Relative Clauses Questions Medium
Relative clauses and adverbial phrases are both types of dependent clauses that provide additional information in a sentence. However, there are some key differences between the two.
Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns (such as who, whom, whose, which, or that) or relative adverbs (such as when, where, or why). They function as adjectival clauses, modifying a noun or pronoun in the main clause. Relative clauses provide essential information about the noun they modify and cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. For example, in the sentence "The book that I bought is on the table," the relative clause "that I bought" is essential to identify which book is being referred to.
On the other hand, adverbial phrases are groups of words that function as adverbs, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide additional information about the time, place, manner, reason, or condition of the action or state expressed in the main clause. Adverbial phrases can be removed from the sentence without altering its basic meaning. For instance, in the sentence "She walked to the park yesterday," the adverbial phrase "yesterday" provides information about when the action took place, but it can be omitted without changing the main idea of the sentence.
In summary, the main difference between relative clauses and adverbial phrases lies in their function and the type of information they provide. Relative clauses modify nouns or pronouns, while adverbial phrases modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Relative clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence, while adverbial phrases can be omitted without altering the main idea.