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Time-Related ClausesA smelly skunk

Shortening a modifying clause

 

 

 

 

 

Shortening a time-related clause
FULL CLAUSE SHORTENED CLAUSE

While, when, before, after and since are used to relate the timing to two events.  These conjunction/prepositions join a clause with one activity to a clause with another activity. See grammar notes for details.

A clause with while, when, before, after and since can be shortened to a modifying clause if the subject of both clauses is the same. 

We came across a skunk while we were walking home.

We came across a skunk while walking home.
While walking home, we came across a skunk.

We stopped when we spotted the skunk.

We stopped when spotting the skunk.
When spotting the skunk, we stopped.

We waited a short time before we continued on.

We waited a short time before continuing on.
Before continuing on, we waited a while.

We still smell the skunk after we passed that area.

We still could smell the skunk after passing the area.
After passing the area, we still could smell the skunk.

We have been taking a new way home since we saw a skunk there.

We have been taking a new route home since seeing a skunk there.
Since seeing a skunk there, we have been taking a new wahy home.

 

 

 

 

  

Time-related Clauses

While

 

 

While — "same time"
FULL SENTENCE—SAME SUBJECT IN BOTH CLAUSES SHORTENED SENTENCE (OPTIONAL ADVERB)

Whenever while introduces a clause with the same subject as the main clause, the while-clause can be shortened to a modifying clause. The while-clause may be placed before or after the main clause (independent clause).

The while-clause modifies (usually) the subject of the main clause. *The conjunction while can optionally be omitted if the modifying clause comes before the subject of the the main clause. (When a modifying clause is used without an conjunction, one assumes that the events are same-time.)

DEPENDENT CLAUSE                  

While John was walking home,
move overlook up

 INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main)

  he came across a skunk.  
look up The subject of both clauses must be the same person.
 

MODIFYING PHRASE

While walking home,            

Walking home,           

 INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main)

John came across a skunk.  Modifies John.

John came across a skunk.  Modifies John

 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE  (main)   

John came across a skunk

 

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

while he was walking home. (no comma)
 

 INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main)

John came across a skunk   

John came across a skunk

MODIFYING PHRASE

while walking home.  We assume it modifies John.

*walking home.  Unclear – Who is walking home?
 

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
came across (v.p.) – met or encountered by chance
Related page Dependent Clause 

 

  

dog coming indoorsAdverbial Clauses

When

 

When – "immediately after"
FULL SENTENCE—SAME SUBJECT IN BOTH CLAUSES SHORTENED SENTENCE

Whenever when introduces a clause with the same subject as the main clause, the when-clause can be shortened to a modifying clause. The when-clause may be placed before or after the main clause (independent clause).

The when-clause modifies (usually) the subject of the main clause, and it introduces an action that happens immediately after. It is best to place the clause next to the personal noun it modifies, especially if there is an object noun.

DEPENDENT CLAUSE 

When John lets his dog in,
move overlook upmove over 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

he wipes his paws.
look up The subject of both clauses is the same person.
 

MODIFYING PHRASE    

When letting his dog in, 
        clause modifies John
Clause modifies the John.         

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

John wipes her paws.  

 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

John wipes the dog's paws     

DEPENDENT CLAUSE   

when he lets him in.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

John wipes the dog's paws
         clause modifies John
Clause modifies the John.           

 

MODIFYING PHRASE    

when letting her in.    

 

 

 

John greets his dog
      clause modifies John and dog  
Unclear – Who is coming in?           

*when coming in.
It's better to place this before the main clause, next to John. 

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.
Also see When / While

 

  

door lockedAdverbial Clauses

Before

 

Before – "at a time earlier than"
FULL SENTENCE SHORTENED SENTENCE

When before introduces a clause with the same subject as the main clause, the before-clause can be shortened to a modifying clause. The before-clause may be placed before or after the main clause (independent clause).

The before-clause modifies (usually) the subject of the main clause, and it means "This action happens immediately after the first action." It is best to place the clause next to the personal noun it modifies, especially if there is an object that is also a personal noun.

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

Before Anne left home,
  move overlook up

 INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

she locked the doors.
look up The subject of both clauses is the same person.

 

MODIFYING PHRASE

Before leaving home,       

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Anne locked the doors.  

 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

Anne locked the doors      

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

before she left home.
 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Anne locked the doors

Anne kissed her son
 

MODIFYING PHRASE

before leaving home. 

before leaving home.  Unclear – Who is leaving home?

 

 

 

  

shopping for foodAdverbial Clauses

After

 

 

After – "at a time later than"
FULL SENTENCE SHORTENED SENTENCE

Whenever after introduces a clause with the same subject as the main clause, then the after-clause can be shortened to a modifying clause. The after-clause may be placed before or after the main clause (independent clause).

The after-clause modifies (usually) the subject of the main clause  After can be omitted when using having verb+ed (a past participle clause) as a means of contrasting an earlier time from a later one. See Contrasting Past Events

DEPENDENT CLAUSE 

After Anne left work,             move overmove overlook up 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

she went food shopping.
look upThe subject of both clauses is the same person.

 

MODIFYING PHRASE

After leaving work, (earlier event)

Having left work,  (earlier event)    

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Anne went food shopping. (later event)

Anne went food shopping. (later event)

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Anne went food shopping       

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

after she left work.
 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Anne went food shopping      

 

MODIFYING CLAUSE

after leaving work. 

 

 

 

 

  

interviewing for a jobAdverbial Clauses

Since

 

 

Since – "from that moment to this moment"
FULL SENTENCE SHORTENED SENTENCE

Whenever since introduces a clause with the same subject as the main clause, then the since-clause can be shortened to a modifying clause. The since-clause may be placed before or after the main clause (independent clause).

The since-clause modifies (usually) the subject of the main clause. It is always better to place the clause next to the noun it modifies.

DEPENDENT CLAUSE 

Since Eric was laid off,          
move overlook up 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

he has been job-hunting.
look up The subject of both clauses is the same person.

 

MODIFYING PHRASE

Since being laid off, (modifies Eric)    

Since being laid off, (modifies ?)      

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Eric has been job hunting.

Eric has been helping John.     

 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Eric has been job hunting        

DEPENDENT CLAUSE

since he was laid off.
 

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE (main clause)

Eric has been job hunting

Eric has been helping John      

 

MODIFYING PHRASE

since being laid off. 

since being laid off.  Unclear – Who was laid off?

lay off (v..) – to fire an employee because of  financial difficulty or low demand

 

 

  

Adverb Phrases

Sentence Transformation

 

 

Most Verbs 
CHANGES DEPENDENT CLAUSE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
   

 

 

1.   Check that the subject of both clauses is the same person.

Before Anne left home,
move overlook up

she locked the doors. 
look up She refers to same subject, Anne.

2.   Remove the subject from the the dependent clause.

Before [Anne] left home,

she locked the doors.

3.  Change the verb to the -ing form. (present participle verb form)

Before [left] leaving home,

she locked the doors.  

4.  Replace the subject pronoun in the independent clause with the subject noun.

Before leaving home,  

Anne locked the doors.    
 

Optional:  Remove the adverb.  (The reader guesses the timing from the context.)

Leaving home,  

Anne locked the doors.    
 

 

 

"Be" Verbs
CHANGES DEPENDENT CLAUSE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
   

 

 

1.   Check that the subject of both clauses is the same person.

While Eric is a student,
move overlook up

he cannot work full-time. 
look up He refers to same subject, Eric.

2.   Remove the subject and adverb from the the dependent clause.

[While Eric] is a student,

he cannot work full-time. 

3.  Change the verb to the -ing form. (present participle verb form)

Being a student,

he cannot work full-time. 

4.  Replace the subject pronoun in the independent clause with the subject noun.

Being a student,  

Eric cannot work full-time.    
 

 

 

 

Common Mistakes
ERROR FIX 

*Before taking a driving course, his father told him to be careful.
Who is taking the driving course?
 

Before the son took a driving course, his father told him to be careful.
The subjects of both clauses must be the same to use a modifying clause.
 

*Unfortunately, the ball hit John in the back of the head while running.  
Who was running – the ball or John?
 

Unfortunately, the ball hit John in the back of the head while John was running. (Restate the subject.)
Unfortunately, John was hit  in the back of the head while [he was] running.
(Rephrase the sentence with John as the subject of the main clause.)
  

*Yellow highlighting indicates example of incorrect usage.

 

 

  

Grammar Notes

Traditional & Current

 

 

"Adverbial Clauses" v. "Temporal Location Expressions"
PAST GRAMMAR CURRENT GRAMMAR

In traditional grammar while, when, before, after, an since are conjunctions which join an adverb clause to an independent clause. The term adverbial clause is used because the clause adds time-related information about the verb and answers the question When? This added-on structure is called a dependent clause because it can not stand alone as a sentence.

In current linguistic analysis – while, when, before, after, and since — are prepositions which take a a clause as a complement: with a subject and a verb (while we were walking home) or with a gerund-participle (while walking home).  Before and after additionally take a noun complement: (before me).  The structure is called an adjunct because it is not required for completing the meaning of the sentence.

Azar & Hagen call these adverbial clauses or "time clauses" with no mention of a term for the connector. It is not clear whether while, when, before, after, and since are adverbs or conjunctions.   "A time clause begins with such words as when, before after, as soon as, until, and while and includes a subjects and a verb.  The time clause can come either at the the beginning of the sentence or in the second part of the sentence…" (UUEG 4-3, Adverb clauses 17-2; Reduction  18-1)

Huddleston & Pullum (2009) have re-assigned a large number of items previously analyzed as adverbs after, as, as soon as, before, once, since while, and when to the class of prepositions.  The preposition is the head of the prepositional phrase (PP) which can be complemented by a noun phrase or a clause with a subject and a verb, or a clause with a gerund-participle .  (CaGEL 612-7)
Also see " Nonfinite clauses as modifiers and supplements"  (CaGEL1265-6)

Quirk & Greenbaum (1989) place while, when, before, after, and since in the class of conjunction.  They function as subordinators of adjunct clauses that express time-relationship. (CoGEL 8.53)
 

Swan (2009) refers to while, when, before, after, and since as conjunctions. (Swan 30.1)

Resources / Works cited

 

 

 

  

Counting SheepPractice 1

Same-time Events

 

 

 

Shorten the clause to a modifying clause if possible. 
  1. Select the response that best completes the sentence.
  2. Compare your response to the answer on the right by clicking the "check" button.

 

# YOUR RESPONSE ANSWER CHECK
1.

 

 
2.

 

 

 
3.

 

 
4.

 
5.

 

 
6.

 
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9.

 

Note that no comma is used when the conjunction follows the main (independent clause.)
 
10.

 

 
   

 

 

 

  

a pulled musclePractice 2

Verb Forms in Modifying Clauses

 

 

Decide on the verb form.
  1. Select the word or words that best complete the sentence.
  2. Compare your response to the answer to the right by clicking the "check" button.

 

# YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
11.
12.

stretch out (v.) – extend muscles in body
13.
14.
15.
16.

injure /ˈɪndʒər/ (v.) – hurt