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Subtopic 5: The Adverbial Phrase

Subtopic 5: The Adverbial Phrase . Tom Morton IV-bis 205 tom.morton@uam.es. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase. 1 . Classes of Adverbs. Before looking at Adverbial Phrases, lets take a quick look at adverbs. Note that the label “adverb” applies to sets of words which are very different:

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Subtopic 5: The Adverbial Phrase

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  1. Subtopic 5: The Adverbial Phrase Tom Morton IV-bis 205 tom.morton@uam.es

  2. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 1. Classes of Adverbs • Before looking at Adverbial Phrases, lets take a quick look at adverbs. • Note that the label “adverb” applies to sets of words which are very different: • Descriptive Adverb: quickly, narrowly, madly, probably, etc. (Adjunct, Disjunct) • Adverbs of place and time: here, there, now, today, below, above, east (Adjunct, Subj, Obj, etc.) • Wh words: why, when, where, how, what. • Intensifiers, etc. : more-less, most-least, very, particularly, slightly, totally (Premod. for adj, adverb) • Postmodifying adverbs: years ago, quick enough

  3. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 1. Classes of Adverbs • These 5 sets appear in very different syntactic contexts, and thus should not really be put in the same class. • The rest of this class on “adverbial phrases” will talk only of the descriptive adverbs. • These adverbs typically expresses qualities of processes and situations (while the adjective expresses qualities of people and things)

  4. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 2. Forms of DescriptiveAdverbs • Most descriptive adverbs are formed by adding –ly to an adjective: • bad -> badly, quick -> quickly, probable -> probably • Some have no suffix, but correspond to adjectives: • She runs well, She hits hard, She arrived late. • N + -wise/-ways/-wards: sidewise,sideways,forwards

  5. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 3. Structure of Descriptive Adverbial Phrases • Structure of the AdvP: (Premod) ^ Head ^ (PostMod) • Most typical is the Head by itself: He runs quickly • Sometimes a premodifier: very quickly • Premodifier: • Grade: very, unusually, quite, etc. • Comparison: more: he runs more slowly • Postmodifiers: • He swam quickly enough (sufficiency) • He swam so fast that I couldn’t catch him. • He runs more slowly than me (comparison)

  6. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 4. Syntactic functions of Descriptive AdvPs • In clauses: • Adjunct: He studies hard. I completely forgot it. • Disjunct: Fortunately, it didn’t rain. • In phrases: • Modifier in AdjPs, AdvPs, NPs and PPs: nearly there; the then President; right through the wall. • Qualifier in AdjPs, AdvPs, NPs: quick enough; quickly enough; the journey back. • Complement of preposition (completive): over here.

  7. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 5. Semantic Functions of Descriptive Adverbs Meanings of descriptive adverbs: • Manner (hesitantly, suspiciously), • Respect (artistically, financially). • Temporal: (daily, briefly, firstly). • Modal: possibility (certainly), restriction (hardly), necessity (necessarily), volition (unwillingly), viewpoint (healthwise), emphasis (plainly, obviously), judgement (wisely, rightly), attitude (hopefully, thankfully) • Degree: comparison (more, less, most), intensification (all alone, quite happy), attenuation (slightly, somewhat), approximation (about / roughly 20 people). • Focusing: restriction (merely, solely), reinforcement (even, as well). …

  8. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 5. Semantic Functions of Descriptive Adverbs Meanings of adverbs (cont.) • Conjunctive (logical connection): sequence, equation (likewise), reinforcement (furthermore), conclusion (altogether), apposition (namely), result (consequently, so), alternation (otherwise), contrast (or rather), opposition (instead), concession (however, nevertheless), transition (now, then).

  9. 3.5 The Adverbial Phrase 7. Forms of Space and Time adverbsAdverbs • Forms of Space and Time adverbs: • These adverbs not formed by addition of –ly suffix: • Most act as reference to some point of time or place: • now, then, today, yesterday, tomorrow, here, there, down, up, always, never • Some are relative to another position, formed by adding a- in front: • above, across, ahead, along, aside, etc. • Adv. beginning with Adv. beginning with be- indicating position or direction: before, behind, below, beneath, besides, between, beyond • Compound: downhill, elsewhere

  10. Put the chairs here Push it down See you later Watch carefully CIRCUMSTANTIAL: SPACE, TIME, MANNER STANCE: (Certainty, doubt, emphasis, judement, attititude) DEGREE: COMPARING, INTENSIFYING FOCUSING ADVERBS: RESTRICTING THE SCOPE CONNECTIVE ADVERBS: LOGICAL CONNECTION You’re definitely right Hopefully, it won’t rain tomorrow He looks quite happy It’s kind of strange He is just interested in money She didn’t even say goodbye They know he’s corrupt, yet they vote for him I was tired, so I went home.

  11. Joyce Cary The Horse’s Mouth (in Downing & Locke, 2006: 505)

  12. Types of meanings expressed by Adverbs… SPACE, DIRECTION away along back DEGREE, INTENSFICATION just up all round SPACE, POSITION where down up there behind about (indeterminate) TIME, FREQUENCY again FOCUSING BY REINFORCEMENT just even (2) SCALAR (+ or – than expected) even (1) TIME, RELATION yet DISCOURSE MARKER (ATTITUDE OF ACCEPTANCE) well

  13. CIRCUMSTANTIAL: elsewhere, anywhere MODAL: incredibly, perhaps, probably FOCUSING: especially, even, too (= also), alone DEGREE: roughly, about, approximately, enough, quite, so

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