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UNIT 26 ADVERBIALS

Structure

26.0 Objectives

26.1
introduction

26.2 Defining Adverbs

26.3 Kinds of Adverbs

26.3.1 Adverbs of Place

26.3.2 Adverbs of Time

26.3.3 Adverbs of Manner

26.4 Let Us Sum Up

26.5 Key Words

26.6 Suggested Readings

Answers

26.0 OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this unit is to show you how adverbials, in the form of words, phrases or clauses, modify the meanings of verbs, adjebtives, and other adverbs in sentences. We shall classify adverbials mainly on the basis of the different meanings they can add to sentences. We shall also discuss some of their syntactic properties. After you have colnpleted this unit, you should be able to identify adverbials in different texts and discuss their nature.

26.1 INTRODUCTION

It should be clear from Unit 25 of Block 5 that adverbials are often not essential to the structure of a sentence. It is not possible to have a sentence without a verb. and 'subject', 'ob.ject(s)' and 'complements' are also often essential to. its structure. But sentences will often remain grammatical even if the adverbials are deleted. Yet it is the use of adverbials which really adds colour to what we say or write. 'They also help us to reflect the subtle shades of meaning we wish to convey'.$ In 26.2, we shall show that the adverbial function of modifying the meanings of verbs, adjectives or other adverbs may be realized by single word adverbs, phrases. or clauses. We shall also discuss some of the most frequently used ways of forming adverbs from other words. The next section i.e., 26.3 is devoted to the discussion of different kinds of adverbs. We shall find that adverbs can move around in a sentence far more freely than any other category of words. If

we change the place of the adverb in a given sentence, Lve often notice very interesting changes in the meaning of that sentence.

It is extremely difficult to neatly classify the overwhelming variety of adverbials in English. tiowever, the traditional classification in terms of l~krce, rtrtmner, relrson, time.. fi-eyuency, and degree appears to be reasonably satisfactory. In our discussion we shall often use the terms 'adverb' and 'adverbial' interchangeably. Generally, the former refers to single-word adverbs while the latter also includes phrases and clauses performing adverbial functions.

S'ntnr-I: Sentence

Structure-2

26.2 DEFINING ADVERBS

As we noticed in 25.2, adverbials are not closely bound to the sentence structure. As compared to ob-jects and complements, they enjoy a certain amount of freedom and are often optional in the sentence. In fact, both adjectives and adverbs are used to expand simple sentences. While adjectives typically modify nouns; adverbs typically modify verbs. But adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. As we will see below, they have some other functions as well. In fact, it is not very easy to define adverbials. Some grammarians tend to view the 'adverb' as a 'rag bag', the class of words into which we conveniently put words or phrases which do not seem to belong elsewhere. Let us begin by looking at the different functions of adverbials. We can identify at least the following five: a)

Modifier of a verb, as

in

1) Neeti spoke .~c!fily:

b) Modifier of an adjective, as in

2) Meera is remarkably tall.

C)

Modifier af another adverb, as in

3) She sang wn well.

d)

As a peripheral dependent, as

in

4) Frcmkly, Mohan is a liar.

(Note: Here the adverb.fi.ankly appears like a comment on the sentence and is thus seen as peripheral. A dictionary meaning of the word is 'much less important') e)

As a complement

in the verb phrase, as in

5) 'They br~ught her ashore.

The most important

function bf adverbs, however is to modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs. You may have noticed that the words which perform the adverbial function in each of the above five sentences are single words. This is not the case always and the adverbial funCtion may be realized by a Noun Phrase, a Prcpsitional Phrase. or a

Clause. In the following sentences.

I. Noun Phrases and not single-word adverbs are used in Sentences 6 and 7 to indicak the adverbial function: 6)

Wemetonlylu.~tweek.

7) She lives next door.

11. In Sentences 8 and 9 the function is perrormed by Prepositional Phrases:

8)

1 thank you Jor your kin(1nc.v.v.

9) 'Themeetingwillfinishot.vcven.

If you go back to sentences I to 7 in 22.2, you will come across such adverbials as a/ &lhi Unhivcsit~1, everyyccrr. lust nigh/. in the plu~)grozmnci, etc. We also use finite and non-finite clauses to serve adverbial hnctions. A finite clause has been Adverbials used in Sentences 10 and 1 1 :

10) You should stay

where it suits you best. 1 1)

Meera was already there when you arrived.

And a non-finite clause is used in Sentences 12 and 13: 12)

They are not playing

to win now 13) Making a lot of noise, they celebrated their team's victory. We may also point out here that the same word may often be used both as an adjective and an adverb. For example, in Sentence 14: 14)

It is a

daily newspaper. 'daily' is an adjective modifying the meaning of the noun 'newspaper' but in

Sentence

1 5:

1 5) Newspapers

are published daily. 'daily' is an adverb indicating the frequency with which newspapers are published. If you carefully examine all the italicized adverbs in sentences 1 to 5 above, you will realise that a most productive way of forming adverbs in English is simply to add -ly to the corresponding adjectives. For example, soft is an adjective in 1 6)

I like soft bread.

If we add

-1y to so& we get sofily as in 1 above. Similarly, we have carefilly, recently, frequently, happily, suitably, gently, fiankly, remarkably, etc. Adjectives, which end in -ic as in scientzjic, normally have -ally added to them to make adverbs as in scientifcally, characteristically, fantastically, etc. Still another category of adverbs has a- at the beginning, such as ashore, aside, abreast, afresh, apart, astray, etc. It should be clear to you from the above discussion that it is not very easy to define adverbials. They can be formed in a variety of ways. And a variety of linguistic constituents may be used as adverbs. They also perform a variety of firnctions as in 1 to 5 above. Moreover they do not always share the same grammatical properties. Consider the following:

17) Mohan is

very clever. * 1 8) Mohan ran away very.

19) Mohan ran away quickly.

*20) Mohan is quickly smart. Both very and quickly are adverbs but they cannot be used in similar situations. Whereas 17 and 19 are perfectly grammatical, 18 and 20 are not. Adverbials do not modify nouns. They are best defined as w~rds,'~hrases or clauses, which modify the meanings of verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

S~'ntn.v- 1: Sentettcc

Check Your Progress 1

Structrrre-2

I) Identify the adverbs in the following sentences and indicate their function: i) Never say die .......................................................... ii) Mr. Singh spoke clearly ................................................ iii) Madhu is extraordinarill bri Iliant.. .................................... iv) She did it rather well .................................................... v) Surprisingly, he arrived in time. ....................................... vi) They were talking downstairs.. ........................................ vii) He talked rapidly.. ...................................................... viii) She danced extremely well ........................................ ix) He put all the books aside.. ........................................... S) We visit Shimla every year. ............................................ xi) I usually get up at six ................................................... xii) He is willing to play .....................................................

2) Mentify the

adverbials in the following text: A big fire broke out in the early hours of the morning at a slum colony in north Kolkata. It caused massive devastation all around. Five persons were burnt alive. 'The fire brigade personnel struggled for four hours to bring the conflagration under control. The fire broke out in the slum at 4 a.m. Twenty fire engines were pressed into service to control the blaze.

26.3 KINDS OF ADVERBS

We can classify adverbs on the basis of their meaning and syntactic function. A very broad classification is to divide them into two categories. namely, word- modifjling and sentence-modifying. For example. in 2 above, remarkably modifies only tall but in 4-frankly modifies the whole sentence. Consider the following two well-known examples:

21) Hedidnotdiehappily.

22) Happily, he did not die.

The adverb happily has different meanings, positions and functions in the two sentences. In 21, it modifies only tne verb i.e. die, meaning that the person concerned did not die in a state of happiness or he was not happy at the time of his death. In 22, happily modifies the whole sentence and means 'fortunately'. As will be clear from

5 above, adverbs may fulfill an essential

syntactic function in that the sentence will remain incomplete without them.

Consider the following sentences:

23) The bomb exploded here.

24) Your pen is here.

In both 23 and 24, here is an adverb indicating place. Yet it is not essential to have it in 23 while 24 will be incomplete without it. Traditionally, adverbs are classified into the following five categories: place, tiine, n~unner, jkquency, and degree. We shall first look at adverbs of placc.

26.3.1 Adverbs of Place

This category includes words which express not only a fixed place but also motion and direction. Both these properties are also indicated by prepositional phrases and clauses. Adverbs of place include words like above, aboard, ahead, a.shore. aside, astray, behind, between, back, up, down, dol~~n.c.tuir.s, overseas, outside, elsewhere, etc. Notice that adverbs indicating direction can be used only with verbs of motion whereas there is no such restriction on adverbs indicating only place. For example, in

25) t-le walked towards nze.

26) We jumped over the.fence.

where verbs of motion have been used, the adverbials indicate the direction of the motion.

Two most commonly used adverbs of place are

here and there. Generally, they indicate a definite place, as in

27) She lives here.

28) We'll stay

there for a week.

But they may often be used

in more abstract and idiomatic ways, as in 29)

There you are (i.e. that's what 1 mean;).

30)
Here you are (as in a shop when the shopkeeper gives you what you want). 3 1)

1 envy his intellectual power: some day 1 hope I shall get there.

The adverbial function of there must be distinguished from its use as a formal preliminary sub-ject to introduce a sentence, as in 32)
There is a thief in the house. or There's a mosquito there. (Here only the second 'there' is an adverbial of place.) Idere arc two more examples of 'there' as a formal preliminary subject:

1 here was a king who wanted to have everything that anyone had.

(Co~mpare: Once upon a time a greedy king wanted everything that anyone had)

There is a lot more noise in this locality than

1 can tolerate.

26.3.2 Adverbs of Time

From the above examples you may have realised that there is a very close relationship between adverbials and the time reference indicated by the tense of the verb in a sentence. Thus. it is grammatical to say

33) He came last week.

Adverbials

Syntax-I: Sentence

Structure-2

where the time reference is past, but not *34) He'll come last week. where the time reference is future. You say

35) He'll come

next week. where the time reference in both the verb and the adverb is future. Further, it is only the adverbs which can decide the time reference when the verb forms are similar. In

36) He is playing now.

the reference is to the present time, whereas in

37) He is playing tomorrow.

the reference is to the future time, though the verbs in the two sentences are identical. As already pointed out, time adverbials may consist of single words, phrases, or clauses. It seems useful to discuss adverbs of time and frequency together. In fact, we can divide time adverbs into three categories, namely, those that show the time when, those that show the duration of an event, and those that bring out the frequency with which something occurs or occurred etc.. The 'time when' adverbs generally indicate a point of time and that may serve as a response to a when question. In 38)

Ganguly played well last year.

if we ask 'when did Ganguly play well?', the answer will be last year. Other adverbs in this category include today, yesterday, again, last night, tonight, presently, nowadays, next, originally, now, etc. The use of time adverbials indicating 'duration' is illustrated in 39)

I have lived in Delhi for ten years.

40)

We worked the whole night.

41)
. I have been collecting stamps since my childhood. 42)

I have seen her only this morning.

Adverbs of frequency normally serve as a response to a how often question.

Their use is illustrated in

43)

We meet twice a week.

44)

He generally goes to bed at nine.

45)

Mohan is very often in debt.

46)

We seldom go to the movies.

In 43, twice a week indicates definite frequency; in 44, generally is indicative of what happens normally; in 45, very often suggests high frequency, and seldom in 46 is indicative of very low frequency. Adverbs of definite frequency include hourly, daily, monthly, yearly, etc.; adverbs of usual occurrence include generally, usually. habitually, commonly. etc.; adverbs of high frequency include frequently, often, regularly, etc., and adverbs of low or zero frequency include scarcely, rarely, hardly ever, never, ctc. It is important to note that time adverbials appear in a hierarchical relationship in a sentence. If we have only 'time when' adverbs in a sentence then the adverb indicating the largest chunk of time will generally appear at the end. For example, 47)

I met her at six in the morning on Monday.

Monday

in this sentence represents the largest unit of time and appears at the end of the sentence. If all the three types of time adverbials appear in the same sentence, then the normal order is adverbs of: duration - frequency - fixed (points of) time as seen in the following examples: 48)

He works regularly in winters. (frequency, when)

49)

1 met her briefly today. (duration, when)

50)

1 meet her briefly every week in summers, (duration,

frequency. when)

26.3.3 Adverbs of Manner

English has a very rich class of adverbs of manner and it is indeed very difficult to classify them. Most of the adverbs in this category end in -ly and add a lot of colour to what is being said. They include adverbs such as slowly, quickly. loudly, thoroughly, exactly, hardly, almost, nearly, slightly, simply, purely, completely, actually, really, etc. Most manner adverbials will constitute an appropriate response to the question how. Consider the following sentences: 5 1 )

She walks quickly.

52) He talks lotidly.

53)

Meera goes to school by bus.

t 54) They broke the news to her gradually. I All the italicized words in the above sentences answer the question how and appear at the end of the sentence. What is also important to remember is that normally an adverb should not be placed between a verb and its direct object. It 1 is, for example, unacceptable to say \ *55) She spoke slowly English. L i i However, adverbs of manner can often appear at other places in a sentence and i by being placed thus achieve a variety of effects. They may often be used to emphasise the meaning of a word or phrase in a sentence. In such situations they appear closest to what they emphasise, as in

Adverbials

56)

1 really like him very much.

57)

1 honestly don 't believe you.

58)
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