Yes, all adverbial clauses (e.g., “because I am thirsty”) are dependent clauses (that is, they can’t stand on their own as a sentence). There are other types of dependent clauses as well: adjective clauses and noun clauses.
An adverbial clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that functions as an adverb in a sentence to modify the main clause (e.g., “until Leo comes back”).
An introductory adverbial clause (sometimes called a fronted adverbial) appears at the beginning of a sentence (e.g., “Until Leo comes back, we won’t be able to start cooking”). Introductory adverbial clauses are always followed by a comma.
Adverbial clauses are often classified based on the role they play in a sentence. Some of the most common categories are:
“But” is not a conjunctive adverb; it’s a coordinating conjunction. This means it can join two independent clauses in one sentence when preceded by a comma. For example, “I wanted to buy a new car, but I didn’t have any money.”
Conjunctive adverbs, such as “however,” can’t join two independent clauses in this way. They need to be preceded by a period or a semicolon and followed by a comma: “I wanted to buy a new car; however, I didn’t have any money.”
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help ensure you use conjunctive adverbs correctly.
“However” is a conjunctive adverb. Conjunctive adverbs are adverbs that act in a similar way to conjunctions, linking the ideas in two sentences or statements together.
To join two independent clauses together with a conjunctive adverb, use a period or a semicolon after the first clause and a comma after the conjunctive adverb. For example, “the cat chased the mouse; however, the mouse got away.”
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you use conjunctive adverbs correctly.
“Because” isn’t a conjunctive adverb; it’s a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions connect subordinate clauses (aka dependent clauses) to independent clauses in a single sentence. For example, “I went to the beach because it was sunny.”
Conjunctive adverbs (e.g., “however,” “moreover”) are adverbs that act in a similar way to conjunctions, linking the ideas in two sentences or statements together. They can link independent clauses with the help of additional punctuation. For example, “it was sunny; therefore, I went to the beach.”
Adverbs can be classified in many ways. Depending on context, some adverbs fall into more than one of the categories.
Examples of adverb types include the following:
Yes, “once” is an adverb and is used to signify “one time” (e.g., “Jerry broke his arm once while playing football”).
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help ensure you’re using adverbs of frequency like “once” correctly in your writing.
Yes, “never” is an adverb and is used to signify “not at any time or any occasion” (e.g., “I never skip my morning coffee”).
You can try a QuillBot Grammar Check to ensure that adverbs of frequency are in the correct position in your sentence.
Yes, “always” is an adverb and is used to signify “every time” or “all the time” (e.g., “Suzie always checks her email before starting work”).
Try a QuillBot Grammar Check to get instant feedback on how well you’re using adverbs of frequency in your writing.
Yes, “often” is an adverb and is used to signify “many times” (e.g., “They often go for a walk after dinner”).
Test your sentence for correct placement of adverbs of frequency with a QuillBot Grammar Check.
Never is an adverb. It is an adverb of frequency that means “not at any time” (e.g., “I never drive to work”).
