Everyday Grammar: Three Reasons to Learn Relative Adverbs

Everyday Grammar: Three Reasons to Learn Relative Adverbs

From VOA Learning¹ English, this is Everyday Grammar.

In an earlier program, we talked about the relative pronouns² who, that, and which. We promised to give you more details about how to use relative clauses⁴. In this episode⁵, we look at how the relative adverbs where, when, and why are used.

Let's take a look at how relative adverbs work. An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective⁶, another adverb or a sentence. It is often used to show time, manner and place, or degree. The relative pronouns where, when, and why act as adverbs when they join sentences or clauses. Take these two sentences:

This is a swimming pool.

I used to swim in the pool.

Notice how you can put the sentences together with the word where:

This is the pool where I used to swim.

Another way to say that is "This is the pool in which I used to swim." That is a formal way and is usually only found in writing. We use the relative adverb where to show the place of an action.

The relative adverb when tells about the time of an action. Let's look at an example from The Logical⁷ Song by the rock group Supertramp.

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,

A miracle⁸, oh it was beautiful, magical.

…

And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,

Clinical, intellectual⁹, cynical¹⁰.

The singer says that life was wonderful when he was young. Later, he uses another adverb to show the world where he could be dependable. A more formal way to say that would be "They showed me a world in which I could be dependable."

We often want to tell the reason for an action. This week, President Obama visited Alaska (see our article on his hike up a glacier) and talked about melting ice. So much ice is melting in Alaska, he said, that sea levels are rising quickly. Here's how he put it:

"The pace of melting is only getting faster.  It’s now twice what it was between 1950 and 2000 -- twice as fast as it was just a little over a decade ago.  And it’s one of the reasons why sea levels rose by about eight inches over the last century, and why they’re projected to rise another one to four feet this century."

President Obama made one sentence from these two ideas:

Ice is melting very quickly.

Sea levels rose about eight inches in the last 100 years.

His speech has another clause³ with a relative adverb that combines these ideas:

Ice is melting very quickly.

Scientists predict that sea levels will rise even more.

The words "the reason" or "the reasons" often appear before the relative adverb why, but sometimes they are left out, as in President Obama's speech: "… and why they’re projected to rise another one to four feet this century."

Are you ready to try some sentences on your own? Put together these sentences with relative adverbs:

The coffeehouse is in my neighborhood.

He got a job in a coffeehouse.

Is your answer like this?

           The coffeehouse where he got a job is in my neighborhood.

Here's another one:

I got home from work.

I saw the dogs playing in the yard.

One way to put these ideas together is,

I saw the dogs playing in the yard when I got home from work.

Finally, let's put these two sentences together.

The dogs frightened the cat.

The cat ran up the tree.

Combine these ideas as:

The dogs are the reason why the cat ran up the tree.

You will sometimes hear that instead of why after the word reason as in,

The dogs are the reason that the cat ran up the tree.

We leave you with Earth Wind and Fire singing Reasons

I can't find the reasons

But my love for you it won't disappear

Can't find the reasons, why I love you, my baby

Words in This Story

adverb – n. a word that describes a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a sentence and that is often used to show time, manner, place, or degree

dependable – adj. able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed; able to be depended on

melt – v. to change or to cause (something) to change from a solid to a liquid usually because of heat

project – v. to plan, calculate, or estimate (something) for a time in the future

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 pronouns   

n.代词( pronoun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Relative pronouns and adverbs introduce attributive clauses. 关系代词和关系副词引导定语从句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "I", "you"and "he" are all personal pronouns. I，you和he都是人称代词。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 clause   

n.（正式文件或法律文件的）条款，从句，分句

参考例句：

• The sentence consists of a main clause and a subordinate clause.这句中有一个主句和一个从句。
• What clause do you require in the contract?你要求在合同中订上什么条款？

4 clauses   

从句( clause的名词复数 )； （法律文件等的）条款

参考例句：

• Relative pronouns and adverbs introduce attributive clauses. 关系代词和关系副词引导定语从句。
• Please underline the noun clauses in the passage. 请用线画出短文中的名词性从句。

5 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

6 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。

7 logical   

adj.逻辑(上)的，符合逻辑的；合乎常理的

参考例句：

• It is logical that the book is expensive.书贵是很自然的事。
• This is undoubtedly logical.这显然是顺理成章的。

8 miracle   

n.奇迹，令人惊奇的人或事

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• It is simply a miracle that rice should grow in such a place.稻子竟能在这样的地方生长，这实在是个奇迹。

9 intellectual   

n.知识分子；adj.智力的，理智的，有理解力的

参考例句：

• Thinking is an intellectual process.思维是一个智力活动过程。
• Chess is a highly intellectual game.象棋是需用高度智力的运动项目。

10 cynical   

adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的

参考例句：

• The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。
• He was cynical that any good could come of democracy.他不相信民主会带来什么好处。