Mastering Adverb Clauses in Everyday English

Diskusi 11 Grammar Analysis

You have all used adverb clauses every day in your English speaking and writing. For example, when you tell someone what happens when, before, after, because, or if something else happens, you are using adverb clauses.

Could you illustrate a condition that requires you to use adverb clauses?

Jawaban:

An adverb clause is a clause that shows how ideas are connected (Praba et al, 2017).

• Adverb clauses of time with as, when, and while.

We can often use as, when or while to mean during the time that to talk about something happens when something else takes place

For example: As/When/While John was eating, the doorbell rang.

• Adverb clauses of time with before, after, as soon as, and until

We use before and after to talk about an event happening earlier or later than another event

For example:  I put on my coat before I went out.

Praba et al (2017) proposed four basic patterns of adverb clauses of conditions where our choice of tense depends on the time of the condition (present, past, or future) and how possible or impossible we think the event is.

1. Zero conditional 

Possible at any time, but most commonly in the present. 
For example: If your dog is depressed, he probably needs more exercise.
We use the zero conditional to talk about events or situations that can occur at any time and their results. We can use modal verbs in both clauses and other present tenses in either clause. 

2. First conditional

Possible in the future.
For example: If the single flops, they’ll sack the manager.
We can use:

• Other present tenses in the “if” clause
• Other future forms in the main clause
• Modal verbs in either clause, especially can, may, and should
• An imperative in the main clause when we make offers and give instructions.
• If … happen to, if … should, or if … should happen to state something which may be possible, but it is not very likely.
• Unless to express a negative condition. It is similar to if … not
• Only if to show that the result/effect will happen when a specific condition does not matter.

3. Second conditional

Impossible in the present or possible (but improbable in the future).
For example: If you were a bit nicer, he wouldn’t get so cross.

The second conditional can describe the improbable future event or situation, and also describe hypothetical current situation or event.
We can use:

• The past continuous or was going to in the if clause
• A modal in the main clause, especially might or could
• The subjunctive “were” for all persons with “be” in the “if: clause
• If … were + to infinitive rather than If+ past simple to (1) talk about imaginary future situations, except with verb such as belong, doubt, enjoy, know, like, remember, and understand when they describe a state and (2) make a suggestion sound more polite
• Were: after if only when we express our regret that a situation isn’t different
• Were : after suppose, supposing and imagine
• Were+subject+to infinitive or were+subject as a more formal alternative to if + subject + was/were
• - If it was not for + noun phrase (or more formally If it were not for + noun phrase) to say that one situation is dependent on another situation or on a person

4. Third conditional

Impossible in the past
For example: If you had answered the door, she wouldn’t have gone away again
The third conditional describes a hypothetical situation or event in the past.
We can use:

• Continuous forms in either or both clauses 
• A modal in the main clause, usually might or could

Reference:

Praba, Utari et al. 2017. Buku Materi Pokok MPBI 5202/3SKS/Modul 1-9: Grammar Analysis. Tangerang Selatan, Banten: Universitas Terbuka.

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