Take a look at this sentence, “Let’s eat at the diner. We can get good fires there.” While this is a perfectly fine sentence on its own, do you think we can make it more concise and smoother? Yes, we can by using relative adverbs, “Let’s eat at the diner where we can get good fries.” These adverbs are a great way to provide information about a noun or a pronoun and can help to get more information about something in a sentence. In this blog, we will learn more about relative adverbs meaning, their use cases, examples, and much more. Read on!
Table of Contents
A relative adverb is a type of adverb that is used to introduce an adjective clause or adverb clause and modifies a noun or a pronoun in the main clause of a sentence. Three common types of relative adverbs are “where,” “when,” and “why.” For example, “let’s go to the park where we can feed the ducks,” here, the word “where” is connecting two different clauses: “let’s go to the park” and “we can feed ducks there.”
These adverbs help in providing additional information about a place, time, or reason and help in forming more sophisticated and complex sentence structures. Many dictionaries have different relative adverbs definition, but the most common one is from “Merriam-webster”, which defines it as “an adverb that introduces a clause qualifying an antecedent.”
Let’s take a look at some relative adverbs examples in sentences to understand their use case and placement.
1. This is the house where I grew up.
2. Nobody knows the reason why she left early.
3. I can’t forget the moment when I won the race.
4. Do you remember the winter break when we went to Italy?
5. That’s the parking area where she parked the car.
Now that you have a better understanding of relative adverbs meaning, let’s take a look at some of their characteristics. This will help in using relative adverbs much more effectively and will allow you to provide more specific details about time, place, or reason in a sentence.
1. They help describe or give more information about a noun in a sentence.
2. They act as adverbs and function within the clause they are modifying.
3. Relative adverbs also help in specifying when, where, or why something happens.
4. These adverbs are important to connect ideas and join clauses smoothly.
5. Lastly, they also help avoid repeating a noun or preposition.
6. We do not use relative adverbs with conjunctions.
Below is a table that will show you the meaning and examples of relative adverbs that are most commonly used in English.
| Relative Adverb | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Refers to a place | This is the café where we met last year. |
| When | Refers to a time | I’ll never forget the day when we won. |
| Why | Refers to a reason | She explained the reason why she was late. |
Do keep in mind that most relative pronouns can replace a preposition + relative pronoun construction. For example, “the place in which he lives” becomes “the place where he works.”
One of the most common issues most people face when using relative adverbs is confusing them with relative pronouns. While both of them do introduce clauses that modify nouns in a sentence, they differ from each other in their grammatical function.
To start with, relative pronouns replace nouns or pronouns within a relative clause, whereas relative adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs by indicating time, place, or reason.
| Feature | Relative Pronoun | Relative Adverb |
|---|---|---|
| Function | Replaces a noun or pronoun | Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb |
| Information Provided | Gives specific details about a noun or pronoun | Indicates time, place, or reason for the action |
| Examples | who, whom, whose, which, that | when, where, why |
Here is a worksheet containing two relative adverbs exercises that will help you practice and learn about the use and placement of these adverbs better.
Exercise 1: Combine The Sentences Using Where, When, Or Why
In this exercise, you have to add the relative adverbs in sentences and create a single complex structure.
1. She gave me the date. The date was very important.
2. This is the restaurant. We ate there last night.
3. He didn’t tell me the reason. The reason surprised everyone.
4. The moment was magical. We will never forget it.
5. I know a place. We can watch the sunset there.
6. Do you remember the day? The day we first met?
7. The event was canceled. The event was supposed to start at noon.
8. They didn’t explain the cause. The cause of the problem is unclear.
9. That’s the house. I spent my childhood there.
10. I’m not sure about the time. The time we agreed on changed.
Answers
1. She gave me the date when it was very important.
2. This is the restaurant where we ate last night.
3. He didn’t tell me the reason why it surprised everyone.
4. The moment when we will never forget was magical.
5. I know a place where we can watch the sunset.
6. Do you remember the day when we first met?
7. The event, when it was supposed to start at noon, was canceled.
8. They didn’t explain the cause why the problem is unclear.
9. That’s the house where I spent my childhood.
10. I’m not sure about the time when we agreed on changed.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct relative adverb
The second one of the relative adverbs exercises is fill in the blanks, where you have to add the appropriate adverb in a sentence.
1. I remember the day ______ we first met.
2. This is the park ______ we used to play as kids.
3. Can you explain the reason ______ you were late?
4. The summer ______ we went to Italy was unforgettable.
5. That’s the house ______ my grandparents live.
6. Do you know the place ______ the concert will be held?
7. Tell me the story ______ you got lost in the city.
8. The moment ______ she arrived, the party started.
9. There’s a café nearby ______ we can have lunch.
10. I don’t understand the reason ______ he left early.
Answers
1. When
2. Where
3. Why
4. When
5. Where
6. Where
7. Why
8. When
9. Where
10. Why
In conclusion, relative adverbs are an important part of the English grammar that can help in connecting the main clause of a sentence to a relative clause. They also play a big role in making our writing and speaking more fluid and connected. In our blog above, we took a look at the definition, meaning, characteristics, examples, and much more. If you need help learning more about them or other English grammar structures, or want to join online english classes, then you can connect with our experts from Gradding.com.
1. What is the difference between Relative Adverbs and Interrogative Adverbs?
The main difference is that relative adverbs like where, when, and why are used to introduce relative clauses and connect them to a noun. For example, “that’s the reason why I did not eat.” Whereas, interrogative adverbs (where, when, why, how) are used to ask questions. For example, “Why did you not eat?”
2. Can a Sentence Start with A Relative Adverb?
No, a sentence cannot start with a relative adverb because its main role is to introduce a dependent clause that connects to an independent clause. However, in formal and literary writing, we can start a sentence with them. For example, “Where I grew up is very different now.”
3. Can we Omit Relative Adverbs?
Yes, sometimes we can omit relative adverbs for conciseness, especially in informal writing. However, this can only happen when it is not important for understanding, and the sentence is still grammatically correct. For example:
4. What are Some Common Mistakes When Using Relative Adverbs?
Some common mistakes when using relative adverbs are:
5. Can I Use "Because" Instead of "Why"?
No, you generally cannot use "because" instead of "why" because they serve different grammatical functions.
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