Difficulty: Medium

Average Score: 52%

Which TWO of the following sentences have an underlined segment that is an adverb clause?

Rationale

You will earn better grades very quickly if you spend more hours studying for exams; When the students return from recess, the teacher will distribute the supplies.

Both sentences A and E contain underlined segments that function as adverb clauses, providing additional information about the conditions under which the main actions occur. Adverb clauses typically begin with subordinating conjunctions like "if" and "when," which introduce dependent clauses that modify the verbs in the main clauses.

A (You will earn better grades very quickly if you spend more hours studying for exams.) CORRECT

The segment "if you spend more hours studying for exams" is an adverb clause that specifies the condition under which better grades can be earned. This clause modifies the verb "will earn," indicating that the outcome depends on the action described.

B (Whoever ate the cake with the chocolate frosting should be heartily congratulated.) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence features a noun clause "Whoever ate the cake with the chocolate frosting," which acts as the subject of the sentence. It does not provide information about when, how, or under what circumstances an action occurs, thus lacking the characteristics of an adverb clause.

C (During morning recess, students are allowed to play whatever game they choose.) YOUR ANSWER

The phrase "During morning recess" is a prepositional phrase indicating the time when students are allowed to play. It does not function as an adverb clause because it does not contain a subject and verb or express a conditional or temporal relationship related to the main verb.

D (George Washington is the individual who established the example for future presidents.) YOUR ANSWER

The segment "who established the example for future presidents" is a relative clause that provides additional information about George Washington. It serves to define or identify the subject rather than modifying the verb through conditions or circumstances, which is the role of an adverb clause.

E (When the students return from recess, the teacher will distribute the supplies.) CORRECT

The segment "When the students return from recess" is an adverb clause that indicates the time condition under which the teacher will distribute the supplies. This clause modifies the verb "will distribute" and clarifies when that action will take place.

Conclusion

Identifying adverb clauses involves recognizing their function in modifying verbs by providing information about conditions, time, or reasons. In this case, sentences A and E both include segments that meet these criteria, while the other choices contain noun or relative clauses that do not serve the same grammatical purpose. Understanding these distinctions enhances the comprehension of complex sentence structures in English.

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