Adverb phrase heads are words that function as the heads of adverb phrases. An adverb phrase consists of an adverb plus any modifiers. Only one grammatical form can perform the function of adverb phrase head in the English language. The one grammatical form that can function as the adverb phrase head is:
- Adverbs
The following section defines and exemplifies the only grammatical form that can function as the adverb phrase head in English grammar.
Adverbs as Adverb Phrase Heads
The only grammatical form that performs the grammatical function of adverb phrase head is the adverb. Traditional grammars define adverbs as words that describe verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and clauses. For example, the following italicized adverbs function as adverb phrase heads:
- quickly
- moreover
- therefore
- although
- however
- annoyingly
- single-handedly
- not
- always
- very quietly
- quite sneakily
- rather backhandedly
- so loudly
- much too suspiciously
The only grammatical form that can function as the adverb phrase head in the English language is the adverb.
Summary
Adverb phrase heads are words that function as the heads of adverb phrases. An adverb phrase consists of an adverb plus any modifiers.
Adverb phrase head is a grammatical function.
The grammatical form that can function as the adverb phrase head in English grammar is the adverb.
References
Brinton, Laurel J. & Donna M. Brinton. 2010. The linguistic structure of Modern English, 2nd edn. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Hopper, Paul J. 1999. A short course in grammar. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Huddleston, Rodney. 1984. Introduction to the grammar of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
