Picture this... 💭

You’re texting or speaking to your friend about that crazy time you got lost in a theme park. You want to explain exactly when, where, and why it happened… but your sentences start sounding choppy and repetitive.

What if there was a simple way to connect all that information smoothly?

Gif of two cartoon characters, one gesturing with their arm, saying picture this.

Here, we have relative adverbs, which are great to use to make your speaking and writing sound more natural. Let’s break them down in a few minutes and learn how to use them correctly in sentences.

What are relative adverbs?

Relative adverbs introduce a clause (a group of words with a subject & verb) and join it to the rest of the sentence.

An infographic explaining relative adverbs with an example sentence and a definition (audio description below). Image created by the author in Canva Creative Studio. To hear an audio description of the image, click play on the audio player below:

The three main relative adverbs are:

  • where

  • when

  • why

Infographic explaining the types of relative adverbs (audio description below). Image created by the author in Canva Creative Studio. To hear an audio description of the image, click play on the audio player below:

How to use "when" in a sentence

Flaticon Icon

Think of "when" as a time machine in your sentence! It helps you pinpoint the exact moment something happened.

Relative adverb with example: main clause= Image created by the author in Canva Creative Studio. To hear an audio description of the image, click play on the audio player below:

Here, "when" connects the moment (the summer) with what happened (learning to ride a bike), making the sentence smoother and clearer.

How to use "where" in a sentence

Flaticon Icon Think of "where" as a GPS for your sentence! It helps describe the exact location something happened.

Relative adverb with example: main clause = Image by author in Canva Creative Studio

Here, "where" connects the place (the park) with what happened (having the match), making the sentence flow smoothly.

How to use "why" in a sentence

Flaticon Icon Ever been asked, "Why did you do that?" That’s exactly how "why" works — it explains the reason something happened.

Relative adverb with example sentence: main clause = Image by author in Canva Creative Studio

Here, "why" connects the reason (the reason I missed the bus) with the rest of the sentence.

Quiz Time

Flaticon Icon

You and your friend are talking about the movie you watched last night. Your friend wants to recommend the film to her brother. She asks, "Which part of the movie did you enjoy the most?"

How do you respond using the correct relative adverb?

A. "I liked the part why..."

B. "I liked the part when..."

C. "I liked the part where..."

Quiz

Which of these answers uses the correct relative adverb?

Take Action

Feeling confident about using relative adverbs?

Regina Hall saying, Remember, using relative adverbs help your speaking and writing sound more natural and connected.

License:

Your feedback matters to us.

This Byte helped me better understand the topic.

#learning-to-learn

#learning-strategies

#practical-skills

#applying-concept

#english-help

#language-learners

#usa-newcomer

#canada-newcomer