ABSTRACT

This study is headed towards exposing, in a detailed way, the debate and even the
solutions of some problems regarding the adverbial of time and its phraseological
correspondent: the subordinate time/temporal clause. Over time, different interpretations
and problems in analyzing the adverbial of time and the time clause have been proposed.
In some cases, a unity of opinions was not achieved. Different opinions will be shown
here, but only the most logical one, with the most efficient arguments will be taken into
consideration.
The adverbials’ class presents different syntactic functions according to the
semantic criteria. All of them have a meaning which is usually optional besides their
verbal regent. There are taken into consideration fifteen types of adverbials: adverbial of
time, of place, of manner, of quantity, of relation, of association, of instrumentality, of
cause, of purpose, of condition, of concession, of opposition, of cumulation, of exception
and the consecutive adverbial; with their phraseological correspondents. The adverbial of
time shows when or how often something happens. The adverbial of place shows where
something happens. The adverbial of manner shows how something happens or how
something is done. With the help of the adverbial of quantity, the action is evaluated in
relation to quantity. The adverbial of relation shows to whom the action or the determined
feature is limited. The adverbial of association shows who or what accompanies the
subject or the object in order to accomplish an action. The adverbial of instrumentality
shows the means with which an action is fulfilled. The adverbial of cause shows the
cause or the reason of an action, state or feature. The adverbial of purpose shows the
purpose of an action. The adverbial of condition shows what condition must be fulfilled
so that an action is accomplished. The adverbial of concession shows a circumstance
which opposes unsuccessfully to an action’ accomplishment. The adverbial of opposition
shows an object which is placed in an other object’s place. The adverbial of cumulation
shows an object which is added to another object. The adverbial of exception shows what
makes an exception. The consecutive adverbial shows the consequences of an action’
realization.
The adverbial of time shows the time when an action takes place. It can determine
a verb, an adjective, an adverb or an interjection. It can indicate the moment, the duration,
the frequency or the coincidence of an action’ development. The adverbial of time can be
expressed through adverbs, nouns, pronouns, numerals, adjectives and non-personal
verbal forms. Specialists identify three most important types of adverbial of time: the
adverbial of simultaneity, the adverbial of posteriority and the adverbial of anteriority.
The subordinate time clause fulfills the function of adverbial of time in a phrase.
It can have as a regent a verb, an adjective, an adverb or an interjection. It can be
introduced by adverbs, conjunctions or pronouns. Their classification was based on the
semantic criteria. There are three types of subordinate time clauses: the time clause of
simultaneity, the time clause of posteriority and the time clause of anteriority.
Therefore, this study presents the adverbial of time and the subordinate time
clause and also follows a logical line of solutions taking into account both the new and
the old directions in grammar, in solving the most controversial situations in which the
adverbial of time and the subordinate time clause occur.