adverb clause (noun)

the adjective in adverb clause


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2. I smile whenever I see him.

Key

I smile whenever I see him. sentence – statement

I smile independent clause

I subject of independent clause (pronoun)

smile verb of independent clause (intransitive complete)

whenever I see him dependent clause (adverb) (telling us WHEN I smile)

whenever subordinating conjunction introducing adverb clause

I subject of adverb clause (pronoun)

see verb of adverb clause (transitive active)

him direct object of adverb clause(pronoun)

Before or After?

Dependent clauses can come before or after independent clauses.

Jim ran before he ate breakfast. ---> Before he ate breakfast, Jim ran.

I love it whenever Shelby cuts my hair. ---> Whenever Shelby cuts my hair, I love it.

If the dependent clause comes before the independent clause, it’s followed by a comma. If it comes after the independent clause, it does not need a comma.

Your sentence diagrams will look the same no matter which clause comes first. Always diagram the independent clause at the top and the dependent clause below it.


3. Since you baked chocolate cookies, I will eat one.

Key

Since you baked chocolate cookies, I will eat one.

sentence - statement

I will eat one independent clause

I subject of independent clause (pronoun)

will eat verb phrase (independent clause)

will helping verb (independent clause)

eat main verb (transitive active) (independent clause)

one direct object (pronoun) (independent clause)

Since you baked chocolate cookies dependent clause (adverb) (telling us WHY I will eat one)

Since subordinating conjunction introducing dependent clause

you subject of adverb clause (pronoun)

baked verb of adverb clause (transitive active)

cookies direct object of adverb clause (noun)

chocolate adjective in adverb clause


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4. We can see the movie after we run around the lake.

Key

We can see the movie after we run around the lake.

sentence – statement

We can see the movie independent clause

We subject of independent clause (pronoun)

can see verb phrase (independent clause)

can helping verb (independent clause)

see main verb (transitive active) (independent clause)

movie direct object (noun) (independent clause)

the adjective (independent clause)

after we run around the lake dependent clause (adverb) (telling us WHEN we can see the movie)

after subordinating conjunction introducing adverb clause

we subject of adverb clause (pronoun)

run verb of adverb clause (intransitive complete)

around the lake prepositional phrase in adverb clause (adverb)

around preposition

lake object of the preposition (noun)

the adjective


5. Shop until you drop.

Key

Shop until you drop. sentence – command

Shop independent clause

(you) subject of independent clause (pronoun)

Shop verb of independent clause (intransitive complete)

until you drop dependent clause (adverb) (telling us HOW to shop)

until subordinating conjunction introducing adverb clause

you subject of adverb clause (pronoun)

drop verb of adverb clause (intransitive complete)

Tip: Some words can act as prepositions or subordinating conjunctions. If the word is part of a prepositional phrase, it is acting as a preposition. We can see the movie AFTER dinner.

Shop UNTIL noon.

If the word has a subject and a verb after it, it is acting as a subordinating conjunction.

We can see the movie AFTER we run around the lake.

Shop UNTIL you drop.

Do you see the difference?


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Extra Practice: Diagramming Adverb Clauses Directions: Diagram the following sentences on a separate sheet of paper. Teachers, the answers are on the next page.

1. We need our passports because we are traveling to France.

2. I’ll pack my swimsuit since our hotel has a pool.

3. I ate escargot when we visited Paris.

4. We stayed at the museum until it closed.

5. Although it was loud, I slept on the airplane.


Lesson 26 Extra Practice Answers

Diagramming Adverb Clauses

1. We need our passports because we are

traveling to France.

2. I’ll pack my swimsuit since our

hotel has a pool.

3. I ate escargot when we visited Paris.

4. We stayed at the museum until it closed.

5. Although it was loud, I slept on the airplane.

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LESSON 26: DEPENDENT CLAUSES (ADVERB) · This next bit of information might just blow your mind. Dependent clauses function as one part of speech! The WHOLE CLAUSE comes together