Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Sometimes a dependent clause specifies how

someone does something or how something is
completed. Such a clause adds manner to a
sentence, so it is an adverbial clause of manner.
An adverbial clause of manner usually follows an
independent clause and ends a sentence. The most
common subordinator in an adverbial clause of
manner in spoken English is “like,” but other
subordinators also may appear in such clauses.
Examine carefully the examples that follow.
 Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Each of these example sentences has a dependent

clause which is an adverbial clause of manner:

• He finished the work as she requested.

• She’s acting like she really doesn’t like him.
• Didn’t they talk as if they had read the book?

Where is the adverbial clause of manner in each of

these sentences? Does it precede or follow the
independent clause? What is the subject-verb
combination of each adverbial clause? What is the
subordinator?
 Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Example Sentence:

• He finished the work as she requested.

The dependent clause in this example, “as she

requested,” specifies how “He finished the work.”
So, this dependent clause is an adverbial clause of
manner. Its subject-verb combination is “she
requested,” and its subordinator is “as.” The
adverbial clause in this example follows the
independent clause and finishes the sentence.
 Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Example Sentence:
• She’s acting like she really doesn’t like him.

The dependent clause in this example, “like she

really doesn’t like him,” specifies how “She’s
acting.” So, this dependent clause is an adverbial
clause of manner. Its subject-verb combination is
“she does…like,” and its subordinator is “like.”
The adverbial clause here follows the independent
clause and concludes the sentence.
 Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Example Sentence:
• Didn’t they talk as if they had read the book?

The dependent clause in this example, “as if they had

read the book,” specifies how “they talk[ed].” So,
this dependent clause is an adverbial clause of
manner. Its subject-verb combination is “they had
read,” and its subordinator is “as if.” The adverbial
clause here, like those in the other examples,
follows the independent clause and concludes the
sentence.
 Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Example sentences:
• He finished the work as she requested.
• She’s acting like she really doesn’t like him.
• Didn’t they talk as if they had read the book?

In each of these examples, the dependent clause

specifies how someone does something, so these
dependent clauses are all adverbial clauses of
manner. The subordinators here are respectively
as, like, and as if. All of these dependent clauses
follow independent clauses and conclude their
respective sentences.
Adverbial Clauses of Manner

Subordinators that may appear in adverbial clauses

of manner include:

• as, as if, like.

See the section on subordinators for more details

about each of these.

Adverbial Clauses