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Reduction of Adverb Clauses
 

The PowerPoint presentation on the previous screen presented the lesson below. Listen to this.

Lecture 2: Constructing and Using Adverb Phrases

Now that you know how to recognize an adverb phrase, let’s see how to form one. We’ll approach this from two different angles. First, let’s just look at the formula for creating an adverb phrase. Then we’ll look at how to convert an adverb clause to an adverb phrase.

Forming Adverb Phrases

Not all adverb phrases look alike, so we will consider this from the perspective of the meaning relationship that exists between the adverb phrase and the independent clause of the sentence.  The tables below demonstrate the formulae for writing adverb phrases that show time and reason (cause) relationships.

Separate Points in Time
Before

BEFORE + *Ving + other information, independent clause

Before handing any article in to her editor, Sandra meticulously checks and double checks all her facts.

~ Note ~
In these sentences the event described in the adverb phrase takes place at a different point in time from the event described in the independent clause.
After AFTER + *Ving + other information,
independent clause

After discovering the miscited quote,
Frederick immediately notified his editor.
Since SINCE + *Ving + other information, independent clause

Since receiving her promotion to editor,
Elyse has realized that she has a different relationship with her colleagues.

Simultaneous Time

While

WHILE + *Ving + other information,
independent clause

While researching the story,
Frank stumbled upon an interesting piece of information that even the police had not found.

 

 

*Ving + other information, independent clause
(See Note 1)

Researching the story, Frank stumbled upon an interesting piece of information that even the police had not found.

 

 

WHILE + other information, independent clause
(See Note 2)

While on assignment in the Middle East, Susana met her husband.

~ Note 1 ~
If the actions in the two clauses take place at the same time, you may choose to omit WHILE. If you omit WHILE, it may be necessary to put the adverb phrase at the beginning of the sentence.

~ Note 2 ~ Sometimes there may not even be a verb in your adverb phrase. In this case, you should keep WHILE. This example has been reduced from this adverb clause: “While she was on assignment in the Middle East, Susana met her husband.”

As

*Ving + other information, independent clause 

Rushing to meet the deadline for her article, Rose neglected to include her list of sources with the final draft.

~ Note 1 ~
AS is always omitted from an adverb phrase that expresses the meaning of two simultaneous actions. 

~ Note 2 ~ Reduced AS phrases need to come at the beginning of the sentence.

*Ving = verb in the –ING form (present participle); ex. WORKING
 

Reason/Cause

Because

Since

*Ving + other information, independent clause

 

Having decided that he wanted to be a journalist, Efram focused his college search on schools that had strong journalism departments.

~ Note 1 ~ BECAUSE and SINCE are omitted from an adverb phrase that expresses reason or cause.

~ Note 2 ~
 Using HAVING + past participle (**Ved) tells the reader that the two events linked in the sentence took place at different points in time. The event in the adverb phrase happens before the event in the independent clause. 

NOT + *Ving + other information, independent clause

Not wanting to reveal her source on the story, Janet refused to testify at the trial.

~ Note ~
If the adverb phrase is negative, put the word NOT before the Ving. This is true of all reduced adverb clauses.
*Ving = verb in the –ING form (present participle); ex. WORKING
**Ved = verb in the -ED form (past participle); ex. WORKED

Notice that we punctuate these adverb phrases just as you would an adverb clause: with a comma between the phrase and the independent clause when the phrase comes at the beginning of the sentence:

Example: Having decided that he wanted to be a journalist, Efram focused his college search on schools that had strong journalism departments.

Example: While researching the story, Frank stumbled upon an interesting piece of information that even the police had not found.

Reducing an Adverb Clause to an Adverb Phrase

Now let’s look at these and other examples in their full adverb clause form and see how we go from an adverb clause to an adverb phrase:

Adverb Clause with a BE Verb

Adverb Clause

Adverb Phrase

Reduction Process
While she was on assignment in the Middle East, Susana met her husband. While on assignment in the Middle East, Susana met her husband. Delete the subject and the BE verb.
While he was working for the newspaper, Ralph received an award for his work as an investigative journalist. While working for the newspaper, Ralph received an award for his work as an investigative journalist.
  Working for the newspaper, Ralph received an award for his work as an investigative journalist. Remember that WHILE may be omitted when the two actions of the sentence are simultaneous.
As the crew of the news helicopter was pursuing the alleged robber, they filmed her attempt to escape. Pursuing the alleged robber, the crew of the news helicopter filmed her attempt to escape.

Remember that AS is not used in the adverb phrase, so it, too, must be deleted. 

Note that at times it might be necessary to change a pronoun subject (THEY) in the second part of the sentence to a full noun subject (THE CREW OF THE NEWS HELICOPTER) to be clear.

Adverb Clause with a Passive Verb

Adverb Clause

Adverb Phrase

Reduction Process
After he was given a journalism award, Ralph received many job offers. After being given a journalism award, Ralph received many job offers.

1. Delete the subject.

2. Put the BE verb in the –ING form (present participle).

Adverb Clause with Another Type of Verb

Adverb Clause

Adverb Phrase

Reduction Process
Before she hands any article in to her editor, Sandra meticulously checks and double checks all her facts. Before handing any article in to her editor, Sandra meticulously checks and double checks all her facts.

1. Delete the subject.

2. Put the verb in the
–ING form (present participle).

As she rushed to meet the deadline for her article, Rose neglected to include her list of sources with the final draft. Rushing to meet the deadline for her article, Rose neglected to include her list of sources with the final draft. Remember that AS, BECAUSE, SINCE (with a reason meaning) and sometimes WHILE are not used in the adverb phrase, so they, too, need to be deleted.
Since he had decided that he wanted to be a journalist, Efram focused his college search on schools that had strong journalism departments. Having decided that he wanted to be a journalist, Efram focused his college search on schools that had strong journalism departments. Remember that the use of HAVING + past participle (Ved) tells the reader that the two actions in the sentence are not simultaneous. The action expressed in the adverb phrase happens before the action expressed in the independent clause of the sentence. First, Efram decided that he wanted to become a journalist. Second, he focused his college search on schools that had strong journalism departments.

Are you ready to practice?  Great!  On the next screen, you will rewrite (by dragging/dropping) sentences so that they contain reduced adverb clauses.