Adverbial clauses of cause (or causative clauses) express the reason, cause, or motivation of the action expressed in the main clause or of its content as a whole

Causative clauses may be introduced by the conjunctions as, because, since, so, that, lest, seeing (that), considering; or by the composite conjunctions for the reason that, in view of the fact that, in so far as (insofar as), by reason of. Of these the conjunction as is preferable when the sentence opens with a clause of cause.

As he was tired he preferred to stay at home.

Since there is no help, let us try and bear it as best we can.

They went down arm-in-arm - James with Imogen, because his pretty grandchild cheered him.

In so far as it is difficult to assign an external cause to certain happen­ings, they are written off as

uncaused or spontaneous.

 

As can be seen from the above examples, the causative clause may stand in preposition to the main clause, or follow it. It may also be embedded within the main clause, as in:

 

She loved to give, since she had plenty, and sent presents here and there to Lilian, the children, and

others.

 

Each of the conjunctions and conjunctive phrases expresses a certain shade of causative meaning, and so they are not always interchangeable. Because usually introduces clauses with the meaning of real cause. This can be illustrated by the ability of because-causes (but not others) to be included in questions. Thus it is correct to say:

 

Did you ask him because he was famous or for another reason?

 

But it is wrong to say: Did you ask him since he was famous...?

 

Unlike because, the conjunctions since and as introduce clauses with an explanatory meaning, or else that of motivation.

Since you are here, we may begin our talk.

 

The other reason why causal conjunctions, though synonymous, are not always interchangeable with because, is that some of them are polyfunctional: as and since may be conjunctions of time, as well as of cause. For example:

 

His mood changed as they marched down to the clocks, (temporal relation)

 

Note 1:

 

Causative relation may be found in compound sentences with the coordinating conjunction for. Its coordinate character is unmistakably shown by the fact that the clause with for cannot stand before the other half of the sentence.

Note 2:

 

Some causative conjunctions (as, because) may connect their clause to the main clause rather loosely, in which case the relation between the clauses is similar to coordination (such clauses may even be independent sentences). The causative clause generally expresses some grounds on which we can judge of the truthfulness of some idea expressed in the main clause, as in:

 

He was, I presume, a relative of the coachman’s, as he lay atop of the luggage, with his face towards the

rain.

 

Here the subordinate clause as he lay atop of the luggage, with his face towards the rain, does not express the cause, but gives some grounds which serve to prove the truthfulness of the supposition expressed in the main clause.

 

I must have been very weak at the time; because I know, after the first half hour or so, I seemed to take

no interest whatever in my food.

 

In this sentence the first clause is separated by a semicolon, which is not typical of subordination and is a mark of loose connection.

 

In colloquial English a clause of cause may be joined rather loosely to a sentence which cannot be its main clause: Are you going to the post-office? - Because I have some letters to post. (I ask you this because I have some letters to post.)

The complex sentence with an adverbial clause of result (consequence)

§ 175. An adverbial clause of result denotes some consequence or result of the action expressed in the main clause. It may be introduced by the conjunction so that, or simply that.

 

Light fell on her there, so that Soames could see her face, eyes, hair, strangely as he remembered them,

strangely beautiful.

 

Clauses with the correlatives so and such (so... that, such... that) may express manner with a shade of resultative meaning and are treated as such. However one should bear in mind that the line of demarcation between cases of jo... that and so that is rather difficult to draw when the two words follow one another.

The complex sentence with mutually subordinated clauses

In complex sentences of this type it is impossible to differentiate which of the clauses is the main one and which is subordinate. We shall consider two patterns of such sentences.

 

§ 177. Clauses of proportionate agreement (or comparison).They express a proportional relationship - proportionality or equivalence; the more intensive is the action or quality described in one clause, the more intensive becomes the other, described in the following clause. Although sentences containing such clauses are undoubtedly complex, it is nevertheless impossible to state which of the clauses is the main one and which is subordinate, since they are of the same pattern -two twin clauses, looking like one another.

Clauses of proportionate agreement are joined by the conjunction as (correlated with the adverb of degree so in the other clause); or by means of the correlative adverbs so... so in both clauses. Proportionate agreement between the clauses may also be expressed by the correlative particles the... the, followed by the comparative degree of adverbs (or adjectives).

As time went on,so their hopes began to wane.

The more he reflected on the idea,the more he liked it.

The further I penetrated into London,the profounder grew the stillness.

 

Proportionate agreement occurs in such aphoristic sentences as the more the better, the sooner the better, which may refer to various situations.

§ 178. The second pattern of mutually subordinated clauses expresses temporal relations - a quick succession of actions or events, often overlapping with one another for a short period of time. These clauses form an indivisible whole owing to correlative elements and sometimes partial inversion in the first clause. The order in which the elements follow one another is fixed. As partial inversion is possible when the predicate consists of the operator and the notional part, only analytical forms or compound predicates are used.

There are several variants of the pattern:

1.No sooner... than.

No sooner had Tom seen usthan he jumped into a bus.

No sooner could the chairman finish his speechthan a great noise started.

2.Scarcely... when, scarcely... before.

Scarcely had he seen uswhen he jumped into a bus.

The door hadscarcely closed behind herbefore it opened again.

3.Hardly... when.

Hardly could he finish his last sentencewhen a great noise started.

I hadhardly finishedwhen Holmes returned with the news that the boy was putting in the horse.

4.Negation... when.

 

He hadnot closed the doorwhen he heard somebody knock at it.

5.Just... when.

 

He hadjust cut a mighty slice of breadwhen he heard somebody’s footsteps.

 

The role of the past perfect tense in the first clause is also of importance as it does not manifest in this case real precedence but peculiar temporal relation, that of a quick succession of events or actions, often overlapping.