Section 12.8 Conjunctive Adverbs and Adverbial Clauses
The final two adverbial structures share a connection to clause-level grammar covered in Conjunctions and Clauses. Conjunctive adverbs connect ideas across sentence boundaries, and adverbial clauses embed entire dependent clauses within a sentence. Both involve relationships between clauses, and both interact closely with punctuation. This section provides a focused overview; see Chapter 9 for detailed treatment of clause combining and subordination.
Conjunctive Adverbs.
A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that signals a logical relationship between two independent clauses or sentences. Unlike coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), conjunctive adverbs are grammatically adverbials—they can move within their clause and require semicolon or period punctuation at the boundary:
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She was tired; however, she continued.
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She was tired. She continued, however. (moved to final position)
| Relationship | Conjunctive Adverbs |
|---|---|
| Contrast | however, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the other hand, conversely |
| Result/Consequence | therefore, consequently, thus, hence, accordingly |
| Addition | moreover, furthermore, additionally, also, besides |
| Emphasis | indeed, in fact, certainly |
| Sequence | first, then, next, finally, meanwhile |
| Example | for example, for instance, specifically |
Conjunctive adverbs are punctuated differently from coordinating conjunctions. Compare:
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She was tired, but she continued. (coordinating conjunction—comma)
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She was tired; however, she continued. (conjunctive adverb—semicolon + comma)
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She was tired, however, she continued.(comma splice—error)
Adverbial Clauses.
An adverbial clause (also called an adverb clause) is a dependent clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction that functions as an adverbial. It contains its own subject and predicate but depends on the main clause for its grammatical completeness.
Structure: Subordinating Conjunction + Subject + Predicate
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When she arrived, we started. (time)
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Because the roads were icy, we drove slowly. (reason)
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Although it was expensive, he bought it. (concession)
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If you need help, call me. (condition)
Common Subordinating Conjunctions.
| Meaning | Conjunctions |
|---|---|
| Time | when, while, before, after, until, since, as, once, whenever, as soon as |
| Reason | because, since, as, given that, now that |
| Contrast/Concession | although, though, even though, while, whereas, even if |
| Condition | if, unless, provided that, as long as, in case |
| Purpose | so that, in order that |
| Result | so...that, such...that |
| Manner | as, as if, as though |
| Comparison | than, as...as |
Punctuation with Adverbial Clauses.
Two rules govern comma use with adverbial clauses:
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Adverbial clause first: comma after the clause. When it rains, we stay inside.
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Adverbial clause last: usually no comma. We stay inside when it rains.
Labeling Table.
[S [DC [SUB When] [NP [PRON she]] [VP [V arrived]]] [IC [NP [PRON we]] [VP [V started] [VP [V working]]]]]
