Why should you reduce adverbial clauses? The ways of reducing adverbial clauses in English

Reducing adverbial clauses is a challenging part of language learning, but it frequently appears in everyday life as well as English exams. So how can you understand and master the structure of reducing adverbial clauses? Let's explore the types of adverbial clauses, reasons, and accurate rules for reducing adverbial clauses in the following article with PREP!

I. What are adverbial clauses?

Adverbial clauses in English are a type of clause that functions as an adverbial modifier, used to modify another clause. Adverbial clauses in a sentence are always subordinate clauses (clauses that cannot express a complete idea and cannot stand alone). For example:

• When my mother comes back home, she will buy candy for me. 
• During Jane’s stay, I find her very funny. 

II. Summary of common adverbial clauses in English

Let's explore common adverbial clauses in English with PREP!

III. The reasons for reducing adverbial clauses in English

Why should you reduce adverbial clauses? Let's analyze some prominent reasons with PREP!

• Make sentences shorter: Reducing adverbial clauses helps make sentences concise, making the text easier to read and understand. When information is conveyed directly and clearly, readers or listeners can quickly grasp it.
• Enhance the power of the sentence: By reducing adverbial clauses, you can make the sentence sharper and more direct. Instead of using complex structures, a short and clear sentence can increase persuasiveness and impact.
• Help listeners focus on the main idea: Reducing unnecessary information helps listeners focus on the main idea of the sentence. This makes the text or expression sharper and more effective.
• Help listeners understand the meaning better: A clear and concise sentence helps readers or listeners understand your meaning more clearly without facing too much irrelevant information.

IV. Various ways of reducing adverbial clauses in English

Before delving into the rules for reducing adverbial clauses, you need to remember that an adverbial clause must meet the following two requirements:

• The adverbial clause must have the same subject as the main clause.
• NOT ALL adverbial clauses can be reduced.

Typically, learners can only reduce three types of adverbial clauses: clauses indicating time, clauses indicating cause, and clauses indicating contrast.

Let's explore the different ways of reducing adverbial clauses in each specific case with PREP!

V. Exercises on reducing adverbial clauses

Let's practice with the following exercises to further understand the ways of reducing adverbial clauses in English with PREP!

Exercise: Reducing adverbial clauses in the following sentences

1. Although the movie received rave reviews, it failed to impress me due to its slow pacing.
2. When I am stressed, I find it difficult to focus on anything else.
3. Because he missed the bus, he was late for his meeting with the client.
4. Even though he is a talented musician, he didn't get accepted into the music school.
5. As I was feeling sick, I decided to stay home instead of going to the party.
6. As soon as I finish my work, I'll join you for lunch.
7. Because he got up late, he was late for work.
8. As I didn't want to wake him up, I turned off the radio.
9. Because it was built of wood, the house caught on fire easily.
10. After she finished her homework, Anna watched her favorite movie.

Answer:

1. Although receiving rave reviews, it failed to impress me due to its slow pacing.
2. When stressed, I find it difficult to focus on anything else.
3. Missing the bus, he was late for his meeting with the client.
4. Even though being a talented musician, he didn't get accepted into the music school.
5. Feeling sick, I decided to stay home instead of going to the party.
6. Finishing my work, I'll join you for lunch.
7. Getting up late, he was late for work.
8. Not wanting to wake him up, I turned off the radio.
9. Being built of wood, the house caught on fire easily.
10. After finishing her homework, Anna watched her favorite movie.

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!