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    13) Adverbs - Roles and Meanings

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    marcela noemi
    This document discusses the roles and meanings of adverbs in grammar. It explains that adverbs can modify adjectives, other adverbs, noun phrases, prepositional phrases, and other elements. Adverbs have different syntactic functions, including modifying adjectives by degree, forming adverb phrases, complementing prepositions, and functioning as adverbials to provide details about time, manner, and place. The document also notes that some adverbs can stand alone in conversation through ellipsis.

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    13) Adverbs - Roles and Meanings

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    marcela noemi
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    This document discusses the roles and meanings of adverbs in grammar. It explains that adverbs can modify adjectives, other adverbs, noun phrases, prepositional phrases, and other elements. Adverbs have different syntactic functions, including modifying adjectives by degree, forming adverb phrases, complementing prepositions, and functioning as adverbials to provide details about time, manner, and place. The document also notes that some adverbs can stand alone in conversation through ellipsis.

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    13) ADVERBS - ROLES AND MEANINGS

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    This document discusses the roles and meanings of adverbs in grammar. It explains that adverbs can modify adjectives, other adverbs, noun phrases, prepositional phrases, and other elements. Adverbs have different syntactic functions, including modifying adjectives by degree, forming adverb phrases, complementing prepositions, and functioning as adverbials to provide details about time, manner, and place. The document also notes that some adverbs can stand alone in conversation through ellipsis.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    14 views3 pages

    13) Adverbs - Roles and Meanings

    Uploaded by

    marcela noemi
    This document discusses the roles and meanings of adverbs in grammar. It explains that adverbs can modify adjectives, other adverbs, noun phrases, prepositional phrases, and other elements. Adverbs have different syntactic functions, including modifying adjectives by degree, forming adverb phrases, complementing prepositions, and functioning as adverbials to provide details about time, manner, and place. The document also notes that some adverbs can stand alone in conversation through ellipsis.

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    of 3

    GRAMMAR I

    ADVERBS: ROLES AND MEANINGS

    Adverbs have different syntactic roles in sentences:

    Adverbs modifying adjectives: one of the primary functions of adverbs is modifying


    adjectives. Usually they come before the adjective they modify but the adverbs enough and ago are
    postposed, they come after the adjective. Other adverbs can also be postposed. (adjectives
    underlined)

    He was rather overawed when the old man appeared.


    The cat was utterly, hopelessly entangled in the wire.
    This is slightly larger than the one I showed you before.
    It was so long ago.
    He was old enough and intelligent enough to know better.
    It is rich nutritionally with a high calcium content.

    There are some adverb + adjective combinations that are used much more frequently. The
    most frequent combinations include a degree adverb: really, too, pretty, quite, very in combination
    with adjectives like bad, good, nice, quick.

    It was really good of him to come to my help.


    That looks very nice.
    He was quite quick doing the job. It was too good to be true.

    Adverbs modifying other adverbs: when one adverb modifies another, they form an
    adverb phrase. They are less common as modifiers of other adverbs than as adjective modifiers.
    However there are some that are more or less fixed and are very common specially in conversation.
    Adverb + adverb combinations are used primarily for describing amounts / intensities, or for
    qualifying a comparison being made. In conversation specially they can be used to describe time
    and place specially the adverb right (this structure is common in American English).

    pretty/so/very/too much pretty/really/very well right now


    much better/more right here/there pretty soon

    Thank you very much for your attention.


    You are doing much better.
    This machine is much more powerful than the other one.
    I told you to come right now.
    I’ll meet you right here in an hour’s time.
    I told you to sit right there and wait.

    Adverbs modifying other elements: adverbs can also modify noun phrases, prepositional
    phrases, particles, numerals or measurements.

     Modifier of noun phrase:


    1
    ‘It came as quite a surprise,’ she said.

     Modifier of a pronoun:

    Almost nobody, it seemed, took any notice of what was happening.

     Modifier of pre determiner:

    I’ve done about half a side.

     Modifier of prepositional phrase:

    He was well into his nineties when he died.

     Modifier of particle of phrasal verb:

    He turned the volume right up.

     Modifier of numeral:

    The government says that approximately 200 people’s homes were damaged

     Modifier of other measurement expressions:

    Roughly one-third of the land was covered with water.

    Adverbs as complements of prepositions: adverbs can also be complements of


    prepositions, usually denoting time. (preposition underlined)

    Before long he had become a very rich man


    He has never seen his brother since then.
    It must be under there somewhere although I can’t see it.

    Adverbs as adverbials: an adverb or an adverb phrase can function as adverbials (clause


    elements), the 3 major types are: circumstance, stance and linking adverbials.

    Circumstance: add information about the action or state that is described in the clause, they give
    details about time, manner and place.

    He took it in slowly but comprehendingly.

    Stance: convey the speaker / writer’s assessment of the proposition of the clause.

    His attitude undoubtedly conveyed annoyance.

    Linking: these connect different stretches of the text.

    He missed the bus; therefore, he arrived late.

    Adverbs standing alone: these are found generally in conversation, they stand alone and
    involve ellipsis.

    2
    A: He didn’t know what to do. A: You can do it tomorrow.
    B: Seriously? B: Really?

    A: Do you still want to go? B: Definitely!


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