An adverb phrase is a phrase in which an adverb functions as the head of the phrase plus any modifiers. The only grammatical form that appears within the internal structure of English adverb phrases is the adverb phrase.
Adverbs
An adverb phrase can firstly consist of a single adverb. Notional grammars define adverbs as “words that describes verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.” For example, the following adverbs form adverb phrases:
- often
- frequently
- merrily
- angrily
- therefore
- not
- too
- also
Adverb Phrases
Adverb phrases are the only grammatical form that appear within adverb phrases in the English language. An adverb phrase is a phrase in which an adverb functions as the head plus any other adverbs functioning as adverb phrase modifiers. Adverb phrases perform the grammatical function of adverb phrase modifier within adverb phrases. For example, the following italicized adverb phrases function as adverb phrase modifiers within adverb phrases:
- very sleepily
- somewhat grumpily
- rather annoyingly
- quite shockingly
- much too loudly
- all too often
Adverb phrases always precede the adverb within an adverb phrase.
Adverb phrases consist of an adverb functioning as the phrase head plus any other adverbs functioning as adverb phrase modifiers. The only grammatical form that can appear within an adverb phrase is another adverb phrase.
Summary
Adverb phrases in English grammar are phrases in which an adverb functions as the head of the phrase. Adverb phrases perform adverbial grammatical functions.
Adverb phrase is a grammatical form.
The six grammatical functions performed by adverb phrases, and subsequently adverbs, are adjective phrase modifier, adverb phrase modifier, verb phrase modifier, adjunct adverbial, disjunct adverbial, and conjunct adverbial
The only grammatical form that may appear in adverb phrases is the adverb phrase.
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.
