Grammar Rules Questions Medium
Adverbial clauses of purpose are dependent clauses that function as adverbs to express the purpose or intention behind an action. These clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions such as "so that," "in order that," "to," or "for."
The main purpose of adverbial clauses of purpose is to provide additional information about why an action is being performed. They answer the question "Why?" and help to clarify the intention or goal behind the main clause.
For example, consider the sentence: "She studied hard so that she could pass the exam." In this sentence, the adverbial clause of purpose "so that she could pass the exam" explains the reason or purpose behind the action of studying hard.
Adverbial clauses of purpose can also be used to express negative purposes or intentions. For instance, in the sentence "He left early to avoid traffic," the adverbial clause of purpose "to avoid traffic" explains the intention of leaving early in order to prevent encountering traffic.
It is important to note that adverbial clauses of purpose are always dependent clauses and cannot stand alone as complete sentences. They must be connected to an independent clause to convey a complete thought.
In summary, adverbial clauses of purpose provide information about the purpose or intention behind an action and are introduced by subordinating conjunctions. They help to clarify the reason behind the main clause and cannot function as standalone sentences.