Reducing Adverbial Clauses: Rules, Examples, Practice

Reducing adverbial clauses helps make English sentences clearer, more concise, and more natural in academic writing. This guide explains what adverbial clauses are, when and how they can be reduced, and highlights common mistakes, practical examples, and targeted exercises to help you apply this structure accurately.

I. What Are Adverbial Clauses and Why Reduce Them?

An adverbial clause is a group of words that functions as an adverb—it modifies a verb by providing additional information about time, reason, condition, contrast, or purpose. These clauses often begin with subordinating conjunctions such as when, while, although, because, if, or since, and they contain both a subject and a verb.

Examples of full adverbial clauses:

• When she arrived, the meeting had already started.

• Although he was tired, he continued working.

Adverbial clauses are useful in writing because they add clarity, provide background, and establish logical connections between ideas. However, in many cases—especially in academic or professional writing—they can be reduced to make sentences more concise and stylistically sophisticated.

Why reduce adverbial clauses?

• To avoid redundancy by shortening obvious or repetitive structures

• To improve sentence fluency and reduce wordiness

• To demonstrate control of complex grammar forms, especially in formal writing or exams like IELTS and TOEFL

• To connect ideas smoothly without always using full subordinate clauses

Conditions for reducing adverbial clauses:

• The subject of the adverbial clause must be the same as the subject of the main clause

• The verb in the adverbial clause must be active (though in some cases, passive forms are also possible)

• The reduced phrase must preserve the original meaning clearly, without creating ambiguity

For a broader overview of how adverbial clauses in English function across different sentence types, reviewing the full structure before reduction is highly recommended.

1. How to Reduce Adverbial Clauses Step by Step

Reducing adverbial clauses involves transforming a full dependent clause into a shorter, more concise phrase—often using participles or prepositional phrases. This process helps make writing more fluid and academically advanced. To do it effectively, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Identify the Type of Adverbial Clause

First, determine which type of relationship the adverbial clause expresses. Is it showing time, cause, condition, or contrast? This helps you choose how to transform it correctly.

For example:

• Time: After she finished her work, she went home.

• Reason: Because he was late, he missed the train.

• Condition: If you study hard, you will pass the exam.

Step 2: Remove the Subject and Adjust the Verb

If the subject of the adverbial clause is the same as the subject in the main clause, you can remove the subject and convert the verb into the -ing form (present participle). This creates a reduced clause.

Original: While she was walking to school, she saw her friend.
Reduced: While walking to school, she saw her friend.

If the verb is in passive voice, use a past participle:

• Full: Although the documents were signed, the deal was delayed.

• Reduced: Although signed, the deal was delayed.

A solid understanding of present participle in English helps ensure that reduced clauses remain grammatically accurate and natural.

Step 3: Check for Meaning and Clarity

Not every clause can or should be reduced. After making the change, ask yourself:

• Does the reduced clause clearly connect to the main clause?

• Is the meaning still accurate and unambiguous?

• Have I preserved the original logical relationship (e.g., time, cause)?

For example, this reduction introduces confusion:

• Full: Although he was angry, he stayed calm.

• Ambiguous reduced version: Although angry, he stayed calm. → (Still okay, but could confuse readers if subject isn't fully clear)

Clarity always comes first. If reducing the clause creates a confused or forced sentence, it's often better to keep the full form.

2. Common Types of Reduced Adverbial Clauses

Not all adverbial clauses can or should be reduced, but several common types frequently appear in reduced form. These include clauses of time, reason, and condition or concession. Understanding how to reduce each group can help you write more efficiently and sound more fluent in academic or formal English.

Usage Notes:

• Reduction is only possible when the subject of the adverbial clause is the same as the subject of the main clause.

• Avoid reducing if it makes the sentence unclear or grammatically incorrect.

• This structure is especially useful in academic writing and IELTS Writing Task 2.

In more advanced writing, similar conciseness can also be achieved through absolute phrases in English, which function independently of the main clause subject.

II. When You Should NOT Reduce Adverbial Clauses

Although reducing adverbial clauses can improve clarity and make writing more concise, it is not always appropriate. In some cases, using a reduced clause may lead to confusion, grammatical inaccuracy, or even a change in the intended meaning. That’s why it’s essential to know when not to apply reductions.

When the Subjects Are Different

You should not reduce an adverbial clause if the subject of the subordinate clause is not the same as the subject of the main clause. Doing so would result in a misleading or illogical sentence.

Incorrect reduction:

• • While driving to work, the traffic light turned red.
    → This implies the traffic light was driving.

Correct version:

• • While I was driving to work, the traffic light turned red.

In such cases, always keep the full clause to maintain clarity.

When the Meaning Becomes Unclear or Ambiguous

Even if the subjects match, reducing the clause may cause ambiguity—especially when the reduced form lacks context or clarity.

Example:

• After leaving the building, the phone rang.
  → Who left the building? This could confuse the reader.

If the reduced clause makes your sentence open to multiple interpretations, it's best to use the full form.

In such cases, using a full adjective clause in English may provide clearer modification without sacrificing precision.

When Formal or Emphatic Structures Are Needed

In certain types of writing—especially those requiring deliberate emphasis or formal tone (legal documents, reports, academic literature reviews)—a full clause structure is often preferred for clarity, precision, or rhetorical balance.

Example:

• Because the results were inconsistent, the researcher conducted a second trial.
  → Keeping the full clause adds weight and seriousness in academic tone.

This is particularly true for contrast clauses in English, where reducing the structure may weaken emphasis or clarity.

When Reducing Passive Structures Creates Confusion

Some passive adverbial clauses can be reduced using past participles, but not all passive forms reduce smoothly in all contexts. If the reduced version becomes awkward or forced, it’s better to stick to the full clause.

While reducing adverbial clauses can enhance writing style, learners must use this technique selectively and thoughtfully. Prioritize grammatical accuracy and reader clarity above stylistic shortcuts. Use full clauses when necessary to preserve meaning, flow, and correctness.

Practising related structures such as noun clause in English can help learners distinguish which clauses are suitable for reduction and which should remain intact.

III. Practice Section – Reducing Adverbial Clauses

Understanding the rules of reducing adverbial clauses is only the first step; applying them correctly through practice is what builds your fluency and accuracy. In this section, you’ll complete a variety of exercises to help you recognize, form, and revise reduced adverbial clauses in natural context.

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice – Choose the Correct Reduced Clause

Select the most appropriate reduced form of the adverbial clause in each sentence.

1. While she was studying, she listened to music.
   A. She listened to music while being studied.
   B. She listened to music while studied.
   C. She listened to music while studying.
   D. She listened to music while having studied.

2. After he completed the report, he submitted it.
   A. After having completed the report, he submitted it.
   B. After completing the report, he submitted it.
   C. After completed the report, he submitted it.
   D. He submitted the report while completing it.

3. Although she was warned, she ignored the advice.
   A. Although warning, she ignored the advice.
   B. Although warned, she ignored the advice.
   C. Although having been warned, she ignore the advice.
   D. Being warned, she ignored the advice.

4. Because he didn't understand the topic, he asked for help.
   A. Not understanding the topic, he asked for help.
   B. Because of not understanding, he asked.
   C. Because he was not understanding, he asked.
   D. He asked due to confusing.

5. Since they had arrived early, they waited outside.
   A. Having arrived early, they waited outside.
   B. Arrived early, they waited outside.
   C. Since arriving early, they wait outside.
   D. They waited early since arrived.

Exercise 2: Rewrite – Reduce the Adverbial Clause

Rewrite each sentence by reducing the adverbial clause, making sure the subject remains the same.

1. Although she was exhausted, she finished the presentation.

2. While he was walking through the park, he saw an old friend.

3. Because he was confused, he didn’t respond.

4. After she had spoken, the room fell silent.

5. Since he had been promoted, he works longer hours.

Answers

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PREP hopes that after reading this article, you can grasp the definition of adverbial clauses, the types of clauses, and the reasons and rules for reducing adverbial clauses. Let’s follow PREP for more useful knowledge! Good luck with your English learning journey!