Adverbial
In English grammar, an adverbial is a word or a group of words that modifies or more closely defines the sentence or the verb. Look at the examples below:
The form of adverbials
Adverbials most commonly take the form of adverbs, adverb phrases, temporal noun phrases or prepositional phrases. Many types of adverbials are often expressed by clauses.An adverbial is a construction which modifies or describes verbs. When an adverbial modifies a verb, it changes the meaning of that verb. This may be performed by an adverb or a word group, either considered an adverbial: for example, a prepositional phrase, a noun phrase, a finite clause or a non-finite clause.
Types of adverbials that form sentence elements
Adverbials are typically divided into four classes:Adverbial complements are adverbials that render a sentence ungrammatical and meaningless if removed.
Adjuncts: These are part of the core meaning of the sentence, but if omitted still leave a meaningful sentence.
Conjuncts: These link two sentences together.
Disjuncts: These make comments on the meaning of the rest of the sentence.
Distinguishing an adverbial from an adjunct
All verb- or sentence-modifying adjuncts are adverbials, but some adverbials are not adjuncts.- If the removal of an adverbial does not leave a well-formed sentence, then it is not an adjunct
- If the adverbial modifies within a sentence element, and is not a sentence element in its own right, it is not an adjunct.
- If the adverbial is not grammatically tied to the sentence it is not an adjunct, e.g.
Other types of adverbials
Directional and locative particles
may be used adverbially to indicate direction or location.- Superman flew in.
- Are you in?
- The car drove out.
- The ball is out.
Negators