Abdala Assumane

Diocleciano Boaventura Henriques Amade

Óscar da Conceição Calisto
Ramadane Saide Carmalí

Lexical and phrasal categories

Noun and Noun Phrase
Adverb and adverb phrase

Universidade Rovuma
Nampula
2022
 Abdala Assumane
Diocleciano Boaventura Henriques Amade
Óscar da Conceição Calisto
Ramadane Saide Carmalí

Lexical and phrasal categories

Noun and Noun Phrase
Adverb and adverb phrase

Licenciatura em ensino de Inglês

It should submitted to the department of

science of Language, Communication
and Arts, English Language course in
Partial fulfillment of the subject: Syntax
Lecturer Hermengildo da Helena Nicolau, MA

Universidade Rovuma
Nampula
2022

Content page
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................5
1.1.Category................................................................................................................................6
1.1.Lexical Category...................................................................................................................6
1.2 Phrasal Category...................................................................................................................7
1.3 Categories of Phrasal Category.............................................................................................7
1.4 Noun Phrase..........................................................................................................................7
1.5 Verb Phrase...........................................................................................................................7
1.6 Adjective Phrase...................................................................................................................7
1.7 Prepositional Phrase..............................................................................................................7
1.8 Adverbial Phrase...................................................................................................................7
1.9 Infinitive Phrase....................................................................................................................8
2. Gerund Phrase........................................................................................................................8
2.1.Participle Phrase....................................................................................................................8
2.2. Noun.....................................................................................................................................8
2.3. Morphological Criterion......................................................................................................8
2.4. Syntactic Criterion...............................................................................................................9
2.5. Noun.....................................................................................................................................9
2.6. Countable Nouns..................................................................................................................9
2.7. Uncountable Nouns..............................................................................................................9
2.8. Noun Phrase.......................................................................................................................10
2.9. A noun phrase always has a modifier................................................................................10
3. Expanded noun phrases.........................................................................................................11
3.1. Noun Phrase Functions and the Pronoun Test...................................................................13
3.3. Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun................................................................................13
3.4. Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun................................................................................13
3.5. Adverbs..............................................................................................................................14
3.6. Types of Adverbs Adverbs of Time...................................................................................14
3.7. Adverbs of Manner............................................................................................................15
3.8. Adverbs of Place................................................................................................................15
3.9 Adverbs of Degree..............................................................................................................15
4. Adverbs of Frequency...........................................................................................................15
4.1. Interrogative Adverbs........................................................................................................15
4.2. Conjunctive Adverbs.........................................................................................................16
4.3. Adverb Placement..............................................................................................................16
4.4. Adverbial Phrase................................................................................................................16
4.5. Types of Adverbial Phrases...............................................................................................16
4.6. Intention (why):.................................................................................................................17
4.7. Manner (how).....................................................................................................................17
4.8. Time (when).......................................................................................................................17
4.9.. Location (where)...............................................................................................................17
5. Adverbial Phrase...................................................................................................................18
5.1. How to punctuate adverbial phrases and clauses...............................................................20
5.2. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................21
5.3. Bibliography......................................................................................................................22

1. Introduction
Generally it's completely doubted to talk about language without talking about Syntax,
knowing people don't talk in words but yes in sentences. This and other reasons make
Syntaxto be an unavoidable subject.In this paper the group has tried to talk about lexical and
phrasal categories as the head of topic .But also nouns in their category, adverb and adverbial
phrase as important elements in a sentence. We conclude that sentence has many to do with
language, Not only in English language but in our language as well.
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1.1.Category
Terminologically, the term “category” comes from Middle French „categoria‟ from Late
Latin categoria‟ from Greek „kategoria‟ meaning prediction, naming or category as a verb it
means to speak against, to name or to classify. It assumes that it consists of two parts:

Cate-/ kate-: Down to, against to -goria: Break, speak, name. The combination of the two
parts can mean breaking down, naming, classifying, accusing. In traditional grammar,
category‟ is known as a part of speech or word class, in some theories of contemporary
grammar, it is known as a grammatical category and in syntax it is called syntactic category.
Category is a syntactic type that classifies, names or categorizes (ultimate constituents or
single words referred to as lexical categories and intermediate or immediate constituents. i.e.
phrases or clauses referred to as phrasal categories) according to their importance (heads,
modifiers, complements/ obligatory and optional), functions(subjects, predicates, objects)and
distributions and relations (mutual dependency, one-way dependency, etc.). Types Category
can be classified into two Lexical category Phrasal category (BOGURAEV 1991:251)
1.1.Lexical Category

The term Lexical‟ is an adjective, derived from the noun, lexicon‟. Lexicon itself derived
from Greek origin lexikon‟ meaning word or speech. (Longman Advanced American
Dictionary, 2007). Lexical category is used to indicate the word class of the single constituent
like noun, verb, adjective, adverb, adposition, conjunction, etc. The headword determines the
category of the constituent. Lexical category can be subdivided into other categories:

a) Major lexical categories: Also known as content words such category includes words as
noun, verb, adjective, adverb and adposition.

b) Minor lexical categories: Also known as function words such group involves pronouns,
prepositions (some grammarian regard preposition as a major category), determiners,
auxiliaries, degree words and conjunctions.

Noun Terminologically, the English word 'noun' comes from old French 'nom', French took it
from Latin word 'nomen' meaning name.

Traditionally, the function of a noun is to name a person, a place or a thing, but such
assumption create dispute (disagreement) among different linguistic schools of contemporary
grammar and syntax because it does not cover the whole range of nouns as in the case of
honesty, January, theory etc. (the list is endless) such nouns are not strictly either people,
places or things. (BurtonRoberts, 2011) The notion of noun can be explained more clearly
when we classify the category of noun to further subcategories. Subcategories of Noun As it
has been pointed out not so far, there is not a complete agreement among the different
grammarians and syntacians towards the types and sub-types of nouns (categories and
subcategories). The following discussion will classify the subcategories of nouns according to
their functions and distributions in the language constructions. (McClure 1990: 314)
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1.2 Phrasal Category

‟Derived from phrase, originally the word „phrase‟ came from Latin „phrasis‟. Latin took it
from Greek „phrazein‟ meaning to explain, to point out or to tell. A phrase category is used to
indicate a sequence of words in a form of a phrase or a word which can replace a phrase. It is
governed by the most important word and described as the head of the phrase.

1.3 Categories of Phrasal Category

1.4 Noun Phrase

As it has been pointed in the last lecture that NP has great relations with the other phrasal
categories like VP, PP in particular that means a VP cannot function as a predicate whiteout
the presence of an NP and the PP cannot form a phrase without the presence of an NP.

Further, NP has great contributions in the structure of sentences in general; it has a lion‟s
share in constructions of the different units of a sentence. An NP is a group of words which
are headed by the central word consistently noun; also it can be a word which can replace an
NP like pronoun or proper noun. An NP function as subject and sister of a VP (predicate) both
form the immediate constituents of a sentence (mother). Further, an NP functions as an
obligatory complement with PP.

1.5 Verb Phrase

A VP is a group of words “verb+ complement(s)” governed by a verb as its head. It can be a
word which can replace the whole phrase as in the condition of intransitive verbs (more
details about the categories of verb in the next lect.)

1.6 Adjective Phrase

It is formed by an adjective word preceded by an adverb as very, too, rather, extremely etc.
adjective phrases are used to describe a noun or a noun phrase e.g. The condition of patient 3
in the Post-operative Center is very critical.

1.7 Prepositional Phrase

Normally, consists of a simple preposition plus a Noun phrase. It is called prepositional
because it is started by a preposition. A prepositional phrase is a group of words which does
not have a verb or a subject and functions as a part of a sentence to add more information
about time, place or manner e.g. In the University Park. In 1990th. In the diagnostic imaging.

1.8 Adverbial Phrase

Consists of one adverb or an adverb plus other words before it (pre modification) or after it
(post-modification) e.g. Children with balanced diet grow up really quickly.
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1.9 Infinitive Phrase

Consists of an infinitive (to+base form of a verb) and modifiers or other related words linked
to the infinitive. An infinitive phrase always acts as a noun, an adjective or adverb in the
structure of the English sentence e.g. To get success in exam is an ambition of every student.

2. Gerund Phrase
Consists of verb plus –ing. A gerund phrase is a group of gerund (verb + ing) modifiers and
other related words linked to the gerund. A gerund phrase functions as a noun in the structure
of the English sentence as in: As soon as he finished the experiment, he started writing the
results.

2.1.Participle Phrase
Consists of a present verb plus –ing or a past participle verb. A Participle phrase is a group of
a present participle or past participle verbs, modifiers and other linked words. It is punctual
with a comma or commas and it always acts as an adjective in the structure of the English
sentence e.g. In Aden, most of the doors and windows are made of aluminum, to resist
humidity.

IDENTIFYING LEXICAL CATEGORIES LINGUISTS APPLY DIFFERENT CRITERIA

TO CLASSIFY THE LEXICAL WORDS

The most common measurements can be explained as follows:

2.2. Noun
a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. The noun phrase will contain a noun along with
words that describe or modify the noun.

Example: House, Water, Computer, London, Jennifer

2.3. Morphological Criterion

It is another approach is used to characterize words in terms of their forms and functions as
in: Nouns can have their plural by adding –s or –es and can form possessive by adding –‟s.

Verbs can form their past by adding –d or –ed and in present base –s or –es to the 3rd person
singular. Adjective can have –er and –est or more and most to form comparative and
superlative. Adverb can be formed by adding –ly to the adjective.

The morphological properties of each lexical category cannot be overridden; verbs cannot
have plural marking, nor can adjectives have tense marking. It turns out, however, that these
morphological criteria are also only of limited value. In addition to nouns like information
furniture, love and pain that do not have a plural form. There are adjectives (such as absent
and circular) that do not have comparative -er or superlative -EST forms, due to their
meanings.

The morphological (form-based) criterion, though reliable in many cases, is not a necessary
and sufficient condition for determining the type of lexical categories.
 9

2.4. Syntactic Criterion

It seems that it is more reliable than the former criteria, it classifies the lexical words to two
groups major (content words usually used as heads and placed in the position of obligatory)
and minor (function words usually used as modifiers and linkers and some of them placed in
the position of optional).

2.5. Noun
a noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. The noun phrase will contain a noun along with
words that describe or modify the noun.

Example: House, Water, Computer, London, Jennifer

In English nouns are classified into two categories:

2.6. Countable Nouns

They are the names of separate objects, people or other things which can be counted; they are
characterized by the Following: They accept the forms of singular and plural as in: Table =
tables Cat = cats. Before countable nouns, we can use articles a/an and numerals as in: An
injection, a tablet, the first step, etc.

2.7. Uncountable Nouns

They are the names of materials, liquids, abstract qualities, collection and other things which
can be seen as masses. They are characterized by the following:

They do not have plural forms e.g. milk, weather, etc. They always take singular verbs as in:
Mother's milk is good for new babies.They can accept articles (a & an) and numbers
especially When we order things as in: Can I have a cup of tea, please? Can we have two
coffees, please? (Means two cups of coffee)

Mixed Uses Some nouns can be used as countable or uncountable with a different meaning
e.g. an iron (count: used for ironing the clothes), Iron (uncounted: the metal). Some nouns can
be used as uncountable in English, but countable in other languages as the following: Luggage
(a suitcase) Where is your luggage? Where are your suitcases? The countable nouns often
refer to a specific action; and the uncountable nouns often refer to an action or idea in general.
An interesting translation (countable). The art of translation (uncountable).

Concrete Nouns vs. Abstract Nouns: Concrete nouns are perceivable by the senses and name
something you can see, hear, smell, taste or touch. These include people e.g. dentist, animals
e.g. gorilla, places e.g. island, objects e.g. keys. Abstract nouns are names of things you
cannot see, hear, smell, taste or fell. In other words, abstract nouns are not tangible. They
name actions and events e.g. childhood, Friday, ideas e.g. energy, freedom, states of mind e.g.
anger, courage, depression, qualities e.g. beauty, truth, conditions e.g. cancer, diabetes.

d) Contrasting/ Pair Nouns: Nouns which are used as pairs are known as contrasting nouns.
Father – mother Uncle – aunt Man – woman
 10

e) Collective Nouns: They can be used either as singular or plural as in government, board,
community, council, etc. Consider the Following: The research team is doing a new experiment
about the effects of Qat in (*on: see NB) pregnant. The research team are doing a new
experiment about the effects of Qat in pregnant. (Abdullah, 2013) NB: Which one is wright:
Effect on OR effect in?

The effect always affects in a person/thing not on the people or things. Compare the
following: a) The bird is on OR in the tree. b) The marker is in the book. c) The marker is on
the book. Sentences (b) and (c) both are well-grammatical, because we can put the marker
inside the book and it can be described as in (b) also we can put it on the book, in this case it
can be describe as in (c). Regarding (a), the birds always situated between the branches of the
trees not on the highest branch, therefore “the bird is in the tree “practically and logically is
the correct form.

f) Proper Nouns: The word 'proper' comes from Old French; 'Propre'. French had been' taken
it from Latin word 'properius' meaning 'own'. So, the proper noun denotes 'own name' of a
particular person, place or thing. They are started by capital letters and they do not accept
articles. Sulman, Muna etc.

g) Neutral/ Dual Nouns: Some nouns can be used either as a masculine or feminine depending
on the gender. The encephalogist saw the new patient with a serious headache. He/she asked
him/her to do a brain CT scan.

2.8. Noun Phrase

A noun phrase is a group of words made up of a noun and words to describe that noun.
Below, we'll learn more about noun phrases, explore noun phrase examples, look at expanded
noun phrases, and discuss how to teach children about these phrases and why we use them.A
noun phrase is a small group of words which contains a noun along with modifying words for
that noun. The phrase acts like the subject or object of the sentence. Even a simple modifier,
such a number or an article like“the” or “a,” turns the group of words including noun the into
a noun phrase.It’s important to remember that modifiers don’t always have to come before the
noun to make the group of words a noun phrase. They can come after a noun, like in the case
of an adjective clause or infinitives.

2.9. A noun phrase always has a modifier.

Phrase it’s critical that we understand what a phrase is before getting deeper into noun
phrases, so here's a quick refresher.

A phrase is simply a group of words that form a part of a sentence. For example: "in the dark
night" or "within the bustling crowd."You can add to phrases to create a complete sentence,
but a phrase alone doesn’t constitute a sentence.There are several common phrases used in the
English language. They include verb phrases, adjective phrases, prepositional phrases,
 11

absolute phrases, adverb phrases, and noun phrases.We’ll focus on the last type of phrase in
the text below.

Examples of simple noun phrases include:

The house

My gray dog

The teacher

The clever child

You might have noticed that these aren't full sentences. Instead, noun phrases are part of
longer sentences, such as:

The house was brand-new.

I love my gray dog.

The teacher cheered on the clever child.

Each sentence includes a noun and words that modify them. Sentences can also have more
than one noun phrase, and noun phrases can even be embedded in other noun phrases.You
might also extend the noun phrase. In fact, this is very common, and children might not even
realize that they use this on a daily basis. More on this below.

3. Expanded noun phrases

You may occasionally hear the term expanded noun phrase. An expanded noun phrase tells
you more about the noun found in a simple noun phrase.

Let’s explore how to turn a simple noun phrase into an expanded noun phrase using the
following example:

I swam in the sea.

Child in water

In the sentence above, the noun phrase is "the sea." To turn it into an expanded noun phrase,
we can include an adjective to modify the noun "sea." For example:

I swam in the salty sea.

 12

Now we have an expanded noun phrase, "the salty sea." The article is “the,” the adjective is
“salty,” and the noun is “sea.”

You can also put the expansion after the noun. In addition to adjectives, you can add other
pieces of information that are still part of the whole noun phrase. For example:

The haunted house with big, broken windows was very scary.

In the example above, the adjective "haunted" describes the house and the expansion "with
big, broken windows" is modifying the noun "house." Therefore, both are included in the
expanded noun phrase

We've looked at how to extend a noun phrase. Now, let’s take a look at the example sentences
below and think about which part of the sentence is the noun phrase.

Eg; That new pink bike is mine.

In this sentence, “that new pink bike” is the noun phrase. “Bike” is the noun, and the other
words describe the bike.

Eg; The bakery on the corner sells lots of pastries.

In this sentence, there are actually two noun phrases. The first is "the bakery on the corner."
The "bakery" is the main noun in this phrase, and "on the corner," while also a noun,describes
the bakery.

The next noun phrase is "lots of pastries." The noun of the phrase is"pastries"and "lots of"
describes the noun.

EgThesilly dog that keeps chasing his tail belongs to my friend.

In this sentence, the adjective clause “that keeps chasing his tail” is the noun phrase modifier
for “the silly dog.” The modifier follows the noun in this example. Together they make the
noun phrase.

EgThe brave man ventured through the dark and cold forest.

The noun phrases in this sentence are “the brave man” and “the dark and cold forest.” The
adjectives “dark and cold” describe the noun “forest,” and “brave” describes the “man.”

EgThe kind girl put seeds outside for the birds visiting the backyard.

In this sentence, the adjective “kind” describes the “girl” and the participle “visiting the
backyard” modifies the noun “birds."
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E.g:Bird with seeds

The importanceof learning about expanded noun phrases

Learning about expanded noun phrases opens up new creative possibilities in children's
writing. Adding extra information to nouns makes writing more interesting as well as paints
vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.Expanded noun phrases draw on and encourage
imagination, placing both reader and writer in the scene. This is a valuable skill that will
benefit children throughout their lives. Whether they’re writing essays, stories, or job
applications, if they can capture their reader’s imagination they’re more likely to make a
lasting impression.

3.1. Noun Phrase Functions and the Pronoun Test

As mentioned previously, the function of a noun phrase is much like that of a noun. The noun
phrase acts as a complement, a subject, or an object in a sentence.

A complement describes the subject or object of a sentence.The subject of a sentence is the

noun (person, place, thing, or idea) that is doing something or being something in the
sentence.The object of a sentence is the noun on the receiving end of the verb.Since the noun
phrase acts as a noun, one way to quickly test if the phrase is indeed a noun phrase is to
replace it with a pronoun.A pronoun is a word that can be used in place of a noun. Let’s look
at a few examples of noun phrases being turned into pronouns:

3.3. Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun

The dog was hungry. He was hungry.

The simple noun phrase or subject of the sentence is “the dog.” The noun phrase can be
replaced with the pronoun “he.”

3.4. Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun

The haunted house with big broken windows was very scary. It was very scary.

The noun phrase in this sentence is “the haunted house with big, broken windows.” We
replace the noun phrase with the pronoun "it."

Example:

Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun

I ate the delicious chocolate cake. I ate it.

 14

The object of the sentence, and therefore the noun phrase, is “the delicious chocolate cake.”
Replace the phrase with a pronoun, and we got the following sentence: "I ate it."Finally, let’s
look at a sentence with two noun phrases turned into pronouns.

Noun Phrase Replaced with Pronoun

Example:

The tall girl is a good dancer.She is one.

“The tall girl” is the subject and “a good dancer” is the subject complement. Both are noun
phrases. If we replace the phrases with pronouns, the new sentence reads: "She is one.ʺ

Possessive pronouns can also replace noun phrases to show ownership. They will often be
used to refer back to a noun phrase in a previous sentence. For example, "You know that blue
book on the kitchen counter? It’s mine." “That blue book” is the noun phrase, and “mine” is
the possessive pronoun that refers to the book.

3.5. Adverbs
Describe verbs and modify adjectives and other adverbs. Adverbs, unlike adjectives, do not
modify nouns. Adverbs can also modify phrases, clauses, and sentences. Adverbs answer one
of the following questions: When? Where? Why? How? Under what conditions? and To what
extent?

Example: The teacher had to speak loudly to be heard over the children. (Loudly modifies the
verb speak.) The children were really bad during the movie. (Really modifies the adjective
bad.) John approached the wounded dog very slowly. (Very modifies the adverb slowly.)
Clearly, Sarah did not understand the directions. (Clearly modifies the sentence.) The box is
still below the stairs. (Still modifies the phrase “below the stairs.”)

3.6. Types of Adverbs Adverbs of Time

An adverb of time answers the question When? Adverbs of time include: after, always,
before, during, early, later, never, now, often, rarely, recently, sometimes, soon, then, today,
tomorrow, usually, yesterday, etc.

Example: John will attend the soccer game after he finishes his homework. (After answers the
question: When will John attend the soccer game?)
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3.7. Adverbs of Manner

An adverb of manner answers the question How? Adverbs of manner include: badly,
beautifully, better, bravely, cheerfully, fast, hard, quickly, slowly, inadequately, healthy, well,
etc. Example: Sarah slowly walked over the rocky beach. (Slowly answers the question: How
did Sarah walk?)

3.8. Adverbs of Place

An adverb of place answers the question Where? Adverbs of place include: above, away,
below, down, here, inside, near, outside, there, up, etc.

Example: Susan placed the boxes above the file cabinet. (Above answers the question: Where
did Susan place the boxes?)

3.9 Adverbs of Degree

An adverb of degree answers the question How much? It describes the strength and intensity
at which something happens. Adverbs of degree include: almost, completely, enough,
entirely, extremely, hardly, just, little, much, nearly, quite, rather, very, too, etc.

Example: John worked very hard to complete his part of the project. (Very answers the
question: How hard did John work?)

4. Adverbs of Frequency
An adverb of frequency answers the question How often? Adverbs of frequency include:
always, never, usually, frequently, occasionally, rarely, seldom, sometimes, etc.

Example: Bob always forgets to check his email before class begins. (Before answers the
question: How often does Bob forget to check his email?)

4.1. Interrogative Adverbs

An interrogative adverb introduces a question. Interrogative adverbs are usually placed at the
beginning of the sentence. Interrogative adverbs include: how, when, why, and where.

Example: When will John’s plane arrive from Atlanta?

4.2. Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs serve as transitional words, joining and relating independent clauses.
Conjunctive adverbs include: accordingly, also, alternatively, certainly, consequently, finally,
 16

nevertheless, moreover, previously, therefore, etc. For a list of more conjunctive adverbs,
refer to the Writing Center’s handout Common Conjunctions.

Example: We plan to leave early in the morning; therefore, we will go to bed early. Forming
Adverbs Adding –ly to the end Many adverbs are formed by adding –ly to an adjective.

Example: clear/clearly hard/hardly Irregular Adverbs Some adverbs do not use the –ly ending.
These adverbs do not have a particular form. Following is a list of some of the most common
irregular adverbs: already, also, always, here, never, not, now, often, quite, seldom, soon, still,
then, there, too, very well.

4.3. Adverb Placement

Adverbs are flexible in their placement; therefore, they can be placed just about anywhere
within the sentence. At the beginning of a sentence or a clause.

Example: Clearly, John has a problem arriving to work on time. At the end of a sentence or a
clause.

Example: Sarah and John attend the opera frequently. After the verb Example: Bob and John
have always participated in the soccer tournament. Between the subject and the verb
Example: Sarah rarely forgets to call home when she is out late

4.4. Adverbial Phrase

An adverbial phrase is a group of words that together behave as an adverb. Adverbial phrases,
also known as adverb phrases, modify other parts of speech—such as verbs, adjectives, and
other adverbs—and other phrases.

In English grammar, adverbial phrases describe why, how, where, or when an event occurred
without using a subject or a verb. Instead, adverbial phrases often combine multiple adverbs,
as in the sentence “She cooks very well.” Adverbial phrases can also use prepositional
phrases, as in “I’ll leave in two hours.”

4.5. Types of Adverbial Phrases

In the English language, adverbial phrases can serve as different kinds of modifiers:

4.6. Intention (why):

These adverbial phrases highlight the purpose of an event or action, as in the example
sentence “To ensure they had a table, they made a reservation.” Here, “they made a
reservation” is a complete sentence unto itself, and everything else before the comma—“to
 17

ensure they had a table”—acts as an adverbial phrase describing the intention behind the
independent or main clause.

4.7. Manner (how)

Adverb phrases describing the manner of an event or action are often similes, as in the
sentence “He ran like a cheetah,” or prepositional phrases, as in “I sleep in total darkness.” In
the first example, the simile “like a cheetah” modifies how the subject runs. In the second
sentence, the prepositional phrase “in total darkness” modifies how the subject sleeps.

4.8. Time (when)

A group of words illustrating time modify when an event occurs, as in the sentence
“Grandma eats at six o’clock.” The adverbial phrase “at six o’clock” modifies when the
subject eats a meal.

4.9.. Location (where)

Multi-word phrases can show the location of an event or action. In the example sentence “He
rents an apartment in New York,” the prepositional phrase “in New York” modifies where the
subject rents his apartment.

3 Examples of Adverbial Phrases

Adverbial phrases can be intensifiers, prepositional phrases, similes, and more. In the
following sentences, various adverbial phrases show how, why, when, and where an action
occurred:

1. “He left his grammar book in the study.” In this example, “in the study” is a prepositional
phrase acting as an adverbial phrase that shares where the subject left his book.

2. “She plays piano well, but her brother plays quite well.” The first “well” is a single adverb
modifying how the woman plays; the second phrase contains two adverbs, “quite” and “well,”
making it an adverbial phrase. Intensifiers like “quite,” “very,” “rather,” and “really” show the
degree to which an adverb modifies a verb.

3. “During the performance, they crawled on the floor like babies.” The simile “like babies”
modifies how the subjects crawled on the floor

5. Adverbial Phrase
An adverbial phrase is a group of words that have the same impact as an adverb. Adverbial
phrases can modify a verb, adjective, adverb, clause or an entire sentence.Adverbial phrases
 18

make a sentence more interesting and exciting. They tell us how (manner), when (time),
where (place), why (reason) and how long (this is another type of adverbial phrase of time).
This extra information gives the reader more detail, so they can gain more insight and context
about what’s happening in a text.

What are some examples of adverbial phrases?

An adverbial phrase must be a group of two or more words, one of which must be an adverb.
Some examples of adverbial phrases we might encounter often are:

in a while

after school

it is everyday

very quickly

in the classroom

Because they're happy.

It went badly

Adverbial phrases can be used in sentences.

Without the adverbial phrase, we would not know the reason for not doing the bungee
jump. So, if you’ve been wondering ‘What is an adverbial phrase?’ you can now see that
adverbial phrases help us to understand things by providing extra information.

In silence

The class read the book in silence.

Behind the shed

Clare found her football behind the shed.

In the morning

We'll take the dog for a walk in the morning.

In a minute

In a minute, I think I'll have a slice of cake.

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After the rain

There was a rainbow after the rain.

Most days

Most days I have to get up at 7 am.

Everyone was well-behaved in the classroom.

Before school

Charley needed to find his homework before school.

In the distance

I could see a car coming in the distance.

A fronted adverbial is an adverb, adverbial phrase or adverbial clause that is used at the
beginning of a sentence. Just like regular adverbial phrases, fronted adverbials give more
detail and texture to a sentence, telling us when, where, how or why something is done or has
happened.

Some of the examples we’ve used above are fronted adverbials, such as:

In a minute, I think I’ll have a slice of cake.

Most days, I have to get up at 7am.

The great thing about adverbial phrases and clauses is that we can often choose whether we
want to use them at the beginning or the end of a sentence. For example, we can use our
adverbial clause as a fronted adverbial:

Before he eats his dinner, he does do his homework.

This ability enables us to add variation to our writing, making it more interesting for the
reader.

A fronted adverbial doesn’t have to be an adverbial phrase or clause, however. A single

adverb can be a fronted adverbial all on its own. For example:

Later, I’ll go to the cinema.

Suddenly, the clouds disappeared.

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5.1. How to punctuate adverbial phrases and clauses

The general rule is that if you’re using your adverbial phrase at the end of a sentence, it
doesn’t need a comma. For example, there’s no need for a comma in the sentence ‘We’ll take
the dog for a walk in the morning’. However, if we decide to use the adverbial phrase as a
fronted adverbial, the sentence becomes ‘In the morning, we’ll take the dog for a walk’. As
we can see, this sentence has a comma because it needs one. So, the general rule is that you
need a comma after an adverbial phrase if you’re using it at the beginning of a sentence, but
you don’t need a comma before an adverbial phrase if you’re using it at the end of the
sentence. We can put adverbs and adverb phrases at the front, in the middle or at the end of a
clause.

Suddenly I felt afraid.

Yesterday detectives arrested a man and a woman in connection with the murder.

5.2. Conclusion

It can be concluded that many traditional and contemporary definitions cannot cover the
whole functions of the different constituents (lexical and phrasal), for instance the definition
of noun denotes it in referring to a person, thing or place, but noun has further Functions
which are not covered by such inadequate definition. Syntactic category seems to be the more
reliable criterion, it classifies the lexical words to two groups major (content words usually
used as heads and placed in the position of obligatory) and minor (function words usually
used as modifiers and linkers and some of them placed in the position of optional)
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5.3. Bibliography

Burton,R.( 2011) Analysing sentences. An introduction to English syntax. Third edition .New
York.

Quirk, R., S. Greenbaum, G. Leech, and J. Svartvik (1985) A Comprehensive Grammar of the
English Language. Longman.

Radford, A., Atkinson, M., Britain, D., Clahsen, H., and Spencer, A. (1999) Linguistics: an
Introduction. Cambridge University Press.

Smith, N. (1999) Chomsky: Ideas and ideals. Cambridge University Press. 270

Yule,G.( 2006) The study of language.Third edition. Cambridge New York.