Question

What is an adverbial clause?

Answer 1

Adverbial clauses are clauses connected by adverbs.

There are three types of adverbial clauses in Chinese: 

(i) adverbial clauses with adverbial connectors

他不但很認真，而且也很努力

t¯a b´ud`an h˘en r`enzh¯en, ´erqi˘e y˘e h˘en n˘ul`ı
( He is not only very serious but also works very hard.)

(ii) adverbial clauses in the form of relative clauses

當我回家的時候，路上出了車禍

d¯ang w˘o hu´ı ji¯a de sh´ıh`ou, l`u-sh`ang ch¯u-le ch¯e-hu`o

( When I returned home, (there was) a traffic accident on the road.)

(iii) Adverbial clauses with parallel and repeated Connectors of both clauses

這篇文章又臭又長

zh`e-pi¯an w´enzh¯ang y`ou ch`ou y`ou ch´ang

(This article is both malodorous and long.)

Reference: Chinese: a linguistic introduction by Chao Fen Sun

Answer 2

状语主要是用来修饰动词和形容词的，以表明动作发生或状态存在的时间，地点，原因，等。

　1 Ten years ago, She began to live in Dalian.
　　时间状语修饰began

　2 The boy was praised for his bravery.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　原因状语修饰was praised

　B 状语从句就是用一个句子来代替上面的时间状语和原因状语。

　1 Ten years ago, 　　　　　　　 she began to live in Dalian.
　　 When she was 12 years old, she began to live in Dalian.

　2 The boy was praised for his bravery.
　　The boy was praised because he saved the baby’s life in the freezing river.

Answer 3

Adverbial clause refers to a sentence that acts as an adverb when a sentence is used as an adverbial. It can modify a predicate, a non-predicate verb, an attribute, an adverbial, or an entire sentence. According to its function, it can be divided into time, place, reason, condition, purpose, result, concession, method and comparison clause.

For example:

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I will call you as soon as I arrive in Beijing. 我到北京就将给你打电话。

　　（这是由as soon as引导的时间状语从句，从句中的谓语动词arrive是一般现在时，表示一般将来时，绝不可用will arrive）

As soon as I have finished this work, I will have gone home. 我一完成此工作，就回家。

　　（从句中的谓语动词用 现在完成时have finished，表示 将来完成时,绝不可用will have finished）

If he comes back, please let me know.如果他回来了，请通知我。

　　（从句中的 谓语动词用comes back,表示 一般将来时，绝不可用will come back）