Adverbial Clauses

1. Adverbial Clauses Reduction of Adverbial clauses to Adverbial Phrases

2. Reduced Adverb Clauses • You can reduce adverb clauses to • present participial phrases (-ing phrases) and • past participial phrases

3. Step 1: • Make sure that the subject of the adverb clause and the subject of the independent clause are the same: • While Dan was watching the news, he learned about an earthquake in China. • Because Mary was bored, she fell asleep in class.

4. Step 2: • Delete the subject of the adverb clause. If necessary, move it to the subject position in the independent clause: • While Dan was watching the news, he learned about an earthquake in China. • While Dan was watching the news, he Dan learned about an earthquake in China. • Because Mary was bored, she fell asleep in class. • Because Mary was bored, she fell asleep in class.

5. Step 3: • Delete the helper verb of the adverb clause. • While waswatching the news, he Dan learned about an earthquake in China. • Because wasbored, she fell asleep in class. • New Sentence: • While watching the news, Dan learned about an earthquake in China. • Because bored, she fell asleep in class.

6. Step 4: • Delete or retain the subordinator according to the following rules: • Retain beforeand since when they refer to time. • Delete as when it is a time subordinator. • Delete because, since, and as when they act as reason subordinators. • BecauseBored, she fell asleep in class. • Delete after, while, and when if the participial phrase comes before the independent clause, for example • WhileWatching the news, Dan learned about an earthquake in China. • Retain after, while, and when if the adverbial clause follows the independent clause, for example • Dan learned about an earthquake in China while watching the news.

7. Step 5: • Re-read your sentence once you have reduced the adverbial clause to a phrase to make sure that its meaning is clear.