Do you know what a relative adverb is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on relative adverbs, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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Kevin
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December 1, 2021
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What is a relative adverb?
According to Grammar Monster, relative adverb is an adverb that heads an adjective clause and provide more information about the people, places or things being discussed.. The common relative adverbs in English grammar are where, when, and why. These are the main relative adverbs. These can be in relative clauses just like a relative pronoun. You can have a non-restrictive clause or a restrictive clause. A nonrestrictive clause or nonessential clause is a clause that provides additional information but is not necessary for understanding the sentence. An essential clause is required for the independent clauses or complete sentence to make sense; it provides essential information for the rest of the sentence. Just like subordinate clauses, prepositional phrases, and other grammatical terms, these can be used in academic writing, formal contexts, and everyday use. This single word or groups of words that make up a relative adverb clause can be an adverb of place such as a geographical region, adverb of time, or adverb of reason, just like you can have nouns of time or a noun of place.
Many different languages also contain words that mean relative. You may notice that some of these translations of relative look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of relative is provided by Word Sense.
- Indonesian: relatif, nisbi, bertalian
- German: vergleichsweise, relativ
- Galician: relativo
- Sorani: نسبی (nisbí)
- Tagalog: matugnay
- Danish: relativ
- Greek: σχετικός (masc.), συγκριτικός (masc.)
- Arabic: نِسْبِيّ
- Japanese: 相対的 (そうたいてき, soutaiteki)
- Ido: relat-anta
- Czech: relativní, vztažný (masc.) (of pronoun)
- Latin: relativus
- Swedish: relativ
- Catalan: relatiu
- Russian: относи́тельный, реляти́вный
- French: relatif, relative
- Estonian: suhteline, relatiivne
- Italian: relativo
- Dutch: relatief
- Hungarian: relatív, viszonylagos
- Mandarin: 有關的, 有关的 (yǒuguān de), 相對的, 相对的 (xiāngduì de), 關連的, 关连的 (guānlián de)
- Spanish: relativo
- Finnish: suhteellinen, relatiivinen
- Scottish Gaelic: dàimheach
- Norman: èrlatif
- Portuguese: relativo (masc.)
- Polish: relatywny (masc.)
- Persian: نسبی (nesbi)
- Romanian: relativ
- Norwegian: relativ
What are examples of relative adverbs?
A relative adverb can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! The following sentences are examples of relative adverbs from Thought Co and Your Dictionary that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.
- I want to travel to a place where it is warm and sunny.
- “The reason why so many wealthy Americans come to Europe is to avoid this obligation to work.” (Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1840)
- The 1700s were a time when men ruled and women obeyed.
- Can anyone help Sally find out when my great-great grandparents or other relatives came to the United States?
- I need to find a place where I can stay when I visit campus next month.
- Working in a fast-food restaurant is where I first learned how to be a supervisory.
- I really don’t understand why the cake I baked did not rise.
- “On my first night in town I went to a restaurant called Cock-of-the-Walk, where they had deep-fat-fried catfish and deep-fat-fried every other thing you can think of on earth including—seriously—deep-fat-fried pickles. They’re delicious.” (P.J. O’Rourke, “Whitewater.” Age and Guile, Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut. Atlantic Monthly Press, 1995)
- This Hollywood restaurant is one of the quintessential power spots, especially on Mondays, when stars abound and tourists are discouraged.
- Do you know why your sister is grounded?
- I have no idea why he called.
- “It must be wonderful to live in a safe and timeless place, where you know everyone and everyone knows you, and you can all count on each other.” (Bill Bryson, The Lost Continent. Harper and Row, 1989)
- This is the place where he proposed to me.
- This is the coffee shop where we’ll find the best cup o’ joe.
- My teacher wanted to know why my homework was late again.
- I will tell you as soon as I find out when the meeting is scheduled.
- Gone are the days when I could stay up all night.
- This is the garden where they took their photos.
- “When I am run down and flocked around by the world, I go down to Farte Cove off the Yazoo River and take my beer to the end of the pier where the old liars are still snapping and wheezing at one another.” (Barry Hannah, “Water Liars.” Airships. Knopf, 1978)
- That’s the year when we got married in Paris, a beautiful city in Europe for tourists.
- I am looking forward to a time when I don’t have to wake up before daylight on a daily basis.
- The person who interviewed me for the job asked why I am interested in working as a customer service representative.
- Her mass of library of books is the reason why she’s so well-spoken.
- We danced by the table where we could see the view on Friday.
- The 50s were a time when the family unit was largely intact.
- Can you provide more information why this conclusion is valid?
Overall, English relative adverbs are where, when and why. These relative adverbs head an adjective clause and provide more information about the people, places or things being discussed.
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