Adverbial phrase

Adverbial phrase

An adverbial or adverbial phrase is a linguistic term for a single adverb or a group of more than one word operating adverbially, when viewed in terms of their syntactic function.

Compare the following sentences:
*"I'll go to bed soon".
*"I'll go to bed in an hour".
*"I'll go to bed when I've finished my book".In the first, "soon" is an adverb (as distinct from a noun or verb), and it is an adverbial (as distinct from a subject or object). Clearly, in the second sentence, "in an hour" has the same syntactic function, but does not contain an adverb; so a preposition, an article and a noun can function together as an adverbial. This is an adverbial phrase. In the third sentence, we see a whole clause functioning as an adverbial. It could also be called an adverbial phrase, but is more likely to be described as an adverbial clause.

Adverbial phrases sometimes consist of a pair of adverbs. Extra adverbs are called intensifiers:

*"oddly enough"
*"very nicely"

An adverbial phrase can modify a verb phrase, an adjectival phrase or an entire clause.

ee also

*Phrase structure rules
*Transformational-generative grammar
*Structural linguistics
*Semantics

(Try leaving out the phrase and see how it sounds).


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • adverbial phrase — noun A phrase that collectively modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, or a prepositional phrase. Example: we ran as quickly as we could up the stairs …   Wiktionary

  • Phrase — Phrase, n. [F., fr. L. phrasis diction, phraseology, Gr. ?, fr. ? to speak.] 1. A brief expression, sometimes a single word, but usually two or more words forming an expression by themselves, or being a portion of a sentence; as, an adverbial… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Phrase book — Phrase Phrase, n. [F., fr. L. phrasis diction, phraseology, Gr. ?, fr. ? to speak.] 1. A brief expression, sometimes a single word, but usually two or more words forming an expression by themselves, or being a portion of a sentence; as, an… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Adverbial — Ad*ver bi*al, a. [L. adverbialis: cf. F. adverbial.] Of or pertaining to an adverb; of the nature of an adverb; as, an adverbial phrase or form. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Adverbial — In grammar an adverbial is a word (an adverb) or a group of words (an adverbial phrase or an adverbial clause) that modifies or tells us something about the sentence or the verb. The word adverbial is also used as an adjective, meaning having the …   Wikipedia

  • Adverbial clause — An adverbial clause is a clause that functions as an adverb. In other words, it contains subject (explicit or implied) and predicate, and it modifies a verb.* I saw Joe when I went to the store. (explicit subject I ) * He sat quietly in order to… …   Wikipedia

  • phrase — /frayz/, n., v., phrased, phrasing. n. 1. Gram. a. a sequence of two or more words arranged in a grammatical construction and acting as a unit in a sentence. b. (in English) a sequence of two or more words that does not contain a finite verb and… …   Universalium

  • adverbial — 1 adjective used as an adverb: an adverbial phrase 2 noun (C) technical a word or phrase used as an adverb …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • adverbial — I UK [ədˈvɜː(r)bɪəl] / US [ədˈvɜrbɪəl] adjective linguistics relating to or containing an adverb an adverbial phrase Derived word: adverbially adverb II UK [ədˈvɜː(r)bɪəl] / US [ədˈvɜrbɪəl] noun [countable] Word forms adverbial : singular… …   English dictionary

  • phrase — n 1. word group, unit, construction, term; clause, sentence, verse; portion, part, passage, excerpt; noun phrase, verb phrase, adverbial phrase, adjectival phrase. 2. phraseology, way of speaking, phrasing, manner of expression, mode of speaking; …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

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