An adverb modifies verb, adjective, and adverb, which leads many to think that the same must be true with adverb clause.
But is that true?
Some resources on the internet state that adverb clause modifies verb, adjective, and adverb. Some state that it modifies only verb. Some state that it modifies main clause of the sentence. All these assertions though don’t explain how adverb clause modifies what they say it modifies.
In this post, we’ll explore what – and how – adverb clause modifies.
Let’s take each.
Does adverb clause modify adjective?
It doesn’t seem to.
These are cited as examples of adverb clause modifying adjective in the main clause:
He is so excited that he can’t stop smiling. [Adverb clause modifies adjective excited.]
I’m as happy as I’ve ever been. [Adverb clause modifies adjective happy.]
He is upset because he lost the game. [Adverb clause modifies adjective upset.]
But the first two are not even adverb clauses. They are comparative clauses, one of the four dependent clauses, the other three being noun, relative, and adverb clause.
The third for sure is an adverb clause, and it is placed right next to an adjective (upset), compellingly suggesting that the adverb clause is modifying the adjective.
But, by taking cue from how adverb modifies adjective, it can be argued that adverb clause is not modifying upset. Here goes the argument.
An adverb almost always pre-modifies an adjective, which means that an adverb is placed immediately before the adjective it modifies. The same holds when an adverb modifies another adverb. But when it modifies a verb, it can occupy more than one position, including pre-verb position. Examples:
It was an extremely treacherous descent. [Adverb extremely is placed immediately before the adjective treacherous.]
News may not be entirely true. [Adverb entirely is placed immediately before the adjective true.]
In the above sentences, you can’t move the adverb to a different position. It’s positionally locked with its adjective.
It can be argued that when an adverb clause modifies adjective or adverb in the main clause, it should behave in the same way. But the adverb clause in He is upset because he lost the game is mobile. It’s not positionally locked with its adjective. Hence, this is possible:
Because he lost the game, he is upset.
Since Because he lost the game is not positionally locked with upset, it is not modifying it. Then what’s the adverb clause modifying? It’s modifying the main clause. We’ll see details of this in the last section.
Does adverb clause modify adverb?
It doesn’t seem to.
These are cited as examples of adverb clause modifying adverb in the main clause:
She runs faster than I do. [Adverb clause modifies adverb faster.]
He completed the task more efficiently than we expected. [Adverb clause modifies adverb efficiently.]
She sings as beautifully as a professional opera singer. [Adverb clause modifies adverb beautifully.]
But none of the three are adverb clauses: They are comparative clauses.
If indeed there is a sentence where adverb clause looks like modifying an adverb, we can use the test we used in the last section.
Does adverb clause modify verb?
It probably modifies verb. But it does modify main clause.
When an adverb modifies verb, it’s usually clear, like in this sentence.
He patiently waited for the bus. [Waited in what manner? Patiently.]
If we do the same with adverb clause, it seems to modify verb of the main clause.
We decided to stay indoors because it was raining. [Decided why? Because it was raining.]
We will start the meeting as soon as everyone is present. [Will start when? As soon as everyone is present.]
We should eat something before we leave for the airport. [Should eat when? Before we leave for the airport.]
You should park where it’s not too crowded. [Should park where? Where it’s not too crowded.]
You can borrow my car if you promise to drive carefully. [Can borrow under what condition? If you promise to drive carefully.]
But adverb clause doesn’t seem to modify verb if the verb is a linking verb.
He is upset because he lost the game. [Is why? It doesn’t make sense, does it?]
He was excited as soon as he heard the news.
She was nervous before she gave speech.
My office is located where the main street ends.
He will be happy if he wins the competition.
Adverb clause, however, seems to modify the main clause whether the verb is linking or not. Here are two each from the above examples.
We decided to stay indoors because it was raining. [We decided to stay indoors why? Because it was raining.]
We will start the meeting as soon as everyone is present. [We will start the meeting when? As soon as everyone is present.]
He is upset because he lost the game. [He is upset why? It doesn’t make sense, does it?]
He was excited as soon as he heard the news. [He was excited when? As soon as he heard the news.]
The reason why adverb clause seems to modify main clause in most situations probably lies in the fact that subordinating conjunctions show relationship between clauses – and not necessarily between a clause and a verb.
Conclusion
Adverb clause as a modifier seems to work differently from adverb as a modifier. The former doesn’t modify adjective and adverb. It probably modifies verb. It does modify main clause.
