ADVERBS AND ADVERBIALS Adverbs An adverb modifies another

ADVERBS AND ADVERBIALS

Adverbs An adverb modifies another element of a sentence; in fact, aside from nouns (which are modified by adjectives), they can modify almost every other word type: � verb traditionally decorated � adverb She sang extremely loudly � adjective slightly smaller � pronoun nearly everyone 2

Adverbs can also modify whole clauses, phrases or even sentences: �I spotted only one crocodile ◦ ‘only’ modifies the noun phrase ‘one crocodile’ � We made it almost to the end ◦ ‘almost’ modifies the prepositional phrase ‘to the end’ � No one can see them anyway ◦ ‘anyway’ modifies the sentence as a whole. 3

Adverbs � Not all adverbs end in ‘ly’ ◦ Time adverbs: later, never, often, once, soon, today, tomorrow, ◦ Place adverbs: here, there, everywhere. ◦ Degree adverbs: almost, just, quite. ◦ Discourse markers: however, nevertheless, therefore � Not all words that end in ‘ly’ are adverbs ◦ Adjectives: lovely, deadly, jolly, lonely. ◦ Nouns: bully, holly, jelly, family. ◦ Verbs: bully, multiply, apply, supply. 4

Adverbials � An adverbial is a string of words that have a modifying function � Four common types of adverbial are ◦ prepositional phrases �He arrived completely without warning. . ◦ noun phrases �Jane telephoned me last night. ◦ subordinate clauses �If you work hard, you’ll pass. ◦ non-finite clauses. ◦ Slipping on the icy surface, the boy grabbed hold of 5

A great example of adverbial prepositional phrases Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins Rosie the hen went for a walk, across the yard, around the pond, over the haycock. . . 6

A classroom example � Where might we go? Exploring atmosphere with prepositional phrases � Learning objective: Understand how to create atmosphere when describing a journey using prepositional phrases � by the forgotten river � under the chestnut tree � beyond the sea � over the horizon � in the shadows � in the back of beyond � over the rainbow What are these places like? Who might you meet there? What might happen in this place? Choose a non-finite verb to be modified 7

Adverbial detail: a KS 3/4 example Opening to Lord of the Flies, William Golding: consider what the highlighted adverbial detail adds to our view of the characters and their surroundings: The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way toward the lagoon. Though he had taken off his school sweater and trailed it now from one hand, his grey shirt stuck to him and his hair was plastered to his forehead. All round him the long scar smashed into the jungle was a bath of heat. He was clambering heavily among the creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another. “Hi!” it said. “Wait a minute!”……. …. . The owner of the voice came backing out of the undergrowth so that twigs scratched on a greasy wind-breaker. The naked crooks of his knees were plump, caught and scratched by 8 thorns. He bent down, removed the thorns carefully, and turned

Fronted adverbials � These simply refer to single adverbs, adverbial phrases and clauses used at the start of a sentence or paragraph, to emphasise or connect ideas. � They have become emblematic of concerns about teaching to the SATs: see Michael Rosen’s blog from March 2016: � michaelrosenblogspot. com/2016/03/health -alert-how-fronted-adverbial. html � an article in The Guardian from May 2017: https: //www. theguardian. com/education/2017/ may/09/fronted-adverbials-sats-grammar-testprimary 9