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the meanings and functions of the conjunction are so numerous that it is really difficult to say what the basic
meaning of the conjunction is, as its function depends on the meaning of the clauses and their relationship.
Conditional clauses may be joined asyndetically, though they have link-inversion in this case. Here the
meaning and function of the clause can be inferred only from the meaning of the subordinate and the main
clause.
An adverbial clause may qualify the whole main clause, the verbal predicate or any verbal part, and also
parts expressed by an adjective
or
adverb. Its position therefore varies: it may be initial, medial, or final -
depending on the position of the part of the sentence it refers to and on the general structure of the main clause.
Women are very shy when they are expressing their emotions.
One day, because the days were so short, he decided to give up algebra and geometry.
Types of adverbial clauses
§ 164. According to their semantics we distinguish adverbial clauses of place, time, manner, comparison,
condition, concession, purpose, cause, result.
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of place
§ 165. An adverbial clause of place defines the place or the direction of the action expressed in the
principal clause. It may be introduced by one of the following conjunctions: where, whence, wherever,
everywhere (that) and conjunctive adverbs with prepositions. A clause introduced by wherever can express
direction as well as position.
He was standing where he always had stood, on the rug before the living-room fire.
From where he stood he could see nothing.
Wherever they came people greeted them enthusiastically.
Why can’t we go where it’s warm?
He took a chair whence he could see the street.
Note:
Adverbial clauses of place introduced by the conjunction where should not be confused with predicative or
object clauses introduced by the conjunctive adverb where or its derivatives, or with attributive clauses
introduced, by the relative adverb where. The descrimination is determined by the meaning and nature of the
word the clause refers to.
The young people went off at once to wherever they were going. (adverbial clause)
I wonder where you are hurrying. (object clause)
This must be where my sister lives. (predicative clause)
Here is the house where we stayed last year. (attributive clause)
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of time
§ 166. An adverbial clause of time characterizes the action expressed in the main clause from the
temporal point of view. The action may be expressed by a finite or non-finite form of the verb.
An adverbial clause of time may be introduced by conjunctions: as, as soon as, as long as, when, whenever,
while, now that, till, until, after, before, since; recently formed conjunctions and phrasal conjunctions: the time
(that), the day (that), the moment, the instant, next time, every (each) time, directly, immediately, instantly,
once.
Every conjunction in the above list imparts a particular shade of meaning to the temporal relation - priority,