What are Relative Adverbs: Meaning, List, Usage, & Examples

The relative adverbs are the words that add specificity and detail to the sentences. They help in understanding the relationships between different parts of a sentence. This provides a brief image to the reader or listener. Thus, indirectly responsible for enhancing the linguistics skills among students. Without relative adverbs, sentences and the connections between clauses might appear confusing and tricky. Hence, it is important to master the relative adverbs that enhance overall clarity and primarily result in effective written and communication skills. In this blog, we will learn about the relative adverbs and their meaning, and understand their usage with the help of examples.

Relative Adverbs – Definition

Relative adverbs introduce the concept of relative clauses and provide extra information about place, time, and reason for the main clause in the sentence. Relative adverbs are commonly used to join two clauses and are placed in the centre of the sentence. There are three main relative adverbs in English – “where,” “when,” and “why.”

• Where: Relative adverb provides information about the place or location of the action in the relative clause.

For example: “This is the town where she grew up.” 

Where specifies the place related to the main clause, giving the reader or listener more understanding.

• When: “When” relative adverb as the name suggests is used to introduce relative clauses that provide information about the time of the action. 

For example: ” They remember the day when they first met.” 

When tells us about the time concerning the main clause, offering details about when the described event occurred.

• Why: The relative adverb “why” introduces relative clauses that explain the reason or cause behind the action in the main clause. 

For example: “I didn’t understand why she was upset.” 

Why provides the reason or justification for the events described in the main clause.

ALSO READ: Conjunctive Adverbs Meaning, Examples & Exercises

Examples of Relative Adverbs

Let us understand the use of relative adverbs with the help of examples for the proper understanding of the concept.

Where:

1. This is the park where they had their first picnic.
2. She will meet you at the restaurant where they celebrated last year.
3. They finally found the house where the treasure was hidden.
4. The library is where we find a wealth of knowledge.
5. The museum is where that displays remarkable art exhibitions.

When:

1. Do you remember the day when they first visited the museum?
2. The time when we used to play together seems like a distant memory.
3. The moment when he proposed was unforgettable.
4. I miss the time when we used to gather for family dinners every Sunday.
5. That was the period when our friendship truly blossomed.

Why:

1. I don’t understand the reason why she decided to resign.
2. Tell me the story behind why the project got delayed.
3. Please explain the reason why you made that choice.
4. I don’t understand why he reacted that way to the news.
5. He clarified the reasons why the project couldn’t be completed on time.

Also Read Adverb of Time: Explore Meaning, Usage & Examples 

Practice Exercise on Relative Adverbs

Fill in the blanks using the most appropriate relative adverbs.

1. This is the house __________ I grew up.
2. Do you remember the day __________ we first met?
3. The reason __________ he didn’t attend the party is still unclear.
4. Let’s visit the place __________ we had our last family vacation.
5. I miss the time __________ we used to go on weekend hikes.
6. The period __________ I lived abroad was a transformative experience.
7. I’ll never forget the moment __________ we reached the mountain summit.
8. The library is the location __________ you can find rare manuscripts.
9. Tell me the reason __________ you chose that particular restaurant.
10. He explained the circumstances __________ the project faced delays.
11. This is the city __________ my grandparents settled after immigrating.
12. I don’t understand the reason __________ she left the job.
13. The day __________ we received the news was quite surprising.
14. Let’s go to the beach __________ we had our first beach bonfire.
15. The museum is the place __________ we saw the incredible art exhibit.

Check this out:  Adverbs for Manner: Meaning, Definition, Examples, Exercises

Answers

1. This is the house where I grew up.
2. Do you remember the day when we first met?
3. The reason why he didn’t attend the party is still unclear.
4. Let’s visit the place where we had our last family vacation.
5. I miss the time when we used to go on weekend hikes.
6. The period when I lived abroad was a transformative experience.
7. I’ll never forget the moment when we reached the mountain summit.
8. The library is the location where you can find rare manuscripts.
9. Tell me the reason why you chose that particular restaurant.
10. He explained the circumstances of why the project faced delays.
11. This is the city where my grandparents settled after immigrating.
12. I don’t understand the reason why she left the job.
13. The day when we received the news was quite surprising.
14. Let’s go to the beach where we had our first beach bonfire.
15. The museum is the place where we saw the incredible art exhibit.

Related Posts

Regular and Irregular Verbs	Subject Verb Agreement
Adjective Phrases	Difference Between Adjectives and Adverbs

FAQs

What is the Relative Adverb and give some common examples?

Relative adverbs are words that introduce relative clauses and provide extra information about place, time, reason, or manner. The three main relative adverbs are “where,” “when,” and “why.”

Where are relative adverbs placed in a sentence?

Relative adverbs are commonly used to join two clauses and are placed in the centre of the sentence.

What are some examples of relative adverbs?

Some of the common examples of relative adverbs are where, when, and why.

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