English grammar English grammar is the set of structural rules of the English language. This includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and whole texts. This article describes a generalized, present-day Standard English – a form of spee ...

, an adverbial ( abbreviated ) is a word (an

adverb An adverb is a word or an expression that generally modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, determiner, clause, preposition, or sentence. Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, level of certainty, etc., answering ...

) or a group of words (an

adverbial clause An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb. That is, the entire clause modifies a separate element within a sentence. As with all clauses, it contains a subject and predicate, though the subject as well as the (predicat ...

adverbial phrase In linguistics, an ''adverbial phrase'' ("AdvP") is a multi-word expression operating adverbially: its syntactic function is to modify other expressions, including verbs, adjectives, adverbs, adverbials, and sentences. Adverbial phrases can be ...

) that modifies or more closely defines the sentence or the

verb A verb () is a word ( part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descr ...

. (The word ''adverbial'' itself is also used as an adjective, meaning "having the same function as an adverb".) Look at the examples below: :''Danny speaks fluently.'' (telling more about the verb) :''Lorna ate breakfast yesterday morning''. (telling when the verb's action occurred)

The form of adverbials

Adverbials most commonly take the form of adverbs, adverb phrases, temporal

noun phrase In linguistics, a noun phrase, or nominal (phrase), is a phrase that has a noun or pronoun as its head or performs the same grammatical function as a noun. Noun phrases are very common cross-linguistically, and they may be the most frequently oc ...

s or

prepositional phrase An adpositional phrase, in linguistics, is a syntactic category that includes ''prepositional phrases'', ''postpositional phrases'', and ''circumpositional phrases''. Adpositional phrases contain an adposition (preposition, postposition, or ci ...

s. Many types of adverbials (for instance: reason and condition) are often expressed by

clauses In language, a clause is a constituent that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject and a syntactic predicate, the latter typically a verb phrase composed of a verb with ...

. :''James answered immediately''. (adverb) :''James answered in English.'' (prepositional phrase) :''James answered this morning.'' (noun phrase) :''James answered in English because he had a foreign visitor''. (

) An adverbial is a construction which modifies or describes verbs. When an adverbial modifies a verb, it changes the meaning of that verb. Word groups, which are also considered to be adverbials, can also modify verbs: for example, a prepositional phrase, a noun phrase, a finite clause or a non-finite clause.Biber et al. 2002 Student grammar of spoken and written English. Prepositional phrase in a sentence may be adverbial; that is, it modifies a verb.

Types of adverbials that form sentence elements

Adverbials are typically divided into four classes: Adverbial complements (i.e. obligatory adverbial) are adverbials that render a sentence ungrammatical and meaningless if removed. :''John put the flowers in the water.'' Adjuncts: These are part of the core meaning of the sentence, but if omitted still leave a meaningful sentence. :''John and Sophia helped me with my homework.'' Conjuncts: These link two sentences together. :''John helped; therefore, I was able to do my homework.'' Disjuncts: These make comments on the meaning of the rest of the sentence. :''Surprisingly, he passed all of his exams''.

Distinguishing an adverbial from an adjunct

All verb- or sentence-modifying adjuncts are adverbials, but some adverbials are not adjuncts. * If the removal of an adverbial does not leave a well-formed sentence, then it is not an adjunct * If the adverbial modifies within a sentence element, and is not a sentence element in its own right, it is not an adjunct. * If the adverbial is not grammatically tied to the sentence it is not an adjunct, e.g. :''Mr Reninson, however, voted against the proposal''. (adverbial conjunct not adjunct)

Other types of adverbials

Directional and locative particles

Prepositions (''in'', ''out'', etc.) may be used adverbially to indicate direction or location. *Superman flew in. (directional) *Are you in? (locative) *The car drove out. (directional) *The ball is out. (locative)

Negators

In some grammar models, negators such as "not" and "never" are considered adverbs with the function of negating adverbial clauses.

Expletives

Often ignored, expletives may take up many adverbial syntactic functions. Pragmatically and semantically, they often serve as

intensifier In linguistics, an intensifier ( abbreviated ) is a lexical category (but ''not'' a traditional part of speech) for a modifier that makes no contribution to the propositional meaning of a clause but serves to enhance and give additional emotional ...

s, boosting the content of the clause they appear in. *What the hell are you talking about? *You're freaking lying! *You bloody well know that smoking's not allowed here! *He got sodding killed.

References

{{Wiktionary, adverbial Syntactic entities category:English grammar