Adverbial Clause of Time

Time Clauses—Before, After, When

They are subordinate clauses that describe when an action occurs. 

 * Subordinate clause or independent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

 Adverb clauses of time cannot stand on their own and must be attached to an independent clause. WHY? because it does not express a complete thought.

 *In grammar, a clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb. 


EXAMPLES WITH WHEN: 

  1. He was talking on the phone when I arrived.
  1. When she called, he had already eaten lunch.
  1. I washed the dishes when my daughter fell asleep.

  • EXAMPLES WITH AFTER:
  1. We will finish after he comes.
  1. She ate after I (had) left.

  • EXAMPLES WITH BEFORE:
  1. We will finish before he arrives.
  1. She (had) left before I telephoned.


IT IS FORM BY TWO CLAUSES

  • A MAIN CLAUSE: 


    It is a complete sentence. Example: I ate breakfast.

     

    A TIME CLAUSE: 

     

    It is an incomplete sentence. It must be connected to a main clause.

    Example: 

    Before I went to class.  

  • Structure:  

  • BEFORE/ AFTER / WHEN + S+ V


THE TIME CLAUSE CAN COME AFTER AND BEFORE THE MAIN CLAUSES. 
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN MEANING
Examples:

  1. We will finish before he arrives.
  2. Before he arrives, we will finish. 
1. We took a walk after we finished our homework.  
2. After we finished our homework, we took a walk. 

1. When Tom was a child, he lived with his aunt. 
2. Tom lived with his aunt when he was a child. ****


Notice that the noun Tom comes before the pronoun he. ****

  • When it comes before the main clause, we usually separate it with a comma.
  • Commas are not necessary when the adverb clause goes after the main clause.




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