Lesson video

Hello and welcome to this lesson, "Adverbial Complex Sentences: Explanation." Our learning outcome for today is: you understand that a complex sentence is formed of at least one main clause and any type of subordinate clause.

Our keywords that are going to help us get there are here.

My turn, your turn.

Subordinating conjunction.

Subordinate clause.

Adverbial clause.

Main clause.

Complex sentence.

Let's take a look at some of these definitions.

A subordinating conjunction is a word that starts an adverbial clause.

A subordinate clause is a group of words that contains a verb and does not make complete sense.

An adverbial clause is a type of subordinate clause that starts with a subordinating conjunction.

A main clause is a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense.

A complex sentence is a sentence formed of at least one main clause and a subordinate clause.

Our lesson outline for today looks like this.

We'll start with subordinate clauses and then we'll move to joining main and subordinate clauses.

Let's get started with subordinate clauses.

Let's listen to some clauses.

Before we listen, remember, main makes complete sense by themselves and is a group of words that contains a verb.

We have 78 organs in our bodies.

That help us survive.

Lungs are one of our vital organs.

Vital means totally essential and needed.

Because we need to pump blood around the body.

What is the same and what is different in each clause? Can you spot similarities and differences? Let's look at the the two main clauses that we just heard.

Hmm.

I wonder if you spotted them.

The first was, we have 78 organs in our bodies.

That's a main clause because it's a group of words that contains a verb, have, and it makes complete sense.

It can form a simple sentence all by itself.

The second main clause we heard was, lungs are one of our vital organs.

It's a main clause because it's a group of words that contains a verb, are, one of our being verbs, and it makes complete sense.

It can form a simple sentence all by itself.

Now you know the definition of a main clause really well from our simple sentence and our compound sentence work.

One main clause is a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense.

A main clause by itself in a sentence is called a simple sentence, and two main clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction is called a compound sentence.

A main clause's superpower is that they can form a simple sentence all by themselves.

These other two clauses are not main clauses.

That help us survive.

Because we need to pump blood around the body.

They are not main clauses because they do not make complete sense by themselves.

They are still groups of words and they still are groups of words that contain verbs.

They are subordinate clauses.

Now, you can see here that subordinate does not look like main.

Subordinate does not have hands on hips and a big confident posture, and subordinate is not as big and powerful as main, but subordinate does still have some powers.

Subordinate is still a group of words that contains a verb.

Subordinate represents, my turn, your turn.

Subordinate clauses.

Brilliant work.

So in English we have main clauses and we have subordinate clauses, and a subordinate clause is similar and different to a main clause.

A subordinate clause is still a group of words.

A subordinate clause still contains a verb, a doing verb, or a being verb, or a having verb.

However, subordinate does not make complete sense, so subordinate cannot form a sentence by itself.

Let's check your understanding so far.

A subordinate clause is different to a main clause because.

Which of these are true? A, it is a group of words.

B, it contains a verb.

C, it does not make complete sense.

D, its cannot form a sentence by itself.

Which are true when we are thinking how a subordinate clause is different to a main clause? That's right, C and D.

A subordinate clause is different to a main clause because it does not make complete sense and it cannot form a sentence by itself, unlike a main clause.

However, a subordinate clause is similar to a main clause because it is still a group of words and it is still a group of words that contains a verb.

Great job, everyone.

Here is a sentence.

We will go to the shops when you've put your hat and scarf on.

This sentence is formed of two clauses.

Hmm.

I wonder if some of you already are spotting the main clause compared to the subordinate clause.

Let's have a look.

We will go to the shops.

This is a main clause.

It makes complete sense all by itself.

It's a group of words that contains a verb.

This is the subordinate clause, when you've put your hat and scarf on.

It's still a group of words that contains a verb, but it doesn't make sense by itself.

It needs to hang on to main clause to make sense.

So what that means in English is we need to join a subordinate clause to a main clause for the subordinate clause to make sense.

We are going to learn about one type of subordinate clause called the adverbial clause.

In English, there are many types of subordinate clause, but the first one we're going to learn about is the adverbial clause.

Here's what you need to know about the adverbial clause.

It is a type of subordinate clause.

It is a group of words.

It does contain a verb.

And guess what.

You've already seen, heard, and written so many adverbial clauses in years one and two.

You just never knew they were called adverbial clauses.

These are some of our most frequently occurring clauses in English.

Here's a sentence.

We will go to the shops when you've put your hat and scarf on.

The main clause starts the sentence.

The adverbial clause comes second in the sentence, joined on to the main clause.

You can see the adverbial clause gives a second idea to the first idea in the main clause.

Here are some examples of adverbial subordinate clauses working.

We can leave.

There's our main clause.

When you've put your hat and scarf on.

There's our adverbial clause.

Look at that snow that is falling softly from the sky.

Look at that snow was the main clause.

That is falling softly from the sky was the adverbial clause.

Turn on the lights so you can see through the snow.

Again, the main clause came first in the sentence, turn on the lights, and the adverbial clause came second in the sentence, so you can see through the snow.

We can't go in the car because there are drifts of snowfall.

Again, we can't go in the car, the main clause began the sentence.

Because there are drifts of snowfall, the adverbial clause, stretched the main clause and came second in the sentence.

Now you can see clearly in these examples that none of my adverbial clauses make sense without the main clause.

They must join to a main clause to make sense.

But remember, the adverbial clauses are all still groups of words that contain a verb.

Now, any word that joins is called a conjunction, and I like to use this little brick to help me remember that any conjunction joins.

Here are some examples.

Because, or, so, and, when, but, that.

These are all conjunctions that are used in English.

Some conjunctions join words together and some conjunctions join clauses together.

These are a special type of conjunction called subordinating conjunctions.

My turn, your turn.

Because, so, that, when.

Great job.

Now you'll notice that and, but, or are not in this list of subordinating conjunctions, and that's because and, but, or, you know are coordinating conjunctions.

They join together two main clauses in a compound sentence.

These four examples of subordinating conjunctions have a different job.

A subordinating conjunction starts an adverbial clause.

Let's say that again to be absolutely sure.

A subordinating conjunction starts an adverbial clause.

Great job.

So these are the words that always come at the beginning of an adverbial clause.

Let's see the four subordinating conjunctions in those same examples from before.

We can leave when you've put your hat and scarf on.

The subordinating conjunction is when.

Look at that snow that is falling softly from the sky.

The subordinating conjunction is that.

Turn on the lights so you can see through the snow.

The subordinating conjunction is so.

We can't go in the car because there are drifts of snowfall.

The subordinating conjunction is because.

All four of the subordinating conjunctions start the adverbial clause.

When, that, so, because.

Remember, the subordinating conjunction starts the adverbial clause and the adverbial clause must join to the main clause to make sense.

Let's check our understanding.

List four subordinating conjunctions.

You can use a whiteboard or you can say them out loud.

Off you go.

Excellent.

Four subordinating conjunctions are listed here.

When, that, so, because.

And let's check again.

An adverbial clause, well, which are true of an adverbial clause? A, contains a verb.

B, is a type of main clause.

C, starts with a subordinating conjunction.

D, is a type of subordinate clause.

Which are true about an adverbial clause? A is correct.

An adverbial clause contains a verb.

C is correct.

An adverbial clause starts with a subordinating conjunction.

And D is correct.

An adverbial clause is a type of subordinate clause.

B is not correct because an adverbial clause is not a main clause.

Great work, everyone.

For your first task today, I would like you to stretch the main clause that I've given you with one subordinating conjunction to make a complex sentence.

The main clause I've given you is, I enjoy trips to the local park.

You need to use because, when, or so to stretch this main clause, so you need to think of your second idea that is going to stretch the first idea in the main clause, and remember, don't forget your full stop and your capital letter.

Pause the film now as you write your complex sentence.

Next, I'd like you to check your sentence.

Does your sentence include the main clause first, and the adverbial subordinate clause second? Does your sentence include because, when, or so subordinating conjunction, and does your adverbial clause stretch the idea of the main clause? Read your sentence back, check it carefully, and make any edits you need to.

Pause the film now.

Great job.

And here are some example sentences I wrote for you.

I enjoy trips to the local park because I love walking amongst nature.

You can see my main clause starts my sentence.

Because is the subordinating conjunction I chose to start my adverbial subordinate clause, because I love walking amongst nature.

In my second example, I enjoy trips to the local park when it is warm and sunny.

Oh, I would love to go on a walk in a warm and sunny park right now.

And in my third example, I enjoy trips to the local park so I walk there every afternoon.

You can see that my second adverbial clause stretches my first main clause.

Really great work, everyone.

Now it's time to move on to the second chunk of our lesson, joining main and adverbial clauses.

Do you remember these adverbial clauses? That help us survive.

Because we need to pump blood around the body.

Adverbial clauses do not make sense by themselves.

An adverbial clause must join to a main clause to make sense.

So here is a first main clause.

We have 78 organs in our bodies.

It's main because it's a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense.

And here's how to join it.

We use a subordinating conjunction, like the one I've shown, that, that starts an adverbial clause, which is a type of subordinate clause.

That help us survive.

My adverbial clause joins to my main clause.

And a subordinating conjunction is the word that joins the adverbial clause to the main clause.

Different subordinating conjunctions have different purposes, like in this example.

Our heart is a vital organ because we need to pump blood around the body.

Because here is giving the reason why.

Let's check, true or false? A complex sentence is formed of two main clauses.

It's false, and let's justify why.

A complex sentence is formed of at least one main clause and any subordinate clause.

Great job.

A compound sentence is a sentence formed of two main clauses that hold equal grammatical weight.

Not a complex sentence.

When you add an adverbial clause to a main clause, you make an adverbial complex sentence.

This is the third type of sentence we have learned together.

We learned the simple sentence, the compound sentence, and now we are learning the first type of complex sentence, the adverbial complex sentence, let's see it in action.

Here's a main clause.

We can eat lunch.

Makes sense by itself, is a group of words that contains a verb.

I'm gonna join this with an adverbial clause, starting with the subordinating conjunction, when.

We can eat lunch when you've washed your hands.

When you've washed your hands is an adverbial clause because it's a group of words that contains a verb that does not make sense by itself.

It needs to join to main.

The main plus the adverbial forms an adverbial complex sentence.

Let's have another look at an example.

I can see a fly, main clause, that is hovering near our picnic rug.

This is the adverbial clause that starts with the subordinating conjunction, that, and my second adverbial clause stretches the first idea in the main clause.

Together, main and adverbial create adverbial complex sentence.

And for a final example, you must listen.

Main clause makes complete sense, contains a verb.

So you understand the science lesson.

Adverbial clause, group of words, contains a verb, does not make complete sense, starts with a subordinating conjunction, so, forms and ad proverbial complex sentence.

Let's read it back one more time.

You must listen so you understand the science lesson.

The second adverbial clause stretches the idea in the first main clause.

So let's check your understanding so far.

Choose the main clause that works best to fill this gap.

Which main clause should come first before the adverbial clause on the screen, because there are drifts of snowfall.

Is it A, We should wear our sunglasses.

B, Let's put sun cream on.

Or C, We must wrap up warm for today's weather.

Which works best to fill the gap? Correct, C.

We must wrap up warm for today's weather is the best main clause to fill the gap before the adverbial clause, because there are drifts of snowfall.

And let's hear the full sentence.

We must wrap up warm for today's weather because there are drifts of snowfall.

That is an excellent adverbial complex sentence.

Great job.

So for your second task today, I would like you to fill in the boxes to make a complex sentence equation using words or these symbols.

You can draw in the pictures to the boxes.

Pause the film now as you complete the task.

Great job, and here you can see mine filled in.

I have main plus subordinate equals complex sentence.

For task three today, I would like you to write your own adverbial complex sentence about a snowy day.

Oh, I've given you a picture there to help you imagine that snowy day, and I know that you've got some fabulous language that you can use in your adverbial complex sentence.

Write your main clause first and your adverbial clause second, and you can choose if you use when, because, or so subordinating conjunction.

Remember your capital letter and your full stop and all your fabulous language.

Pause the film now as you complete the task.

Excellent work.

Now I'd like you to check your adverbial complex sentence.

Have you included one main clause and one adverbial clause? Does your sentence include when, because, or so as your subordinating conjunction? And does your second adverbial clause stretch your first main clause? Read your sentence back, check it carefully, and make your edits.

Pause the film now.

Excellent work.

Here are some example sentences I wrote for you.

There are white clouds of snow falling, so we'll wear our woolly jumpers.

(shivers) I like to wrap up warm in a nice warm jumper too.

In my second example, I can see thick blankets of snow when I look out of the window.

Here you can see the main clause comes first, the adverbial clause comes second, and when is my subordinating conjunction.

And in the third example, snowy days are my favourite because we throw snowballs.

Again, you can see the main clause came first and the conjunction, because, was my subordinating conjunction that started the adverbial clause that came second.

Excellent work, everyone.

So let's sum up everything that we have learned today in adverbial complex sentences: explanation.

A subordinate clause is a group of words that contains a verb and does not make complete sense.

A complex sentence is formed of a main clause and any type of subordinate clause.

An adverbial clause is a type of subordinate clause.

An adverbial clause starts with a subordinating conjunction.

You have done so much learning today and learned so many complex things in grammar.

You should feel so proud of yourself.

Next, you need to complete the exit quiz of today's lesson to practise your learning again, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you next time to continue on our learning journey through grammar together.

Fantastic work, everyone.