Search results for 'tag:Clauses tag:Adverbs' matching tags 'Clauses' and 'Adverbs'

comma after a conjunctive adverb?

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:14:42 GMT

Hi,

I think the words 'in the mean time" and "finally" are conjunctive adverbs and can be said to be sentence adverbs, (I think) meaning they modify the whole sentences/clauses.

I have trouble if any of these conjucntive adverbs comes after the conjunction "and" in that I am not sure whether I need to put a comma (or commas) or not.

Have seen these bits from the Google Book search:

... and, in the meantime, the mortgagor bacame ...
... and, in the meantime, honoured me with his own remarks, ...
... and in the meantime you will be
..., andin the meantime, applied part of the rents and profits ...

Adjectives/Adverbs/Conjunctions?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:08:28 GMT

Hello,

I'm reading about adverbial clauses and conjunctions, and the following discussions confuse me:

The book says:
These conjunctions frequently begin adversial clauses that indicate degree or comparison: as, than, etc.

My relatives arrived earlier than they usually do.

In this example, the subordinate conjunction "than" connects the adverbial clause "than they usually do" to the main clause "my relatives arrived earlier."

(Ok, so far, so good. This, I get. But then the books says:)

The adverbial clause modifies the adjective "earlier."

Huh? Why is "earlier" an adjective?
"Arrived" is a conjugated verb. Arrived...when? "Earlier." So, shouldn't "earlier" be an adverb in the main clause, "My relatives arrived earlier." Don't adjectives modify nouns and pronouns?

Then, in another section, the book says:

Most adverbial clauses modify verbs. However, adverbial clauses of comparison often modify adjectives and adverbs.

This computer is faster than that one is.

The subordinate conjunction "than" connects the adverbial clause "than that one is" to the main clause "this computer is faster." The adverbial clause modifies the adjective "faster." It compares the speed of this computer to the speed of that computer. In doing so, the adverbial clause specifies the nature of the comparison made by the comparative adjective faster.

(Ok, I get this, too. But, in the same section, the book says:)

The plane landed later than we expected it to land.

The subordinate conjunction "than" connects the adverbial clause "than we expected it to land" to the main clause "the plane landed later." The adverbial clause modifies the adverb later.

(Fine, This, I get. "Landed" is a conjugated verb. "Landed" when? "later." So, later is an adverb.")

But Im confused, nonetheless. Why is "later" here an adverb, but "earlier" (above) is classified as an adjective?

English is confusing..

Re: when to?

CalifJim — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:28:55 GMT

Taka
I think what the author is trying to say is 'when you change trains',

Yes, that's most likely the intent.

Taka
but is that 'when to' grammatically acceptable?

Not here. No. when to clauses are indirect questions, hence, they function as noun phrases:

I didn't know when to change trains.

Be sure to tell him when to change trains.

They don't function as adverbs:

*You have to walk when to change trains.

*Be sure to read the posted signs when to change trains.

Punctuation-Why no commas and so on?

bhikkhu1991 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:11:58 GMT

Hello,

Could you tell why the following words 'then' have no commas immediately after them? Are they not connective adverbs and why does Sentence B have no punctuation between independent clauses?

Sentence A. Why don't you hire a car? Then you'll be able to visit more of the area.

Sentence B. She's been very busy at work and then there was all that trouble with her son. (These two sentences are examples from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, 7th edition.)

Thank you.

With best wishes.

Re: Conjunctive adverbs Vs Transitional words

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:20:52 GMT

Hi,

conjunctions are a small closed class of function words that link words, phrases clauses in the same sentence. examples are: is, the, of, but, or, and, so, are, for, on, at, it.

Transitional words tend, more often than not, to link thoughts and phrases or provide continuity from one sentence or paragraph to the next. E.g. Maddie's excited to see her friends and family after arriving home from six months abroad. However, she is not looking forward to going back to work.

However works as the transitional word. Other transitional words are: however, although, thus, therefore, furthermore, consequently, whereas.

Hope this helps.

Ela

Re: conjunctive adverb and comma

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:26:33 GMT

Thank you so much.

I think you can add the conjunction 'and' to it to no. 1 and my argument is that that seems to be the typical case with conjunctive adverbs, not the practice of not putting a comma before conjunctive adverbs used below, ie, for example and namely.

1. ... no longer self-supporting, hence the decision to end it.
2cNo. 1 could be like this.
1. ... no longer self-supporting and hence, the decision to end it came about.

I think most of conjunctive adverbs seem to follow the above pattern:
borrowing from above sentence:
... no longer self-supporting and therefore came about a decision to end it.
... no longer self-supporting and in addition to it, it seems unlikely that it will ever be self-sufficient.

But these are not restricted to the pattern noted but seems that it can act like a subordinate clause.

2. Here in Denver, for example, ridership was up 8 percent ...
3. ... could lead to a less-stringent step, namely requiring selllers to ...
4. ...admitted that the collaboration unforeseen events, namely a sudden gaping hole in the main-stage season.
5. ... make a decision on what to do with Rivers and thus, challenged ...

Why is that?

Re: names and functions of non-finite clauses

26TMNTJG2PG — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:12:10 GMT

To answer your question/s, I have to go into a further analysis of the sentence

concerned - They arrived home to find that the house had been burgled.

Invariably, we go home with a purpose: to eat, to sleep, etc., and in the above

case, to find (something). That is a single idea (a unit by itself) and you don't

break it unless you go into parsing (which is a separate matter) or there are

(within the sentence) extensions by way of adjective/adverb phrases/clauses,

etc.

"To find" is a qualifying infinitive performing the function of an adverb of purpose

modifying the verb "arrived".

Now, let us look at the defination of a "non-finite clause". It's simply a

subordinate clause whose verb is non-finite.

I'm sorry to say that your lecturer's treatment is against the defination because

"had been burgled" is a finite verb (in the passive voice).

Re: Punctuation-commas and so on

bhikkhu1991 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:14:34 GMT

Hello Mister Micawber,

I appreciate your kind reply. Here, I would like to point out the second sentence that has two independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb is required to be separated by a semicolon. Further, a comma is then needed after the conjunctive adverb 'then'. I have recently found out about this information on the Internet, http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/grammar_subordinate.html , 'Subordinate Conjunction, Note 2, (B)'.

He usually has a shower, and then he has a shave and brushes his teeth.

He usually has a shower; then, he has a shave and brushes his teeth.

Thank you.

With best wishes.

Re: Grammar rules - check for correctness - a kind teacher please :)

Angle1 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:30:38 GMT

Here are some examples

The main point is to explain the correct answer
The sentences are little-bit childisch ;they are some modified sentences. I am afraid that my explanations seems to be a little childisch, too. So please help me how to turn it into the right explanation.

Mary was real angry because Jack didnÂ´t show up

Real >> really - we use an adverb to determine the adjective

Fewer of the passangers is sick today

Fewer >> One - the verb is refers to singular, so we need to use singular pronoun

I asked my brother whom was on the phone

Whom >> who â Whom i sused in object case and with pronouns â we need a subject for the verb in the second clause

Jorge doesnÂ´t have no bullets in his rifle

No >> any - we should avoid double negation in written English. We could use either has + no or negation + any

I am just a little confused whether or not to go on exam.

Whether to be or not to be â I know how it should be, but I cannot explain it :/

Having be a dancer myself, I have excellent posture

Having be >> beeing â but how to explain it ???

I never did like these kind of exercises

These >> that â but could it be also this if I were pointing at it?

Kind is singular, so we need a singular demostrative pronoun

You telling the truth is ..

You >> your â telling is a gerund, gerunds are used like nouns. We need a possessive pronoun

The bakery depends on meal beeing delivered without delay

Meal >> mealÂ´s â beeing is a gerund, and meal refers to this gerund. We need to use a genitive form with âÂ´sâ

Re: queue up for

26TMNTJG2PG — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:31:35 GMT

Your can say:
(a) The people queue up waiting for the bus.
(b) They queued up for the bus yesterday.
(c) They queued at the bus stop waiting for the bus.
(d) They queue up when they are waiting for a bus (the subordinate clause being an adverb clause of time). Or: They queue up as they are waiting for a bus now (the subordinate clause being an adverb clause of reason).