adverbial modifiers

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "adverbial modifiers" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in discussions about grammar and sentence structure, specifically when referring to words or phrases that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by providing additional information about how, when, where, or to what extent something occurs. Example: "In the sentence 'She quickly ran to the store,' the phrase 'quickly' serves as an adverbial modifier."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The adverbial-predicate relation emerged partly due to the syntactic and semantic similarities to the adverbial-predicate relation in Mandarin Chinese, wherein the adverbial modifiers generally precede their modified elements.

Lingua Sinica

It is easy, with a little practice, to construct the adverbial modifiers.

SEP

Rather, they are, as it were, adverbial modifiers of mental states and events: one esteems another pleasurably or disapproves of another painfully.

SEP

Concepts to be realised as VPs (filling in an Action position) are sets of verbs with accompanying prepositions and adverbial modifiers.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

When the verb position is filled with predicates which do not belong to the category of transitive verbs, the relation between yì diǎn 'one dot' and the predicate is reanalyzed as the relation between an adverbial modifier and its modified element.

Lingua Sinica

Alternative ways of taking 'a is red at t' include treating 'at t' as an adverbial modifier, or as a sentential operator.

SEP

According to the first 'at t', better written as 'at t-ly', is an adverbial modifier specifying the way in which something has a property.

SEP

In these cases, the phrase yì diǎn 'one dot' functions as an adverbial modifier of extent or degree for its following verb phrase.

Lingua Sinica

This content can be verbally indicated by attaching an adverbial modifier to the verb that expresses the act of sensing (which is where the label for the view comes from).

SEP

The problems with understanding what such an adverbial modifier seem no greater here than for any other case assuming, as a proponent of sense-data must, that the sense-datum description is itself intelligible.

SEP

Notably, the scalar particles DOU and YE must occur in the cases where yì diǎn 'one dot' behaves as an adverbial modifier in the majority of cases, as shown in (62)–(65) and (69)–(70).

Lingua Sinica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "adverbial modifiers", ensure they are placed close to the words they modify to avoid ambiguity. For instance, instead of 'She ate only the apple', write 'She only ate the apple' to clarify what is being limited.

Common error

Avoid placing "adverbial modifiers" in positions that unintentionally alter the meaning of a sentence. For example, 'I almost failed every exam' suggests you didn't fail any, whereas 'I failed almost every exam' indicates significant failure.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "adverbial modifiers" is to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing additional information about manner, time, place, cause, or degree. Ludwig provides examples of how these modifiers function within sentences to enhance meaning.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "adverbial modifiers" are words or phrases that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, adding detail about how, when, where, why, or to what extent something happens. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable. While relatively uncommon, "adverbial modifiers" appear in both scientific and news contexts. When using "adverbial modifiers", ensure correct placement to avoid ambiguity. Related phrases include "adverbial adjuncts" and "adverbial clauses", offering alternative ways to express similar grammatical concepts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

adverbial adjuncts

This alternative emphasizes the supplementary nature of the modifiers, focusing on their role as additions to the core sentence structure.

adverbial complements

This alternative highlights the completeness they bring to the verb phrase, suggesting they are necessary for full meaning.

adverbial phrase modifiers

This option specifies that the modifiers are in the form of phrases, clarifying the grammatical structure involved.

adverb modifiers

This is a simplified version focusing on the modification aspect, suitable for less technical contexts.

modifying adverbs

This flips the order, emphasizing the adverbs themselves and their modifying role, slightly altering the focus.

adverbial clauses

Focus is changed to a clause acting as an adverb, changing the structure while keeping a similar function.

adverbial elements

This alternative is more general, encompassing any adverbial component within a sentence.

modifiers of manner

This narrows the focus to modifiers that describe how an action is performed, adding specificity.

modifiers of time

This narrows the focus to modifiers that specify when an action is performed, adding specificity.

modifiers of place

This narrows the focus to modifiers that specify where an action is performed, adding specificity.

FAQs

How can I identify an adverbial modifier in a sentence?

Adverbial modifiers typically answer questions like how, when, where, why, or to what extent. If a word or phrase provides this information about a verb, adjective, or another adverb, it's likely an adverbial modifier. For example, in "She sings beautifully", "beautifully" is the adverbial modifier.

What types of words or phrases can function as "adverbial modifiers"?

Adverbs, adverbial phrases, and adverbial clauses can all function as "adverbial modifiers". Adverbs are single words (e.g., quickly), phrases are groups of words (e.g., with great care), and clauses contain a subject and a verb (e.g., because it was raining).

What is the difference between an adverbial modifier and an adjective modifier?

Adverbial modifiers modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, while adjective modifiers modify nouns or pronouns. For example, in "the very tall man", "very" modifies "tall" (adjective modifier), but in "He runs quickly", "quickly" modifies "runs" (adverbial modifier).

Are there common errors to avoid when using "adverbial modifiers"?

Yes, misplaced modifiers are a common error. Make sure the "adverbial modifier" is close to the word it modifies to avoid confusion. For example, instead of saying "Walking down the street, the dog barked loudly", say "Walking down the street, I heard the dog bark loudly" to make it clear who is walking.