Adverbial clauses of comparison.

Adverbial clauses of comparison denote an action with which the action of the principal clause is compared. They are introduced by the conjunctions that, as, as... as, not so... as, as if, as though.

Mr. Direck’s broken Wrist healed sooner than he desired. (Wells)

We were going up the road as fast as we could. (Hemingway)

He was white and jaded, as if he had not slept for many nights. (Wells)

She could see his lips moving, from time to time, as though he were talking

to himself. (Cronin)

N o t e. — Some grammarians number among complex sentences, containing

an adverbial clause of comparison, sentences of the following type:

The more he reflected on the idea the more he liked it. (Galsworthy)

The nearer he drew to that grim citadel the faster his pulse raced. (Cronin)

This way of analysis is open to objection on the ground that in sentences of this type it is impossible to point out the principal and the subordinate clause as, strictly speaking, here we have mutual subordination.

§ 21. Some of the conjunctions introducing adverbial clauses are polysemantic and can introduce different types of adverbial clauses. For instance, the conjunction as may introduce adverbial clauses of time, cause, manner, and comparison.

As he spoke there was a sharp ring at the bell. (Conan Doyle) (ADVERBIAL

CLAUSE OF TIME)

As the morning was fine, and he had an hour on his hands, he crossed the

river by the ferry, and strolled along a footpath through some meadows.

(Dickens) (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF CAUSE)

The dog did as he was ordered. (Dickens) (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF

MANNER)

She (Lillian) saw now that she did not love him (Cowperwood) as some

women love their husbands. (Dreiser) (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF

COMPARISON)

The conjunction since introduces adverbial clauses of time and cause.

It was a long time since I had written to the States... (Hemingway)

(ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF TIME)

Since the lunchroom was full, she sat at our table, and, reached out for the bill

of fare. (King) (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF CAUSE)

The composite conjunction so that introduces adverbial clauses of result and purpose.

They were rich and I was poor, so that it was no easy matter for me to follow

them. (Conan Doyle) (ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF RESULT)

I turned away, so that Frith should not see my face. (Du Maurier)

(ADVERBIAL CLAUSE OF PURPOSE)

THE COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE

A compound-complex sentence is a sentence consisting of two or more coordinate clauses one of which at least has one or several subordinate clauses.

There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued

at the lips. (Twain)

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