Chapter 8
Adverbials, Auxiliaries, and Sentence Types
Types of Adverbials
Identify the adverbial(s) in each of the following sentences. Label the phrasal category and identify the type of adverbial.
Example: There's a Kid Rock concert tomorrow night in San Diego. (coca:mag)
Category | Type | ||
Answer: | tomorrow night | NP | aA |
in San Diego | PP | aA |
Unfortunately Frontier got caught in those cross hairs. (coca:news)
That includes, by the way, all personal pronouns and proper names. (coca:news)
To my annoyance, tears came to my eyes. (coca:fic)
Independence was finally brokered in 1960. (coca:acad)
Finally, the festival of Holiya draws to a close with the dawn prayer. (coca:acad)
A wickedly high heel is key to cranking up the sex quotient of an otherwise tame outfit. (coca:mag)
Otherwise, all government officials would emigrate. (coca:mag)
The cows might tell you otherwise. (coca:mag)
I stupidly blurted a sentry's challenge. (coca:fic)
It all makes me stupidly happy. (coca:mag)
Stupidly I left some bags laying next to the pack. (coca:mag)
Linguistic purists often argue that hopefully should not be used as in (a) but only as in (b):
Hopefully, the day will come when Turkey takes its place in the EU. (coca:acad)
the kind of clinching evidence that Lowe could not uncover but that Kent hopefully anticipates finding. (coca:acad)
What are the different uses exemplified above and what is the meaning of hopefully in each? How could you argue that both uses should be permissible.
Category | Type of Adverb | ||
a. | unfortunately | AdvP | dA |
b. | by the way | PP | cA |
c. | to my annoyance | PP | dA |
d. | finally in 1960 |
AdvP PP |
aA aA |
e. | finally with the dawn prayer |
AdvP PP |
cA aA |
f. | otherwise | AdvP | Mod of A tame |
g. | otherwise | AdvP | cA |
h. | otherwise | AdvP | aA |
i. | stupidly | AdvP | aA |
j. | stupidly | AdvP | Mod of A happy |
k. | stupidly | AdvP | dA |
In (a), hopefully means ‘I am hopeful that’ and functions as a disjunct adverbial. In (b), hopefully means ‘with hope’ and functions as an adjunct adverbial (a manner adverb). One could point to a number of other adverbs which have dual functions and are fully acceptable in both (for example, frankly or stupidly).