Adverbial phrases
(before, when, until, by the time)


Presentation


Think of the answers to these questions:

- What were you doing yesterday when the clock stroke at 2 pm?
- What will you do when you save the right amount of money?
- When do you generally feel happy?
- What cartoons did you watch when you were a child?
- What did you do before you started this exercise?



Before     When     Until     By the time



Learning how to use adverbial clauses (with words like before, when, until and by the time) is quite important because they specify when actions are done. Most of the times, we use the past to refer to work that finished when another step happened, but some other tenses can be used as well with adverbial clauses.

Look at the examples of how adverbial clauses are being used, it’s essential to notice that they are used no matter if they are questions, affirmative or negative sentences.


• He didn’t believe she had an affair because he loved her.
• When you arrive, text me.
• Will you wait for a second until I am ready?
• By the time he came, I was leaving.



So get ready and let’s begin practising this essential English words.



objetive



When

We often use when to talk about something that happens when something else takes place.

We use when to introduce a clause which talks about:

  • An event that takes place at the same time as some more extended event (in the main clause):
    Sasha and Rich were playing in the yard when they heard the phone ringing.
  • The circumstances in which the event in the main clause happens:
    When you are an adult, you’ll be able to take your own decisions.
  • To mean “every time”:
    I feel dizzy when I take that medicine.
  • To talk about past periods in our lives:
    His family called him “Boo” when he was a toddler.

Before

We use before to talk about:

  • An event happening earlier than another event:
    I put on my jacket before I went out as it was really cold.

Until or before

We can use until or before when a situation continues to happen up to a time indicated in the adverbial clause:

Fernando has to wait three weeks until/before his parcel arrived from the USA.

Until

We use until to:

  • Talk about an action that continues to a particular time and then stops:
    They were in the American football game until it started to snow heavily, then they had to go back to their home.
  • When the adverbial clause describes the result of an action in the main clause:
    He polished his car until it was really shiny.

By the time

We use by the time to introduce a past activity that happened after another past action (past perfect).

By the time you arrived, I had already finished washing the dishes.






Now, it’s time to practice. You will have 5 sentences in which adverbial phrases are used. Complete the following sentences using the verbs in the box. You can know your score at the end of the activity.







Notice that adverbial phrases join ideas. In the following exercise you have to build up logic sentences using the adverbial clause given; pay attention to the words in parenthesis.





Reading

Activity 1

Disneyland: The place where dreams come true

Have a look at the following questions:

• What do you know about Disneyland?

• How many Disney parks are there in the world?

• Would you like to visit one of them?


Read the text about Disneyland. Then complete the sentences given in each number by choosing a, b or c, according to the text. You have only one attempt to answer the ideas presented.







Listening

Activity 2

Traveling as a job

Would you like to visit Europe? What countries would you visit if you had the chance to travel to this continent? What would you eat?


NA. (2016). Mapa. Tomado de https://pixabay.com/es/mundo-europa-mapa-conexiones-red-1264062/

Listen to the monologue and answer the exercise. Order the events the speaker mentions chronologically so they are coherent. You can know your score at the end of the activity.

Click here to listen to the monologue.













Activity 3

Traveling as a job

Listen to the monologue again and answer the exercise. Read the sentences and select True or False, according to what you hear. You can know your score at the end of the activity.











Writing

Activity 4

A nice story

According to your own experience, write a story following the order of the next entries. Don’t be afraid to be creative. Pay special attention to the use of adverbial clauses and verb tense.





Jarmoluck, M. (2016). Idea. Toado de: https://pixabay.com/es/educaci%C3%B3n-una-buena-idea-548105/

1. One day; I was… when…
2. I felt very sleepy before…
3. It was late when…
4. She felt delighted until…
5. I had already done it by the time she…
6.Before I gave her…
7. I had been waiting for this moment…
8. Until that moment, I realised…
9. When she told me that, I…
10. Finally, when we…


Study the aspects that will be required for a self-evaluation, they are described in the following rubrics. Here you have an example.





Speaking

Activity 5

My activities!

Now it’s time to give information about yourself by linking ideas through the use of adverbs. Complete the entries with details about your own experience. Pay attention to the use of adverbs and correct tenses.





Malyska, T. (2016). Ideas. Tomado de: https://pixabay.com/es/bombilla-idea-considerar-saber-1002783/

Look at these entries:


1. By the time I left home today, …
2. I met my best friend when …
3. When I started this course, …
4. When I was 10 years old, my mother …
5. I get nervous when …
6. I will have a big party when …
7. I had to do it until …
8. By the time I finished my English homework, …
9. When my teacher gives me a lot of homework, …
10. I ate my favourite dish when …


Study the aspects that will be required for a self-assessment. They are described in the following rubrics. Click on here to listen to an example.










Speaking

Activity 6

Travelling around

Think about the most enjoyable trip you have ever made. Write down some ideas using adverbs like when, until, before, by the time. Pay attention to fluency and pronunciation.



Record a monologue of your journey with at least 180 words.

Study the aspects that will be required for a self-assessment. They are described in the following rubrics. Click on here to listen to an example.







Self-assessment

Time to practice

Remember to use the auxiliary verb (have/has) according to the person who does the action. Match the sentences with the present perfect continuous form of the verbs. Pay attention to the context of each sentence.

Self-assessment

Change structure

Remember that the present perfect continuous is also used in negative and interrogative. You have three options negative, yes/no questions and WH-questions. Select the incorrect sentence.

Look at the example:

“Walter has been washing the car for 30 minutes.”

● Negative: Walter has not been washing the car for 30 minutes.

● Yes/No Question: Has Walter been washing the car for 30 minutes?

● WH-Question: Who has been washing the car for 30 minutes?

References

Basics

  • Hewings, Martin. (2005). Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: CUP (2nd ed)
  • Murphy, R. (2012). English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. Cambridge: CUP [4th ed]

Complementary

  • Learn English Feel Good.(2006-2016). Online English Grammar Quiz. Retrieved 10/01/17 from http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/adverb-clauses1.html
  • British Council. (2011). Learning English: Time Expressions and Tenses. Retrieved 10/01/17 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv273.shtml