Verbs10
- 1. VERBS 10: Adverbs and Adverbials Materials by Liz Siler
- 2. Adverbials • Adverbials are structures that modify verb phrases (and sometimes other structures). An adverbial can be: – An adverb phrase – A prepositional phrase – A noun phrase – A clause • We will discuss the first three in this lesson.
- 3. Adverbials 1: Adverb Phrases • An adverb phrase (one type of adverbial) is centered around an adverb.
- 4. Adverbs • Typical adverbs are single words that end in -ly and answer questions loosely formed with “how” and “when.” – Usually: When does this happen? This usually happens. – Thoroughly: How did he do it? He did it thoroughly.
- 5. Some adverbs with -ly • accidentally; angrily; annually; anxiously; awkwardly; badly; blindly; boastfully; boldly; bravely; briefly; brightly; busily; calmly; carefully; carelessly; cautiously; cheerfully; clearly; correctly; courageously; crossly; cruelly; daily; defiantly; deliberately; doubtfully; easily; elegantly; enormously; enthusiastically; equally; eventually; exactly; faithfully; fatally; fiercely; fondly; foolishly; fortunately; frantically; gently; gladly; gracefully; greedily; happily; hastily; honestly; hourly; hungrily; innocently; inquisitively; irritably; joyously; justly; kindly; lazily; loosely; loudly; madly; merrily; monthly; mortally; mysteriously; nearly; neatly; nervously; noisily; obediently; obnoxiously; painfully; perfectly; politely; poorly; powerfully; promptly; punctually; quickly; quietly; rapidly; rarely; really; recently; recklessly regularly; reluctantly; repeatedly; rightfully; roughly; rudely; sadly; safely; selfishly; seriously; shakily; sharply; shrilly; shyly; silently; sleepily; slowly; smoothly; softly; solemnly; speedily; stealthily; sternly; successfully; suddenly; suspiciously; swiftly; tenderly; tensely; thoughtfully; tightly; truthfully; unexpectedly; victoriously; violently; vivaciously; warmly; weakly; wearily; wildly; yearly
- 6. Other adverbs • Other adverbs don’t end in -ly but do answer the “how” and “when” questions. • Examples: soon, now, often, then, still, yet, always, never , well.
- 7. Examples: Sentences with Adverb Phrases • The students angrily planned a walkout. • Administrative salaries can not be easily explained. • Tuition always increases. • Administrative salaries often increase!
- 8. Adverbs with Tenses and Aspects • Note that sometimes an adverb works well with one tense/aspect but not with another.
- 9. Recently
- 11. Adverbials 2: Prepositional Phrase Adverbials • Prepositional phrase adverbials are formed with prepositional phrases (preposition + noun phrase)
- 12. Examples • Some prepositional phrase adverbials are often used with perfect/perfect progressive aspects. – I have spoken Spanish since 1968. – I have spoken Spanish for 42 years. – By next year, I will have spoken Spanish for 42 years. •
- 13. Adverbials 3: Noun Phrase Adverbials • Noun phrase adverbials are adverbials formed from a noun phrase. • These often answer the “when” question.
- 14. Examples • Last week, tonight, today: – I went to a meeting last week. – We will meet today. – The meeting will happen tonight.
- 15. Modals and the Future • Since we only have two tenses in English (past and present), modals are commonly used to help us talk about the future. • But modals are tricky (ask any ESL learner). They aren’t “clean.” • A person can use some present tense and past tense modals to talk about the future. • So in clauses with modals in the verb phrases, adverbials take on special importance. Adverbials help clarify the time frame.
- 16. Examples • He should go tomorrow. (Past tense modal “should” but the time frame is clearly the future because of the adverbial “tomorrow.”) • He would often go there. (Past tense modal “would” and the time frame is clearly the past because of the adverbial “often.”)