UNIT 17 ADVERS: FUNCTIONS, TYPES, PLACEMENT, and MEANING

Functions
1) To modify verbs
2) To modify adjectives
3) To modify other adverbs
4) To modify entire sentences
: I speak English fluently.
: The exam was extremely/ very/ so difficult.
: I speak English very/ so fluently.
: Luckily, no one was hurt in the accident.

Types
1) Manner : HOW? & usually end/ mid He usually behaves dishonestly. (usually
verb...ADV)
2) Time : WHEN? & usually end/ front I’ve read something interesting recently.
3) Place : WHERE? & usually end I found the book there.
4) Frequency : HOW OFTEN? & usually before verbs/ after “be” It is always enjoyable.

Placement – A Sentence Adverbs

Some sentence adverbs: (Un)fortunately, actually, basically, obviously, certainly, luckily, mainly, normally,
maybe, perhaps, hopefully, surely, etc.
1) Beginning (front) : Clearly, they have a big problem.
2) Middle (mid) : They clearly have a big problem. (ADV...verb/ “be”...ADV)
3) End : They have a big problem, clearly.

Placement & Meaning – B Focus Adverbs

Common focus adverbs: just – even – only – almost & placement makes a DIFFERENCE!
1) Just: He just doesn’t believe them. (He thinks they are lying.)
He doesn’t just believe them. (He believes them and can do more...)
2) Even: Even I can do that. (Anyone can do that – that’s easy.)
I can do even that. (Plus other things, I can do that, too.)
3) Only: Only women are allowed to attend the meeting. (Men can’t.)
Women are allowed only to attend the meeting. (They can’t do anything else but to attend.)

Adverbs & Adverbials

Adverbials = nouns, noun phrases, prepositional phrases, etc. that function as adverbs!
 There (ADV) – in this room / downtown/ at home/ etc. (ADVERBIALS) WHERE?
 Recently (ADV) – this morning/ last weekend/ in the summer/ etc. (ADVERBIALS) WHEN?
 Dishonestly (ADV) – with enthusiasm/ in amazement/ with pleasure/ etc. (ADVERBIALS) HOW?

PLEASE NOTE: S + V + manner + place + time (order of adverbs)

Negative Adverbs – Placement & INVERSION

Inversion  negation and/ or limitation on VERBS; CERTAIN adverbs and adverbial phrases
 Yes/ No question word order

a) Time relationships
 After ‘negative’ adverbs
No sooner had I put the phone down than it rang again.
Hardly / Scarcely / Barely had I got my breath back when it was time to go again.
 Phrases with ‘not’:
*Not until he apologizes will I speak to him again.

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 Not since I was little have I had so much fun.
Not for one minute do I imagine they’ll come back.
Not even once did she look in this direction.
 Phrases with ‘only’:
*Only after several weeks did he begin to recover.
Only later did she realize what had happened.
… Only then did he remember he hadn’t got his keys.
*Only when I’ve finished this will I be able to think about anything else.
Other time phrases with ‘only’:
only recently only in the last few days only last week only five minutes earlier
PLEASE NOTE: After ‘not until’, ‘only when’ and ‘only after’, the inversion is in the main part of the sentence:
Not until did I see him I remembered we had met before. (Wrong)
Not until I saw him did I remember we had met before.

b) Frequency
 After ‘negative’ adverbs:
Never (before) have I felt so lonely.
Rarely do they fail to get away for a holiday.
Seldom is that pop group out of the news.
Hardly ever did he wear a suit.
 After ‘negative’ adverbs to emphasize how infrequently things happen:
Little did she realize what was about to happen.
Nowhere was a replacement to be found.

c) General emphasis
 Phrases with ‘only’:
Only by patience and hard work will we find a solution.
Only by examining all the facts can we be sure of a fair verdict. (Only by ‘doing’)
Only in this way do we stand any chance of success.
Only in an emergency should you dial 911.
 Phrases with ‘no’:
In no way should this be regarded as an end of the matter.
On no account are you to repeat this to anyone.
Under no circumstances can we accept their offer.
At no time was any warning given by the police.
No way would you find a house for that price in London. (Considered sub-standard English by
many.)

d) Inverted conditionals
 Should anyone telephone, could you take a message? (More formal)
(=Could you take a message if anyone telephones? Type 1)
 Were the suit a ‘Beymen’, it would be worth millions of liras.
(=If the suit was/were a ‘Beymen’, it would be worth millions of liras. Type 2)
 Had you taken a taxi, you would have got here on time.
(=If you had taken a taxi, you would have got here on time. Type 3)

e) Additions (Use of ‘so, neither, nor’)

I just meant to tell her the truth, and so did Sally.
She doesn’t like music at all. Neither/ Nor does her brother.

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f) Adverbials of direction or place
 With verbs of movement or position
Down the hillside tumbled the entire contents of the lorry.

The inversion of verb and subject only happens when the verb phrase is one word only, i.e. with the
present simple and past simple.
(in, out, up, down, round, over, back, forward, etc. ) + verb + subject)
In came Ross. (=In he came.)
Up jumped the runner.
Down fell the best apricots.
*** Here comes the bus! (=Here it comes!)

PLEASE NOTE: ‘To be’ can be used instead of a verb of movement or position.
*** Here are those books you lent me the other week.
PLEASE NOTE: NO inversion occurs when the subject of the verb is a pronoun.
Out you go!

When we front a prepositional phrase of place or movement, we normally invert the subject and the verb.
However, this is not usual with other prepositional phrases.
Out of the water jumped the penguins.
At seven o’clock arrived the removal van. (Wrong)

g) Inverted result clauses (Use of 'so' and 'such')

 'So + adjective ... (that)' combines with the verb 'to be':
So strange was the situation (that) I couldn't sleep.
So difficult is the test (that) students need three months to prepare.

 'Such + to be + noun ... (that)':

Such is the moment (that) all greats traverse.
Such was our annoyance (that) we refused to cooperate further.

h) Others
 not only… (Inversion)… but also (as well) SVO
Not only will he resign next month but he’ll also start travelling around the world.
 SVO, nor … (inversion)…
He didn’t help me (=He neither helped me), nor did he feel sorry about that.
 neither … nor… (Inversion) …
He neither went home (=He didn’t go home), nor did he come to my house.
NO INVERSION:
 I will neither stay here nor go there.
 Neither Jack nor Joe called me.
 than… (Inversion)
Children watch TV more than do their parents.
 as… (Inversion)
I believe it, as do my friends.

PLEASE NOTE: NOT using inversion:

We use inversion when the adverb modifies the verb, and not when it modifies the noun.
Rarely seen during the day, the badger is a famously sky animal. (=NO inversion)
Hardly anyone knows about it. (=NO inversion)
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Other examples
 Only if you agree to do what I want, will I pay you in advance.
 Never (in my life) have I seen anything like this.
 Only by paying the fees in full can we guarantee a place on the course.
 Not since 1940s has there been such poverty.
 Seldom will you find a better bargain.
 Only when I had got on the bus did I realize that I'd left my purse at home.
 In no circumstances must this door be left open.
 Hardly ever has there been such interest in a Royal visit.
 Nowhere has there been more interest than in the schools.
 Hardly had we arrived when things began to go wrong.
 No sooner had we arrived than things began to go wrong.
 Not until I had got on the bus did I realize that I'd left my purse at home.
 The driver asked for my fare. Only then did I realize that I'd left my purse at home.

PRACTICE
1. For each sentence, write another with the same meaning, using the word in italics. Sometimes you must write a pair
of sentences.
1) It was never guaranteed that the swimming pool would actually be full of water. (Time)
At no tine was it guaranteed that...
2) We arrived and it stopped raining. (Sooner)
No sooner had we arrived than it stopped raining.
3) You must book with a reputable holiday company. That's the only way you can be sure of a good holiday. {This
way) ... Only this way can you be sure of a good holiday.
4) I've never met such an idiot! (Life)
Never in my life before have I met such an idiot!
5) Whatever you do, don't book a holiday with a company that hasn't been recommended to you. (Account).
On no account should you book a holiday with a company...
6) Our holidays are all top quality establishments, and also they are in beautiful locations. (Not)
Not only are our holidays all top quality establishments but they are also in beautiful locations.
7) We didn't realize what we'd let ourselves in for until we actually got to the hotel. (Not)
Not until we actually got to the hotel did we realize what we’d let ourselves in for.
8) You won't find better, cheaper accommodation anywhere. (Will)
Nowhere will you find better and cheaper accommodation.
9) This certainly doesn't prove a lack of honesty on the part of the holiday company. (Way)
In no way does this prove a lack of honesty on the part of the holiday company.
10) Never open the door of your hotel room unless you know who is outside. (Circumstances)
Under no circumstances should you open the door or your hotel room unless you know who is outside.
11) 'Everybody out!' bellowed the driver. That was when I realized the hotel was ours. (Only then)
... Only then did I realize the hotel was ours.
12) The only way to be sure of getting a seat on the plane is by arriving at the airport well before time. (By)
Only by arriving at the airport well before time can you be sure of getting a seat on the plane.
13) I had no idea that no one would be waiting for me at the airport. (Little)
Little did I know that no one would be waiting for me at the airport.
14) They said absolutely nothing about airport charges. (Word)
No word did they say about airport charges.
15) There wasn’t a fire escape anywhere in the entire hotel!
Nowhere in the hotel was there a fire escape.
16) She’d no sooner left hospital than she went skydiving again!
No sooner had she left the hospital than she went skydiving again.
17) They weren’t rescued until three days after the accident.
Not until three days after the accident were they rescued.