ADVERBIALSPRACTICE CLASS #7 (#8)

2012-04-24/25

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THE LAST TOPIC BEFORE THE MID-TERM EXAM

ADVERBIALS

DISJUNCTS

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

DISJUNCTS

DISJUNCTS

STYLE DISJUNCTS

Comment the style, form, conditions of

speaking

CONTENT/ATTITUDINAL DISJUNCTS

(comment the truth value of an utterance)

CERTAINTY EVALUATION

DISJUNCTS: more info

• Disjuncts are typically PPs and CLAUSES.• STYLE DISJUNCTS convey either:

– Speaker’s assertion of truth (truthfully), or– Speaker’s indication of generalization (broadly).

• ATTITUDINAL DISJUNCTS comment on:– TRUTH VALUE OF THE SENTENCE (CERTAINTY)

• General: certainly• General + perception: obviously• General + comment on reality of content: really

– CONTENT OF COMMUNICATION (EVALUATION)• General: understandably• General + comment on clause subject: wisely (similar to subjuncts)

PAGE 131 – EXERCISE 7ATTITUDINAL

It is obvious that there has been a mistake.

That there has been a mistake is obvious.

Page 131 – exercise 7 (b, c)

ATTITUDINAL

It was foolish of me to forget to ask her name.

That I forgot to ask her name was foolish of me.

ATTITUDINAL

It was understandable that she was very upset.

That she was very upset was understandable.

Page 131 – exercise 7 (d, e)

ATTITUDINALWe were lucky to manage to find our way back.

ATTITUDINAL

You were quite right to phone/to have phoned the police first.

A (NOT SO) BRIEF REVIEW…A BRIEF REVIEW…

ADVERBIALS – peculiar behavior

So, he somehow used to sort of be forever going to that place.

ADVERBIALS - position• Compared to other syntactic constituents, the

adverbial can be placed with relative freedom in several positions in a sentence.

• For example, the adjunct by then can be inserted in seven different positions in the following sentence:

The book should have been returned to the library .

INITIAL

MEDIAL FINAL

INITIAL MEDIAL FINAL↓ The book ↓ should ↓ have ↓ been ↓ returned ↓ to the library ↓ .

INITIAL POSITION• INITIAL POSITION: before the subject:– By then, the book should have been returned

to the library.– Sometimes we go hiking at weekends.– Last year we organized a huge party for her

birthday.– Today we are going to talk about adverbials.

MEDIAL POSITION• MEDIAL POSITION: in or around the VP. • Depending on the complexity of the VP, there may be several

available medial positions:M1: after the subject, before the first auxiliary (no modal) or

modal, before the lexical verb (in a simple VP)e.g. This HARDLY is my business. I SIMPLY do not understand you.M2: after BE as a lexical verb (in a simple VP), between two

auxiliaries (if there are only two), between the auxiliary (the only one) and the lexical verb

e.g. They have JUST been arrested. She is STILL your friend.M3: between the second and the third auxiliarye.g. The book should have BY THEN been returned to the library.M4: between the third auxiliary and the lexical verbe.g. The book should have been BY THEN returned to the library.

FINAL POSITION• FINAL POSITION: after the lexical verb and other

obligatory elements.F1: immediately after the lexical verb or after an

obligatory complemente.g. I paid immediately for the book. I haven’t finished

my report yet.

F2: after a non-obligatory element or, simply, at the end of the sentence

e.g. I paid for the book immediately.

EXERCISE 3: DO IT AT HOME

IN THE MID-TERM EXAM AND FINAL EXAM YOU DO NOT NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN

DIFFERENT M AND F POSITIONS

Page 129 – exercise 3 (a-d)

I, M2, F1M1, M2

F1

I, M1, F2

Page 129 – exercise 3 (e-i)

M1, M2, F1

I, M1, F1

I (+inversion), M2

I, M1, F1

I, F1, F2

Page 129 – exercise 3 (j-m)

M2, F1, M1 (clause)

I, M1, F2

I, F1/F2

I, M1, M2

Page 129 – exercise 3 (n-q)

M2

F1

M1, M2,F1, M1 (clause)

M1, F1,F2

WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?

• FORMS OF ADVERBIALS• POSITIONS OF ADVERBIAL• SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF ADVERBIALS:– CONJUNCTS– DISJUNCTS

WHAT ARE WE YET TO DO?

ADJUNCTS

ADJUNCTS

EXERCISES

FIRST, A THEORETICAL REVIEW…

SEMANTIC CLASSIFICATION OF ADJUNCTS.

SEMANTIC TYPES OF ADJUNCTS

Adjuncts

ProcessSpace

/Place

Time

Contingency

FocusingDegree/

Intensifier

Modality

Respect/Viewpoin

t

Subjuncts

1. ADJUNCTS – PROCESS

They favor the FINAL position Some can take the MEDIAL positionCo-occurrence possible:She was accidentally struck with a racket by her

partner.

2. ADJUNCTS – SPACE / PLACE

Co-occurrence is possible. Relative order is fixed:distance + position: He swam a mile in the open sea.direction + position: He fell into the water near that rock .distance + direction: She walked a few steps towards him.two of the same subtype: position smaller/more specific + position

bigger/less specific

Many people eat in restaurants in London.goal + source or source + goal (depending on information

structure):We flew from Cairo to Istanbul. We flew to Istanbul from Cairo.

Only adverbials of same meaning can be coordinated:I drove down Gower Street and into University College /*several miles.

3. ADJUNCTS – TIME

They typically favor the FINAL position.However, they can often take the INITIAL position:

In 1982, the economy started to recover.For many years, no one wanted to buy the house.

Some, especially short adjuncts (such as: always, often, just, recently, already) take the MEDIAL position:She often arrives late.You could then take a train to London.

4. ADJUNCTS – CONTINGENCY

Mostly occur in the INITIAL and FINAL positions.When they co-occur in the FINAL position, the

order is:1. RESPECT – 2. PROCESS – 3. SPACE – 4. TIME – 5.

CONTINGENCYMany people died [in Africa] [in the 20th century]

[from malnutrition].IMPORTANT NOTE: CAUSE vs. REASONCAUSE (no subject’s control): She died of cancer.REASON (subject’s control): Working hard, she got

promoted.

5. ADJUNCTS – FOCUSING

They don’t favor any position in particular. The general rule for their position is that they are placed

before the focused element:She had also questioned only her patients only the

previous week also.If the whole predication is focused, they take medial

position: She had only questioned her patients the previous week.HOWEVER, not all focusing expressions are really adjuncts:He only wants to help. (ADJUNCT)Only he wants to help. (MODIFIER OF NP)

6. ADJUNCTS – DEGREE/INTENSIFIER

7. ADJUNCTS - MODALITY

8. ADJUNCTS – RESPECT/VIEWPOINT

9. ADJUNCTS - SUBJUNCTS

Very similar to MANNER adjuncts.They favor the INITIAL position:Nervously, he answered the phone. (SUBJUNCT)He answered the phone nervously. (MANNER

ADJUNCT)

AFTER, A THEORETICAL REVIEW…

EXERCISES ON ADJUNCTS

PAGE 129 – exercise 4

DEGREE: intensifier (amplifier)

VIEWPOINT ADJUNCT

Page 129 – exercise 4 (c-f)

SUBJUNCT: general/volitional

PROCESS:

manner

CONTINGENCY:

concession

CONTINGENCY:

cause/reason

PLACE/SPACE:goal

TIME:

when/position

Page 129 – exercise 4 (g-j)

TIME: when

CONTINGENCY:purpose

SPACE:

place/goal

PROCESS:

manner

Page 129 – exercise 4 (k-n)k) She is advising me on health issues.

l) She walked a few steps towards him in the dark.

m) Each month she visits them three times.

n) They are probably going to ask for help.

ADJUNCT OF RESPECT:(predication adjunct)

PLACE/SPACE:goal

SPACE/PLACEpositionPLACE/SPACE:distance

TIME:frequencyTIME:frequency

MODALITY ADJUNCT:approximation

PAGE 131 – exercise 8

disjunct (style disj.), M

adjunct, (contingency – cause/reason), I

Page 131 – exercise 8 (c, d, e, f)

adjunct (space/place - goal), F adjunct (process -

means), F

adjunct (process - manner), F

adjunct (contingency - concession), I

adjunct (degree/intensifier – amplifier - booster), F

Page 131 – exercise 8 (g, h, i, j)

conjunct (summative), I

adjunct (modality - approximation), M

adjunct (viewpoint), I

adjunct (time - frequency), Madjunct (time - frequency), F

Page 131 – exercise 8 (k, l, m, n)

adjunct (subjunct – general/volitional), I

adjunct (focusing - limiter), M

adjunct (space/place - goal), F

conjunct (transitional), I

adjunct (contingency – cause/reason), I

adjunct (degree/intensifier - downtoner), M

disjunct (style), I adjunct (process - manner), F

adjunct (contingency - result), F

THE ENDThank you for your time!