Adverb Clauses Exercises:

A. Combine the following sentences using adverb clauses at the end of the
sentence.
1. We watched the robins. They raised their young in our apple tree.
2. Becky read the book. It was recommended by a friend.
3. Dad donates his suits to charity. He has worn them a year.
4. The policemen delayed the drivers. The wrecks were cleared.
5. Ann ate an apple. She studied her vocabulary.

B. Combine the following sentences using adverb clauses at the beginning of the
sentence.
1. Frank started medical training. He drove a forklift for a living.
2. The rains had started the mud slides. The homes were not safe to live in.
3. Older people love to sit in the park. They feed the birds and visit.
4. I enjoyed camping out. I was much younger.
5. Joe recognised the man. The man had stopped his car to help.

C. Find the adverb clauses in these sentences. What are their meanings (time,
place...)? If it is a reduced adverb clause, add the missing words.
1. You seem very happy when you help other people.
2. While you wait, we will detail your car.
3. I am happier than I ever was before.
4. That horse is more obstinate than a mule.
5. The woman took notes while being taught to cook with broccoli.

6. Ben fields baseballs better than he hits.

7. As the lions approached the carcass, the cheetahs retreated once more.
8. While eating, I choked on a bone.

Suggested answers:
A.
1. We watched the robins while they raised their young in our apple tree.
2. Becky read the book since it was recommended by a friend.
3. Dad donates his suits to charity after he has worn them a year.
4. The policemen delayed the drivers until the wrecks were cleared.
5. Ann ate an apple as she studied her vocabulary.

B.
1. Before Frank started medical training, he drove a forklift for a living.
2. Because the rains had started the mud slides, the homes were not safe to live
in.
3. While they feed the birds and visit, older people love to sit in the park.
4. When I was much younger, I enjoyed camping out.
5. After the man had stopped his car to help, Joe recognised him.

C.
1. when you help other people (time)
2. While you wait (time)
3. than I ever was (happy) before (comparison)
4. than a mule (is obstinate) (comparison)
5. while (she was) being taught to cook with broccoli (time)
6. than he hits (baseballs well) (comparison)

7. As the lions approached the carcass (time)

8. While (I was) eating (time)
Using Adverbial Clauses of Time to Paraphrase

Thisexercisewillhelpyouprepareforreadingonthecomputerscreen.
1.Printoutthisworksheet.
2.Gotohttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/grizzlies/river.htmlontheInternet.
3.Readthearticle,"ARiverofBears,"onthecomputerscreen.Donotprintitout.
4.Refertothestoryonthescreenasyoucompletethefollowingparaphrasedsentencesabout"ARiverofBears"withappropriate
timeexpressionsandthecorrectverbtenseformsoftheverbsinparentheses.Useeachtimeexpressionatleastonce.
Timeexpressions:
Since/until/while/assoonas/once/whenever/as/aslongas
by/before/when/everytime/after
Sentences:
1.

_____________________thesalmon________________(begin)tomigrate,thegrizzlybears_________________(gather)
atMcNeilFallsintheAlaskanwilderness.

2.

Motherbears________________(come)tothefallstoteachtheircubsthesurvivalskillstheywillusealltheirlives
_________________they______________(die).

3.

"ARiverofBears"__________________(tellabout)Toughie,thecub,_____________she_______________(learn)how
tofishforsalmonandtoeatmarshgrass.

4.

_______________she_______________(learn)tofish,she_______________(learnalso)howtobehavearoundother
bears,bothherownsizeandthehuge,dangerous,adultmales.

5.

Severalotherbearsarealsoincludedinthestory.Oneofthebears,Teddy,________________(try)toprovidefoodforher
cub_______________she___________________(teach)hersurvivalskills.

6.

__________________theriverwascalledMcNeilFalls,somepeople_______________(call)it"theriverofbears"because
__________________thevisted,there________________(be)asmanyas40bearsfishingatonetime.

7.

___________________CharlesMcNeil_____________(live)neartheriverintheearly1900s,bearhunters
__________________(come)tohunt,but________________1955,theareahasbeenaspecialwildlifereservetoprotectthe
grizzlies.

8.

______________thetimethe1970s___________________(arrive),photographersandothertourists
_____________________(begin)tocometoseethebears.

9.

________________thetouristsgotoverzealouswiththeirphotography,they___________(run)intotroublewithmother
bears,orterritorialmales.Thetourists_______________(disturb)thebears________________thebears
_______________(leave)thearea.

10. _______________Alaskanofficials______________(limit)visitationin1973,thesituation_______________(improve).

11. Nowadays,____________visitorsareallowedtovisitthereserve,theymustwinalotterytogetapermit.

12. ______________theygetthepermit,they______________(puton)rubberbootsand______________(walk)acrossthe
marshestospecialviewingareaswheretheycanwatchthebearsfor________________theywant.

Whenyouaredoneclickherefortheanswers.

Showdown at Grizzly River

Introduction
A roaring waterfall may not seem like a promising place to raise a child. The rocks are sharp and steep, and
the frigid water speeds by faster than a freeway, threatening to sweep away toddling youngsters.
But in the Alaska wilderness, the powerful McNeil River Falls is a very popular nursery spot for growing
grizzly bears. Every summer, hundreds of the huge animals gather at the falls to feast on migrating salmon
and find mates. And mother bears bring their youngsters to the frothy cataract for the most important summer
school theyll ever have: a crash course in survival that must last them the rest of their lives.
NATUREs Showdown at Grizzly River tells the story of one bold little bears coming of age at the falls. It
follows an 18-month old cub named Toughie as she spends her last few months with her mother, learning to
pluck salmon from the fierce current, eat nutritious marsh grasses and, most importantly, how to behave
around other bears. Besides tangling with cubs her own size, Toughie also learns how to deal with the
towering adult males that threaten her young life, but may one day father her own cubs.
Showdown at Grizzly River also provides an unforgettable portrait of the older bears who, like regulars at a
neighborhood diner, routinely gather at the falls. Their personalities are so unique that biologists who have

studied the McNeil Falls bears for decades have given them nicknames. The cast includes Woofie, an expert
thief who spends his summers stealing salmon caught by other bears, and his rival Creek Bear, a master of
the intimidating behavior called the cowboy walk. Then there is Teddy, a mother bear who is desperately
trying to provide food for her cub, while teaching her the survival skills she will soon need to survive on her
own.
Luckily, there are usually enough fish to go around. Indeed, it is salmon that have made McNeil Falls one of
the most famous grizzly bear gathering grounds in the world, where visitors can see up to 40 bears at a time
fishing for their silvery meals. The migrating fish pile up beneath the falls which are just 2 miles from where
the river empties into the sea creating a bottleneck that gives the bears easy pickings found at no other
nearby stream. So many grizzlies line up along the rapids that some native Alaskans are said to have called
the place the river of bears.
Today, however, the river is named after Charles McNeil, a gold prospector who lived in a nearby cabin in the
early 1900s. Located in a roadless wilderness area 100 air miles west of Homer, beneath a towering active
volcano, the river became a favorite destination for bear hunters, who were amazed by the number of potential
trophies. But in 1955, Alaska officials closed the unique area to hunting to protect the bears, and in 1967 it was
set aside as a special wildlife reserve.
But that wasnt the end of the bears problems. By the early 1970s, hundreds of tourists and photographers
were flying into the area to capture the remarkable sight on film. Soon, the visitors outnumbered the bears. It
wasnt long before some overzealous tourists got into confrontations with mother bears protecting their cubs,
and males protecting their territory. Other campers stored food incorrectly, attracting bears, who then
destroyed their tents. Disturbed by the crowds, the bears soon began leaving the area or fishing at night.
To solve the problems, in 1973, Alaska officials decided to limit visitation by issuing just a few hundred visitors
permits a year. Today, just 250 people a year are allowed to visit the reserve, usually in groups of ten or less
who are confined to small observing platforms. An annual lottery for the permits attracts thousands of entries,
and interest is growing. Some people have tried for ten or more years to get a permit, says one Alaska
official. They never give up.
Those lucky enough to win a permit are treated to a memorable adventure. After flying into a base camp, every
morning the visitors don rubber boots to make a wet trek across marshes and streams to the viewing areas,
which are just a few hundred feet from the bears. Then, for hours at a time, they have a front-row seat on the
captivating and often dramatic stories that unfold before them. As one visitor once told a journalist, every day
at the falls is a soap opera, whether its older bears fighting off challengers, or baby bears like Toughie getting
the education of a lifetime.
To order a copy of Showdown at Grizzly River, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for Showdown at Grizzly River was originally posted February 2000.

"A River of Bears" ANSWERS

1. Once/As soon as/Whenever/When the salmon begin to migrate, the grizzly bears gather at
McNeil Falls in the Alaskan wilderness.
2. Mother bears come to the falls to teach their cubs the survival skills they will use all of their
lives until they die.
3. "A River of Bears" tells about Toughie, the cub as/while she learns/is learning how to fish for
salmon and to eat marsh grass.

4. While/As she is learning/learns to fish, she also learns/is also learning how to behave around
other bears, both her own size and the huge, dangerous, adult males.
5. Several other bears are also included in the story. One of the bears, Teddy,is trying/tries to
provide food for her cub as/while she is teaching her survival skills.
6. Before the river was called McNeil Falls, some peoplecalled it "the river of bears"
because when/every time they visited, there were as many as 40 bears fishing at one time.
7. When Charles McNeil lived near the river in the early 1900s, bear hunters came to hunt,
but after/by 1955, the area was closed to hunters. Since 1967, the river has been a special wildlife
reserve to protect the grizzlies.
8. By the time the 1970s arrived, photographers and other tourists had begun/began to come to
see the bears.
9. Whenever/when tourists got overzealous with their photography, they raninto trouble with
mother bears or territorial males. The tourists disturbed the bears until the bears left the area.
10. Once/As soon as/When Alaskan officials limited visitation in 1973, the situation improved.
11. Nowadays, before visitors are allowed to visit the reserve, they must win a lottery to get a
permit.
12. After/Once they get the permit, they put on/will put on rubber boots and walk across the
marshes to special viewing areas where they can watch the bears for as long as they like.
I wish and if only Exercise at Auto-English

There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences:-

1 - REGRETS with the PAST PERFECT (the third conditional) e.g. I wish I hadn't got so angry.

2 - WANTING CHANGE FOR THE PRESENT OR FUTURE with the PAST SIMPLE e.g. I wish I had enough
money to go to Mozambique this summer.

3 - COMPLAINTS with WOULD + INFINITIVE e.g. I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time.

Regrets
1 I wish I ___________________ drunk and kissed Samantha. (get NEGATIVE)

2 I wish it ___________________ so much. The garden's turned to mud. (rain NEGAT

3 If only I ___________________ there, I wouldn't have got a fine. (park NEGATIVE)

Wanting change
4 If only I ___________________ more time for my hobbies. (have)
5 I wish it ___________________ more often in Valencia. (rain)
6 I wish I ___________________ to go to your nephew's wedding. (have NEGATIVE)
Complaints

7 I wish you ___________________ so much. You're a complete idiot when you're drun
8 If only it ___________________ . The garden's as dry as a bone. (rain)

9 I wish Samantha ___________________ her hair more often. It looks so greasy all th
Mixed

10 I wish you ___________________ so horrible to your brother. He's a really nice bloke
11 I wish the council ___________________ that beautiful old house. It was part of the

12 If only I ___________________ the money to go to Jon's wedding in The States. (hav

13 I wish I ___________________ her she'd put on weight. She hates me now. (tell NE
14 I wish you ___________________ to your mother like that. (speak NEGATIVE)

15 If only we ___________________ a Hewlett Packard printer. The cartridges are so e

16 I wish Jorge ___________________ so fast. It's only a matter of time before he kills

ANSWERS:

I wish and if only Exercise answers

There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences:-

1 - REGRETS with the PAST PERFECT (the third conditional) e.g. I wish I hadn't got so angry.

2 - WANTING CHANGE FOR THE PRESENT OR FUTURE with the PAST SIMPLE e.g. I wish I had enough
money to go to Mozambique this summer.

3 - COMPLAINTS with WOULD + INFINITIVE e.g. I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time.

Regrets
1 I wish I hadn't got drunk and kissed Samantha.
2 I wish it hadn't rained so much. The garden's turned to mud.
3 If only I hadn't parked there, I wouldn't have got a fine.
Wanting change

4 If only I had more time for my hobbies.

5 I wish it rained more often in Valencia.
6 I wish I didn't have to go to your nephew's wedding.
Complaints
7 I wish you wouldn't drink so much. You're a complete idiot when you're drunk.
8 If only it would rain. The garden's as dry as a bone.
9 I wish Samantha would wash her hair more often. It looks so greasy all the time.
Mixed
10 I wish you weren't so horrible to your brother. He's a really nice bloke.

11 I wish the council hadn't demolished that beautiful old house. It was part of the town
12 If only I had the money to go to Jon's wedding in The States.
13 I wish I hadn't told her she'd put on weight. She hates me now.
14 I wish you wouldn't speak to your mother like that.

15 If only we hadn't bought a Hewlett Packard printer. The cartridges are so expensive.

16 I wish Jorge wouldn't drive so fast. It's only a matter of time before he kills someone

Put the appropriate verb form

1 I wish I ___________________ drunk and kissed Samantha. (get NEGATIVE)

2 I wish it ___________________ so much. The garden's turned to mud. (rain
NEGATIVE)
3 If only I ___________________ there, I wouldn't have got a fine. (park
NEGATIVE)
4 If only I ___________________ more time for my hobbies. (have)
5 I wish it ___________________ more often in Valencia. (rain)
6 I wish I ___________________ to go to your nephew's wedding. (have
NEGATIVE)
7 I wish you ___________________ so much. You're a complete idiot when you're
drunk. (drink )
8 If only it ___________________ . The garden's as dry as a bone. (rain)
9 I wish Samantha ___________________ her hair more often. It looks so greasy all
the time. (wash)
10 I wish you ___________________ so horrible to your brother. He's a really nice
bloke. (be NEGATIVE)
11 I wish the council ___________________ that beautiful old house. It was part of

the town's heritage. (demolish NEGATIVE)

12 If only I ___________________ the money to go to Jon's wedding in The States.
(have)
13 I wish I ___________________ her she'd put on weight. She hates me now. (tell
NEGATIVE)
14 I wish you ___________________ to your mother like that. (speak NEGATIVE)
15 If only we ___________________ a Hewlett Packard printer. The cartridges are
so expensive. (buy NEGATIVE)
16 I wish Jorge ___________________ so fast. It's only a matter of time before he
kills someone. (drive NEGATIVE)

Teacher's copy
1 I wish I hadn't got drunk and kissed Samantha. (get NEGATIVE)
2 I wish it hadn't rained so much. The garden's turned to mud. (rain NEGATIVE)
3 If only I hadn't parked there, I wouldn't have got a fine. (park NEGATIVE)
4 If only I had more time for my hobbies. (have)
5 I wish it rained more often in Valencia. (rain)
6 I wish I didn't have to go to your nephew's wedding. (have NEGATIVE)
7 I wish you wouldn't drink/ didn't drink so much. You're a complete idiot when
you're drunk. (drink NEGATIVE)
8 If only it would rain/didn't rain. The garden's as dry as a bone. (rain)
9 I wish Samantha would wash/washed her hair more often. It looks so greasy all
the time. (wash)
10 I wish you weren't so horrible to your brother. He's a really nice bloke. (be
NEGATIVE)
11 I wish the council hadn't demolished that beautiful old house. It was part of the
town's heritage. (demolish NEGATIVE)
12 If only I had the money to go to Jon's wedding in The States. (have)
13 I wish I hadn't told her she'd put on weight. She hates me now. (tell NEGATIVE)
14 I wish you wouldn't speak/didn't speak to your mother like that. (speak
NEGATIVE)
15 If only we hadn't bought a Hewlett Packard printer. The cartridges are so
expensive. (buy NEGATIVE)
16 I wish Jorge wouldn't drive/didn't drive so fast. It's only a matter of time before
he kills someone. (drive NEGATIVE