Spring
2001 * English 110J * Tanaka
E/M QUESTIONS FROM GROUP DISCUSSION
Chapter 6 ADVERBS
1. PAGE 115. Children are almost always
hungry. The book says <almost always> modifies <hungry>. Is this
correct?
ANSWER: NO, IT TELLS HOW OFTEN <CHILDREN ARE
HUNGRY>. ANY ADVERB THAT DEALS WITH TIME OR FREQUENCY MODIFIES THE MAIN
CLAUSE.
LOGICALLY, THE SENTENCE LOOKS LIKE THIS:
2. 1/3: IDEALLY, the doctor would have completed
the examination. Why does this modify the whole clause?
ANSWER: HERE EM IS CORRECT. (NOTE THAT GS WOULD
HAVE NO WAY OF EXPLAINING WHAT <IDEALLY> MODIFIES SINCE BY DEFINITION,
ADVERBS DO NOT MODIFY CLAUSES.)
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE LOGIC OF THIS IS,
LOOK AT THE FUNCTIONS OF ADVERBS IN EM AS WELL AS THE EXPLANATION OF ADVERBIAL
CLAUSES. ON THE WHOLE, THAT DESCRIPTION IS QUITE GOOD.
THEN TAKE THE WORD <IDEALLY>, AND TURN IT
INTO AN ADVERBIAL CLAUSE. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SENTENCE MIGHT READ:
<IF THIS TURNS OUT TO BE AN IDEAL
SITUATION>, THEN THE DOCTOR WOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE EXAMINATION [BY THAT
TIME].
THIS ISN'T A PERFECT MATCH WITH THE ORIGINAL, BUT
IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SHOW WHY <IDEALLY> MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE.
3. 1/5: Although they practice DILIGENTLY, they NEVER satisfy their teacher.
The book only says there are two adverbs. What is
ALTHOUGH? Does NEVER modify SATISFY?
ANSWER: I WOULD CONSIDER <ALTHOUGH> TO BE
AN ADVERB OR A CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB BECAUSE IT MAKES THE CLAUSE THAT FOLLOWS IT AN
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER. BUT EM AND MOST MTG CONSIDER THEM TO BE CONJUNCTIONS.
<DILIGENTLY> IS A MANNER ADVERBIAL STATING
HOW THEY PRACTICE. IT MODIFIES THE VERB <PRACTICE>.
<NEVER> MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE <THEY
SATISFY THEIR TEACHER>.
4. 1/10: You can NEVER work TOO CAREFULLY. There
are three adverbials. NEVER > can work, TOO > carefully, CAREFULLY >
can work. How does NEVER modify the verb?
ANSWER: SEE THE ANSWER TO #1 ABOVE. <NEVER>
MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE.
5. 3/2: I may POSSIBLY join you. The book says
the adverb is manner but can't it also be time?
ANSWER: IT IS NEITHER. IT IS AN ADVERB OF
ASSERTION, AND REFERS TO THE TRUTH OR THE CERTAINTY OF THE TRUTH OF THE ENTIRE
SENTENCE.
<POSSIBLY> I MAY JOIN YOU.
6. 3/8: Have you ever gone THERE? Isn't THERE a
pronoun?
ANSWER: NO. <THERE> STANDS FOR AN ADVERBIAL
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. IT MEANS <IN THAT PLACE> OR <TO THAT PLACE>.
7. 4/8: Are you sure you are WELL? Why is WELL an
adjective.
ANSWER: THE VERB IS <ARE> AND <WELL>
IS AN ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT THAT REFERS BACK TO THE SUBJECT <YOU>.
8. 4/9: Are there ENOUGH bananas? Is ENOUGH an
adverb?
ANSWER: NO, <ENOUGH> IS A DETERMINER. IT
TELLS HOW MANY BANANAS.
9. 4/10: He slept ENOUGH for two. Is it an
adjective COMPLEMENT?
ANSWER: NO, IN THIS CASE <ENOUGH> IS AN
ADVERB OF TIME <LONG ENOUGH FOR TWO PEOPLE> MODIFYING THE MAIN CLAUSE
<HE SLEPT>.
10. Page 121. I had problems with some of the
examples of Nouns and Phrases used as adverbs.
The book says <EVENINGS> is a noun
modifying <STAYED>. Is this true? Also, what is HOME? a DIRECT OBJECT?
The book says <IN THE MORNING> modifies
<WORKED>. Is this true?
ANSWER: THIS IS A COMPLEX QUESTION. SO LET'S DEAL
WITH IT IN TWO PARTS. FIRST, THE NOUN <HOME> IS AN ADVERBIAL THAT
COMPLETES THE MEANING OF <STAYED>. IT STANDS FOR A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.
SECOND, <EVENINGS> IS ALSO THE OBJECT OF AN
ADVERBIAL PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE BUT IT MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE, NOT THE VERB
BECAUSE IT TELLS WHEN <SHE STAYED AT HOME>
THIS IS THE SAME ANALYSIS YOU CAN GIVE FOR
<SHE ALWAYS WORKED IN THE MORNING>. THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE MODIFIES THE
MAIN CLAUSE.
11. 6/9: That house costs $500,000. The
book says this is an adverbial. Why?
ANSWER: THE BOOK DOES NOT ANALYZE THE VERB
CORRECTLY. <COSTS> FUNCTIONS LIKE A <LINKING VERB>. THE PRICE IS THE
COMPLEMENT.
12. 7/8: The student would not submit EVEN THE
PLAGIARISM COMMITTEE QUESTIONED HIM ALL NIGHT. The book says the clause modifies
the verb. Can it modify the main clause?
ANSWER: YES, IT HAS TO MODIFY THE MAIN CLAUSE.
13. 7/13: I lost the right heel of my shoe AS I
WAS CROSSING THE STREET. Why does this not modify LOST?
ANSWER: THE REASON YOU ARE ASKING THIS QUESTION
IS THAT YOU WANT TO BE CONSISTENT WITH #12 AND OTHERS. BUT THE TEXT IS BEING
INCONSISTENT HERE. THIS CLAUSE ALSO MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE.
14. 7/25: WHILE I WAS EATING MY LUNCH, a friend
dropped by. Why does this clause modify DROPPED?
ANSWER: THIS IS THE SAME INCONSISTENCY WE SAW IN
THE LAST TWO. THE CLAUSE DOES NOT MODIFY <DROPPED>.
15. 9/2: IN MUCH THE SAME POSITION. The book says
MUCH should be kept. I don't see it.
ANSWER: <IN MUCH THE SAME> IS BEING TREATED
LIKE AN IDIOM. IT IS AN ADVERBIAL QUALIFIER.
16. Page 126. Examples of infinitives as adverbs.
I had problems with the following:
Why don't these modify the main clause instead of
the main verb?
ANSWER: BUT THE TEXT IS BEING INCONSISTENT HERE.
THESE INFINITIVES CAN ALL BE TURNED INTO ADVERBIAL CLAUSES AND THEY ALL MODIFY
THE MAIN CLAUSE BECAUSE THEY ARE PURPOSE CLAUSES.
17. 10/1. Jerry tends to become violent
when he is frustrated. This sentence doesn't make any sense. Is TENDS a
transitive verb?
ANSWER: YES, <TENDS> IS A TRANSITIVE VERB
AND <TO BECOME VIOLENT> IS A DIRECT OBJECT.
18. 10/2. The storm seems to cover several
states. Is SEEMS a Linking verb? Why isn't the infinitive a COMPLEMENT.
ANSWER: THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX SENTENCE. THE
MEANING IS:
<APPARENTLY, THE STORM COVERS SEVERAL
STATES.>
19. 10/4: He bats left-handed TO UTILIZE HIS
GREAT SPEED. Why does the infinitive modify BATS?
ANSWER: THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS ABOVE. THE
INFINITIVE MODIFIES THE MAIN CLAUSE.
20. 10/6. They intend to travel to
Scotland. I think TO TRAVEL is a direct object.
ANSWER: YES, <INTENDS> IS A TRANSITIVE VERB
AND <TO TRAVEL> IS A DIRECT OBJECT.
21. 10/8. The landlord tried to evict his tenant.
I think TO EVICT is a direct object. The verb TRY takes a DO doesn't it?
ANSWER: YES, YOU ARE CORRECT. THE TEXT IS WRONG.