Adverb clauses bring variety of information to sentences – time, place, manner, condition, concession, purpose, and more. Information on result, provided by adverb clause of result, is the topic of this post.
Learn more: This post covers just one adverb clause. Learn other types of adverb clause.
What is adverb clause of result?
Adverb clauses of result express result of the action taken in the matrix clause. (Matrix clause is what’s left after removing subordinate clause. In the sentence She left a note on the door, so that her visitors knew where she had gone, for example, She left a note on the door is matrix clause.) They’re introduced mainly by subordinating conjunctions so (in informal use) and so that.
When a sentence shows action and result, action has to precede result, implying an adverb clause of result always follows its matrix clause. In other words, unlike most adverb clauses, it’s not mobile in a sentence.
Examples:
Note: (that) means that is optional. In informal use, that may be dropped.
She left a note on the door, so (that) her visitors knew where she had gone.
[The adverb clause shows the result of leaving a note on the door. Result is mentioned in the adverb clause; action taken is mentioned in the matrix clause.]
I brought an umbrella, so (that) I didn’t get wet when it rained.
Adverb clause of result vs. Adverb clause of purpose
Adverb clause of result can be confused with adverb clause of purpose: Both are introduced by subordinators so and so that and both show similar meaning. Consider these pairs, where one shows purpose and the other result:
She left a note on the door so (that) her visitors would know where she had gone. [Purpose]
She left a note on the door, so (that) her visitors knew where she had gone. [Result]
I brought an umbrella so (that) I wouldn’t get wet in case it rained. [Purpose]
I brought an umbrella, so (that) I didn’t get wet when it rained. [Result]
If you’re confused by why one is labeled result and the other purpose, here are the differences between the two adverb clauses:
1. Meaning: Result is purpose achieved. In case of purpose clause, result is not yet achieved. That’s why it comes with modal auxiliaries (note would in both the sentences). In case of result clause, result is achieved.
2. Mobility in the sentence: Purpose clause can take initial or final position in a sentence; result clause can take only final position. In other words, the former is mobile, the latter is not. Try moving adverb clause of result to the initial position. It would make no sense.
3. Punctuation: Purpose clause in the final position is not preceded by a comma; result clause is.
Comparative clauses are incorrectly treated as adverb clauses of result
Comparative clauses with correlative subordinating conjunctions so…(that) and such…(that) express result. Examples:
The soup was so hot that I had to wait for it to cool down. [The comparative clause expresses the result that I had to wait for the soup to cool down.]
The movie was so boring that many people left the theatre early.
The instructions were such a jumble that they confused everyone who read them.
The traffic was such a mess that we arrived at the event hours late.
The above clauses express result. Second, they contain so…that and such…that, which look similar to so that of adverb clause of result. From here, it’s natural to term the above clauses as adverb clauses of result. But that’s incorrect.
Why?
First, the simple part. So that and so…that are different. The former is a subordinating conjunction (introducing adverb clause of result); the latter is a correlative subordinating conjunction (introducing correlative clause). That can’t be dropped in the former; it can be in the latter if the use is informal.
Second, the foundational difference. You would know that there are three types of dependent clauses – noun, relative (or adjective), and adverb. But there is another – comparative clause – which is a modifier like relative and adverb clause. Comparative clause, in other words, is at the same hierarchical level as other three dependent clauses, but it’s different from them. It’s not noun clause. It’s not relative clause. It’s not adverb clause. That’ why you’ll never see the term adverb clause of comparative.
If comparative clause is not an adverb clause, how can it be an adverb clause of result? You can call it a clause of result or correlative clause of result – but not an adverb clause of result. An adverb clause of result is what we discussed earlier in this post.
You can confirm that a comparative clause is indeed not an adverb clause through substitution test.
Substitution test
If we can substitute comparative clause with a meaningful adverbial (usually prepositional phrase or adverb phrase), the comparative clause is an adverb clause. Otherwise, not. Let’s try this. Can you replace following comparative clause by an adverbial?
The soup was so hot that I had to wait for it to cool down.
[This substitution with a prepositional phrase, for example, is weird: The soup was so hot for getting cold. It’s nearly impossible to get a meaningful adverbial substitute; hence, comparative clause is indeed not an adverb clause.]
Now, if you try substitution test with an actual adverb clause of result, you would be able to find a meaningful adverbial substitute:
She left a note on the door, so (that) her visitors knew where she had gone.
[You can replace the clause by an adverbial prepositional or infinitive phrase: She left a note on the door, to let her visitors know where she had gone. She left a note on the door, for her visitors to know where she had gone. Hence, it’s an adverb clause.]
