Adverb phrases
Adverb phrases: forms
An adverb phrase consists of one or more words. The adverb is the head of the phrase and can appear alone or it can be modified by other words. Adverbs are one of the four major word classes, along with nouns, verbs and adjectives. In the examples the adverb phrases are in bold. The other words that modify the adverb are underlined: We usually go on holiday in August.
Time goes very quickly.
The day passed quickly enough.
This works really well for its size.
Luckily for us, the cost was not so high.
We kept the new money quite separately from what we’d already collected.
In general, these patterns are similar to adjective phrases.
See also:
Adjective phrases
Adverb phrases: types and meanings
An adverb phrase can consist of one adverb or an adverb plus other words before it (premodification) or after it (postmodification). Adverb phrases have many different meanings. In the examples the adverb phrases are in bold. The other words that modify the adverb are underlined.
example | type | used to give information about | We walked very carefully across the floor.
| manner | how something happens | Here is where I was born.
That’s it. Right there.
| place | where something happens | Dad got home very late.
| time | when something happens | This pill will take away the pain temporarily.
| duration | how long something happens | They almost never invite people to their house these days.
| frequency | how often something happens |
A:
Want some sugar in your coffee?
B:
Onlyhalfa spoon, please.
| focusing | something specific | That dog behaves incrediblystupidly!
| degree | how much or to what degree something happens | The train will probably be late.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that.
| certainty or necessity | how certain or necessary something is | Unfortunately for me, I can’t speak Italian.
| evaluative | the speaker’s opinion of something | Personally, I don’t see why the party has to start so early.
| viewpoint | the speaker’s perspective or reaction | It rained very heavily this summer. Therefore, many of the vegetables were very small.
| linking | relationships between clauses and sentences |
See also:
Adverbs: types
Adverb phrases: functions
Adverb phrases + verbs
We use adverb phrases most commonly to modify verbs. In the examples the adverb phrases are in bold. The verbs that they modify are underlined: Children grow upreally quickly.
I exercisevery regularly and I eatquite healthily.
Adverb phrases + be
We use adverb phrases with be. This is especially typical of adverbs of place: I’mupstairs. I’ll only be a minute.
A:
Have you seen my gloves?
B:
They’reright there, on the table.
Adverb phrases + adjectives/adverbs
We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify adjectives and other adverbs: I found it [ADV]extremely[adjective]difficult to talk to her.
He drives [ADV]really[ADV]carefully.
Adverb phrases + other phrases
We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify noun phrases (np) and prepositional phrases: That’s [ADV]quite[NP]a tree. (it’s a tree that is special in some way, e.g. it’s very big)
There was [ADV]hardly[pronoun]anyone at the concert.
We climbed [ADV]right[prepositional phrase]over the top of the hill and down again.
Adverb phrases + determiners
We use adverb phrases to modify determiners, especially words like all, some, half, many (quantifiers): Only half of my friends could come to my party.
Very few people have heard of my city. It’s very small.
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