METU / SFL
DBE
GHO 5
March 2017
PIN-B GROUP
(Instructor’s Copy)
REDUCTION IN TIME CLAUSES
EXERCISE 1. Read the text on Amelia Earhart and mark the following statements as TRUE (T)
or FALSE (F) by using the information in the text.
AMELIA EARHART (1897-1937) AVIATION PIONEER
Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas, USA, in 1897 and moved to Chicago in
1914 when her father was fired from the Rock Island Railroad. After
graduating from high school in 1915, Amelia went to Canada, where she
trained as a nurse’s aide. In 1919, she attended Colombia University but
gave up after a year to join her parents in California.
In 1920, Earhart went to her first air show and was hooked. She took flying lessons and bought her first plane,
which she flew to a height of 14,000 feet in October 1922, a women’s world record. In 1925, she moved to
Boston and got a job as a social worker. During that time, she also wrote local newspaper columns on flying.
Earhart will be principally remembered for being the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic. On
20 May 1932, she took off from New Brunswick. She wanted to fly to Paris, but poor weather conditions and
mechanical problems forced her to land in Derry, Northern Ireland.
It was inevitable that Earhart would attempt a round-the-world flight, and she left Miami
on 1 June 1937. After stopping in South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and
south-east Asia, she arrived in New Guinea on 29 June. She left on 27 July, but while
she was crossing the Pacific, contact was lost. The US government spent $4m looking
for her, but she was never found.
Earhart published two books about her flying experiences: 20 Hours 40 Minutes and The
Fun of It, but she went missing before her third book was published. She was awarded
the Distinguished Flying Cross by Congress and the Cross of Knight of the Legion of
Honour by the French government.
1.
___T___
Amelia moved to Chicago after her father lost his job.
2.
___T___
After she graduated from high school, Amelia went to Canada.
3.
___F___
In 1922, Amelia left university and joined her parents in California.
4.
___F___
Amelia went to several air shows when she was a child.
5.
___T___
When she went to her first airshow, she became fascinated by flying and started to
take flying lessons.
6.
___F___
While she was working as a social worker in Boston, she wrote a book on flying.
7.
___T___
She stopped in South America before she arrived in New Guinea.
8.
___T___
While she was crossing the Pacific, her plane disappeared from the radar screen.
9.
___F___
Amelia published three books before she got lost.
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EXERCISE 2. Read the sentence pairs below and answer the questions that follow.
a. After she graduated from high school, Amelia went to Canada.
b. After graduating from high school, Amelia went to Canada.
a. While Amelia was working as a social worker in Boston, she wrote local newspaper columns on
flying.
b. While working as a social worker in Boston, Amelia wrote local newspaper columns on flying.
1. Underline the time clause in each sentence.
2. What differences can you observe in the time clauses in sentences a and b?
(Suggested answer: the time clauses in ‘b’s do not have a subject, and the verbs are in the –ing form.)
The time linkers while, after and before can be followed by an –ing clause if the subjects in both
clauses are the same. The –ing clause usually comes at the beginning of the sentence.
1. If the subjects in both clauses are the same, omit the SUBJECT and the AUX.VERB and change
the verb to its –ING form.
2. Don’t forget to change the pronoun in the main clause when you omit the subject in the time clause.
EXAMPLES
WHILE
 While Amelia was crossing the Pacific, she lost contact with the tower and went
missing.
 While crossing the Pacific, Amelia lost contact with the tower and went missing.
 I often fall asleep while I’m reading.
 I often fall asleep while reading.
 After Amelia went to an air show, she became interested in flying.
 After going to an air show, Amelia became interested in flying.
AFTER
BEFORE
 You can go out after you finish this exercise.
 You can go out after finishing this exercise.
 I’m going to ask you a question. Think carefully before you answer it.
 I’m going to ask you a question. Think carefully before answering it.
 Before Amelia bought her first plane, she took flying lessons.
 Before buying her first plane, Amelia took flying lessons.
If the two clauses have different subjects, we cannot change the verb in the time clause to the
–ing form.

Amelia moved to Chicago after her father lost his job. → DON’T CHANGE!
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EXERCISE 3. Combine the following sentences in two ways using correct punctuation:
(a) combine them using the given linker,
(b) rewrite them in the reduced form. (NOT all of them can be reduced!)
E.g: Amelia Earhart graduated from school, and then she went to Canada. (after)
(a) After she graduated from school, Amelia Earhart went to Canada. / Amelia Earhart went to
Canada after she graduated from school.
(b) After graduating from school, Amelia Earhart went to Canada. / Amelia Earhart went to
Canada after graduating from school.
1. Kahlo was staying in Paris. She appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine. (While)
(a) While Kahlo was staying in Paris, she appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine. / Kahlo
appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine while she was staying in Paris.
(b) While staying in Paris, Kahlo appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine / Kahlo appeared
on the front cover of Vogue magazine while staying in Paris.
2. Frida was travelling on a bus. A tram crashed into it. (While)
(a) While Frida was travelling on a bus, a tram crashed into it.
(b) CANNOT BE REDUCED AS THE SUBJECTS OF THE CLAUSES ARE DIFFERENT.
3. Amelia Earhart used to work as a nurse’s aide. Then, she became a pilot. (Before)
(a) Before she became a pilot, Amelia Earhart used to work as a nurse’s aide. / Amelia Earhart used
to work as a nurse’s aide before she became a pilot.
(b) Before becoming a pilot, Amelia Earhart used to work as a nurse’s aide. / Amelia Earhart used
to work as a nurse’s aide before becoming a pilot.
4. Mike Pierce was studying the history of the Arctic. During that time, he became interested in the
adventures of early explorers to the South Pole. (While)
(a) While Mike Pierce was studying the history of the Arctic, he became interested in the
adventures of early explorers to the South Pole. / Mike Pierce became interested in the
adventures of early explorers to the South Pole while he was studying the history of the Arctic.
(b) While studying the history of the Arctic, Mike Pierce became interested in the adventures of
early explorers to the South Pole. / Mike Pierce became interested in the adventures of early
explorers to the South Pole while studying the history of the Arctic.
5. Mike read the exciting stories about their trips to the South Pole, and later, he decided to have his
own adventure. (After)
(a) After Mike read the exciting stories about their trips to the South Pole, he decided to have
his own adventure. / Mike decided to have his own adventure after he read the exciting
stories about their trips to the South Pole.
(b) After reading the exciting stories about their trips to the South Pole, Mike decided to have his
own adventure. / Mike decided to have his own adventure after reading the exciting stories
about their trips to the South Pole.
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6. Mike returned from his trip to Antarctica. After that, he felt that he wanted to go back.
(a) After Mike returned from his trip, he felt that he wanted to go back. / Mike felt that he
wanted to go back after he returned from his trip.
(b) After returning from his trip, Mike felt that he wanted to go back. / Mike felt that he wanted
to go back after returning from his trip.
7. Mike will leave home for Antarctica. Before that, he will prepare himself psychologically for the
challenge. (Before)
(a) Before Mike leaves for Antarctica, he will prepare himself psychologically for the challenge.
/ Mike will prepare himself psychologically for the challenge before he leaves for Antarctica.
(b) Before leaving for Antarctica, Mike will prepare himself psychologically for the challenge. /
Mike will prepare himself psychologically for the challenge before leaving for Antarctica.
EXERCISE 4. Write sentences about the following people using the clues given in brackets and reducing
the adverb clauses to phrases.
1. Marco Polo (1) spent some time in Persia (2) went to Beijing. (before)
Marco Polo spent some time in Persia before going to Beijing.
2. Marco Polo (1) returned to Italy (2) wrote a book about Asia. (after)
After returning to Italy, Marco Polo wrote a book about Asia.
3. Tereshkova (1) parachuted out of 125 aircraft (2) jumped out of Vostok 6. (before)
Tereshkova parachuted out of 125 aircraft before jumping out of Vostok 6.
EXERCISE 5. Rewrite the following using the reduced forms of adverb clauses. Not all of them can be
reduced.
1.
The man slipped while he was getting off the bus.
The man slipped while getting off the bus. / While getting off the bus, the man slipped.
2.
After Mary collected sufficient data, she started to write her thesis.
After collecting sufficient data, Mary started to write her thesis.
3.
Before Albert left the office, the boss asked him to send all the documents to his e-mail address. (X)
4.
While Lisa was going down the stairs, she met two of her high school friends.
While going down the stairs, Lisa met two of her high school friends.
5.
Before Sally went abroad to learn a foreign language, she read a lot about their customs.
Before going abroad to learn a foreign language, Sally read a lot about their customs.
6.
After the teacher presented the topic in detail, she wrote example sentences on the board.
After presenting the topic in detail, the teacher wrote example sentences on the board.
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