Identify the adverb clause of time in the following sentence:
The nurse, who had been on duty all night, went home after the morning staff arrived.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → after the morning staff arrived
Adverb clause of time:
- An adverb clause of time tells when the action of the main verb happens. It begins with a word such as when, before, after, till or as soon as.
- Here “after the morning staff arrived” tells when the nurse went home. The clause starts with “after” and ends with “arrived”.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: who had been on duty all night — Incorrect. This is an adjective clause. It describes the noun “nurse” and does not tell when she went home.
Option 2: went home after the morning staff arrived — Incorrect. This part also takes in “went home”, the verb of the main clause. The clause of time starts only at “after”.
Option 4: the morning staff arrived — Incorrect. This is only part of the clause. It leaves out the joining word “after”, which shows the time.