Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a sentence. It typically consists of an adverb and other words that modify or complement it. Adverb phrases can provide information about time, place, manner, degree, or frequency, and they play a crucial role in adding detail and nuance to the meaning of a sentence.
7 Key excerpts on "Adverb Phrase"
eBook - ePubEnglish Grammar and Teaching Strategies
Lifeline to Literacy
- Joy Pollock, Elisabeth Waller(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- David Fulton Publishers(Publisher)
...Phrases A phrase is a group of words which does not contain a verb and does not make sense on its own. Therefore it is not a sentence. There are different kinds of phrases. 1. ADVERBIAL PHRASES These tell us the how, when and where. In the following examples the adverbial phrase is in italics and is linked to the verb which is underlined: The soldiers marched as fast as possible. – how The soldiers marched in the early morning. – when The soldiers marched far over the hills. – where 2. ADJECTIVAL PHRASES These tell us more about the nouns or pronouns in a sentence. The phrase in italics is linked to the noun/pronoun which is underlined: The soldiers marched in full battle gear. They marched in full battle gear. 3. NOUN PHRASES These act as nouns. The phrase in italics in the following example is the subject: The girl with auburn hair has good dress sense. 4. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES These phrases give the position of the nouns/pronouns: The trees at the bottom of the garden are very old....
eBook - ePub- Gerald Nelson(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Then we discuss noun phrases (3.6) and verb phrases (3.7), which can show considerable structural complexity. 3.3 Adverb Phrases Adverb Phrases (AdvP) are the simplest type of phrase, so it is appropriate to start with them. They usually consist of just a Head (Figure 3.2), which is always an adverb (2.7): Figure 3.2 The Head can then be premodified by another Adverb Phrase (Figure 3.3): Figure 3.3 The Head can also take a Postmodifier, which again is usually another Adverb Phrase (Figure 3.4): Figure 3.4 Notice in Figures 3.2 – 3.4 that each Adverb Phrase has its own Head. Here are some more examples of Adverb Phrases. The Adverb Phrases are bracketed, and the Head of the whole phrase is underlined: The rain fell [ steadily ]. The rain fell [quite steadily ]. Amy works [ hard ]. Amy works [too hard ]. [Very carefully ] remove the lid. Winter will be here [ soon ]. Winter will be here [ soon enough]. [More recently ], he worked in New York. With comparative adverbs (2.7.3), the Premodifier more can have its own Premodifier much : Figure 3.5 Figure 3.5 shows an example of embedding, which we discussed in section 1.2. Notice that the phrases here are not much, more, and recently. Instead, they are much, much more, and much more recently. In ‘measuring’ or ‘quantifying’ expressions, the function of Premodifer is performed by a noun phrase (3.6): [ten years earlier ] [a short time later ] [two minutes afterwards ] The words enough and indeed can function as Postmodifiers in an Adverb Phrase: You didn’t study [ hard enough]. He walks [very fast indeed]. Postmodifiers in Adverb Phrases are common in comparative constructions (4.2.6): Amy arrived [ earlier than I did]. He worked here [more recently than I realised]. It could happen [ sooner than you think]. The Postmodifiers in these examples are prepositional phrases (3.5). 3.3.1 The functions of Adverb Phrases Adverbs themselves always function as the Head of an Adverb Phrase...
eBook - ePubIntroducing English Syntax
A Basic Guide for Students of English
- Peter Fenn, Götz Schwab(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...In (58)b., on the other hand, the prepositional phrase relates to the sentence as a whole, and functions as an independent adverbial. A functional analysis of the sentence shows the difference: p.89 We now want to see how the Adverb Phrase fits into larger phrase patterns, for example within an adjective phrase inside a noun phrase. Here a diagram of the noun phrase the quite hotly spiced curries of Sri Lanka: 4.4.1 Adverbs in strange places: some special cases Adverbs of place and time have their own particular kinds of degree adverb, with which they usually form fairly restricted collocations: right behind, well ahead, close by, far away ; just then, right now, etc. Though they may not look like it, these are structurally and functionally quite normal Adverb Phrases, with the second adverb as the head and the first as the premodification. p.90 Adverbs of place and direction can themselves act as premodifiers, not as degree adverbs, but as a kind of what we might call ‘specifier’, giving more semantic exactness to common generalised place adverbs like here and there. The premodifier in this case is usually an adverb particle (see 1.3.5 and 5.1): over here, up there, out there, down here. But there are also combinations with prepositions: through here, along there, from here, until later, by now, since then. These must be seen as prepositional phrases, with the adverb as prepositional complement (see also 3.2): As mentioned briefly in 4.2.1, prepositional phrases can also have adverb particles as a kind of ‘specifying’ premodification: up in Scotland, over in France, down in the south : p.91 Note that we need the head phrase slot here because the adverb premodifies the whole prepositional phrase, i.e. in the form (63) [up [(in) Scotland]] Mentioned at the beginning of this section above were particular kinds of degree adverb premodifying adverbs of place and time...
eBook - ePubAmerican English Grammar
An Introduction
- Seth R. Katz(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...in a compound noun); A PPOSITIVE NP:M OD OF N; N OMINATIVE A BSOLUTE :M OD OF C LAUSE (e.g. The wind knocked down our tent, an event that ruined our camping plans). 11.3 Adverbials An adverbial is a constituent (phrase or clause) that provides adverb-like information and that is functioning in a role or slot that could be filled by an A DV P. We defined adverb-like information or adverb meaning back in the discussion of adverbs and A DV P S : an A DV P generally tells when, where, why, how, how much, how often, how long, and other versions of those sorts of information. Adverbials may take several forms, including A DV P, PP, A DV C L, NP (especially NP S that name times or places), and P RO A DV in dependent clauses and questions, as well as P ART P and I NF P (see Chapter 12). Adverbials have a number of functions: they can modify verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and clauses, and they can complement a verb as an SC, LC, MC, TC, or OC. We have so far avoided two problems with adverbials: first, there are times when it is not clear whether an adverbial following a verb functions as a modifier or a complement of that verb. Second, we have used the term “sentence modifier” or “clause modifier” loosely to identify any adverbial that falls outside the subject-predicate structure of the clause and that can be moved to the beginning or end of the clause or to the slot between subject and verb; but there are, as we shall see, a variety of clause-modifying adverbials with distinctly different characteristics. To more adequately organize and identify the adverbials we have so far studied, we need to develop some new concepts and some new terminology. These new ideas should complement and enrich our understanding of adverbials and augment our ability to identify them. 11.3.1 Scope 1 Until now, we have described adverbials as either complements of verbs or as modifying verbs, adjectives, other adverbs and clauses...
eBook - ePubGrammar Survival for Primary Teachers
A Practical Toolkit
- Jo Shackleton(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Here are some examples: In science, model how to write up an experiment using preposition phrases for precision: We poured a small amount of water over the chalk to see whether it would stay on its surface or soak through it. . . WHEN MIGHT WE NEED TO USE PREPOSITION PHRASES IN WRITING? Preposition phrases enable us to be precise about how, where and when things are in relation to each other. Since they can be used to expand noun phrases, they can help us to add detail to our writing, so they are particularly useful in descriptive writing, recounts, information and explanation writing. p.30 KNOWLEDGE What you need to know about adverbials ‘Adverbial’ is the word we use to describe a word, phrase or clause that functions adverbially. Single adverbs, Adverb Phrases, preposition phrases and subordinate clauses can all function as adverbials. Like adverbs, adverbials perform a wide range of functions. They can tell us when something happened: • She phoned us yesterday morning. • When we moved to this village, we made lots of new friends. They can tell us where something happened: • You hit the ball into those bushes. • We planted the roses where the vegetable patch used to be. They can tell us how something happened: • The teacher spoke very firmly. • With regret, I must decline your offer. • The sprinter ran as fast as he could. They can tell us why something happened: • I got into trouble because of you. • I packed our bags last night so that we wouldn’t be late. Like adverbs, adverbials are very flexible, in that they can typically be used in different positions in a sentence. They can be used in the end position: • Sally slammed on her brakes without warning. • Niall decided to go travelling after...
eBook - ePubStructure and Meaning in English
A Guide for Teachers
- Graeme Kennedy(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Chapter 6 Modification of noun phrases, verb phrases and sentences This chapter is designed to show how adjectives, adverbials and prepositions are used, and the difficulties that learners of English are faced with in using them. Objectives By the end of this chapter you should be able to: Identify adjectives. Explain the functions of adjectives. Identify the various forms of adjectives. Describe the positions adjectives are found in. Explain the functions of comparative and superlative adjective and adverb forms. Distinguish adjectives from participles. Identify adverbs and adverbials. Distinguish adjectives from adverbs. Describe the main structures that can be used as adverbials. Explain the main semantic functions of adverbials. Distinguish. between adjuncts, subjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts. Identify prepositions. Explain the main functions of prepositions and prepositional phrases. Know which prepositions are most frequently used. Distinguish between prepositional verbs and phrasal verbs. 6.1 Adjectives We have already seen in Chapter 4 that determiners can modify nouns. Nouns can also be modified in other ways as part of noun phrases, e.g. 1 a successful athlete 2 an outstanding athlete 3 an athlete from Spain 4 an athlete who was successful in the Olympics 5 an athlete known all over the world These five examples show that nouns can be modified by single words, phrases, or whole clauses. Some modifiers occur before the nouns they modify; others occur after. One of the classes of noun modifiers consists of single words called adjectives which associate certain characteristics such as colour, size or shape to nouns, e.g. a red car. This section describes the use of adjectives...
eBook - ePubAnalysing Sentences
An Introduction to English Syntax
- Noel Burton-Roberts(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Even so, take care not to confuse the term ADVERBIAL – this denotes a FUNCTION (not included in phrase markers) – with ADVERB (Adv) and Adverb Phrase (AdvP), which are CATEGORY labels and do figure in phrase markers. Not all AdvPs function as adverbials: we’ve seen they can modify adjectives, within APs. Conversely, not all constituents functioning as adverbials are AdvPs: we’ve just seen that PPs can function as adverbials. PPs can function as { Complement in VP Modifier in VP (= adverbial) AdvPs can function as { Modifier in VP (= adverbial) Modifier in AP Here are examples of AdvPs functioning, like the PPs above, as adverbials: [8] Sam sunbathed very frequently. [9] He spotted the wildcats quite accidentally. [10] She put it under the bed surreptitiously. Many adverbs are not so easily identified by ending in -ly – especially adverbs relating to time: again, yet, still, already, seldom, often, always, ever, never. In addition to AdvPs and PPs, there are NOUN PHRASES that can function as (temporal) adverbials : last. year, yesterday, tonight, tomorrow, the day before yesterday, the day after tomorrow, this afternoon … Levels of Verb Phrase How do adjunct adverbials fit into the structure of VPs? I’ve said adjuncts are modifiers within VP but I haven’t yet said exactly what they modify. Two possibilities seem to offer themselves. In [2], for example, does in the spring modify just the verb spotted, or does it modify spotted those wildcats – that is, the verb plus its direct object? What do you think? We need to decide on the constituent analysis of spotted those wildcats in the spring. If the PP modifies just the verb spotted, then it should be a sister-of-V, along with those wildcats, as in [11]: [11] On the other hand, if we want to say that in the spring modifies spotted those wildcats, then it must be the sister of a constituent consisting of [verb + direct object NP]...
