1
Adverbial modifier
Syntactic classification of Adverbials according to Dušková:
1 Adjuncts (príslovkové určenie začlenené do vetnej stavby) - as Argument or non-Argument member
2 Sentence Adverbials (príslovkové určenie nezačlenené do vetnej stavby) divided into Disjuncts (disjunkty) and Conjuncts
(konjunkty) – always non-Argument members
Syntactic classification of Adverbials according to Quirk:
Adjuncts
have grammatical properties resembling the
sentence elements S, C, and O
usually used to modify a verb
carefully, in the
morning
Subjuncs
expresses a condition or hypothesis
amplify or intensify or diminish another sentence
element, and they carry less weight than it does
just, certainly, scarcerly
Disjuncts
comments on the content or manner of what is
being said or written expresses the stance of a
speaker or writer
stand outside the syntactic structure of the text they
are commenting on
frankly, strictly
Conjuncts
indicates the relationship in meaning between
two independent clauses
to conjoin two utterances or parts of an utterance,
and they do so by expressing at the same time the
semantic relationship
therefore, however,
namely
I. Adjuncts
Predication A. Sentence A.
Object-related Subject-related
- Obligatory/Argument
She put the plate on the table. SVOA He is going to school. SVA
- Optional /Non-Argument
Ralph kissed his mother on the cheek. SVO(A) Ralph kissed his mother on the platform. SVO(A)
She found the plate on the table. SVO(A)
- Adjuncts may modify:
o a verb: The temperature fell rapidly. Similarly to the way an adjective may modify a substantive: There was a rapid fall of
temperature.
o an adjective: vaguely familiar face, a roughly estimated figures
o an adverb: It is rather late.
o a clause: This is exactly what she wants
The coding marker of Adjuncts
1 Position:
a) Postverbal position: He stuck a stamp on the envelope. They rented the boat for the summer.
b) Before the expression they modify: He gave a fairly exhaustive account. They received us very politely.
2 No passive transformations
- He moved the chair…….the chair was moved - O
- He moved some yards…some yards were moved* How far? There. Adverbial
- This means an end……..an end is meant by this* What? There* Cs
Structural markers of Adjuncts
- Since adverb phrase is the diagnostic structural realization of Adjuncts it may be used as a test, i.e. reduceability
to/replaceability by a simple adverb
- The car is in the garage….the car is there
- The car is in good repair… The car is there * (=repaired – replaceable by an adjective = Cs)
Structural realization of Adjuncts
a) an adverb phrase: He waited patiently. He came late.
b) a noun phrase: They had traveled a very long way. She went home. The river has risen two feet.
c) a prepositional phrase They listen with great interest. Rowena hurried across the field.
He leaned the ladder against the wall. We can´t give you a definite answer for the present.
d) a finite subordinate clause Stay where you are.
e) an infinitive semi-clause They ran in little groups so as not to impede traffic.
f) -ing participle semi-clause He ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.
g) gerundial semi-clause He entered without knocking.
h) verbless clause When in doubt, the answer is “no”.
Cognitive markers – circumstantial features
- Corresponding question tests: Where? When? How? Why?
1 Place
a) positional (Where?) Kde? b) directional (Where?) Kam?
He isn´t here. Come here.
He lives abroad. He went abroad.
There is a stain on the carpet. She spilt some tea on the carpet.
c) source : This book cannot be taken from the library.
d)distance: We musn´t go very much further.
2 Time
- position in time – elicited by When?: See you on Monday. She was born in 1980.
- duration - elicited by How long?
o of forward span: I shall be there until Sunday.
o of backward span: We have been here since morning.
o limited period: The post office is open from 9. a.m. to 5. p.m.
- frequency – elicited by How often? Ho many times?
o He doesn´t often hit the target three times.(He managed to do three times.)
o Nestáva sa často, že zasiahne cieľ trikrát.
o He often doesn´t hit the target three times. (It happens frequently that he fails).
o Často sa stáva, že nezasiahne cieľ trikrát.
