Morphological characteristics. Morphological composition

Morphological composition

§ 239. Adverbs vary in their structure. There are simple, derived, compound, and composite adverbs.

Simple adverbs are after, here, well, now, soon, etc.

In derived adverbs the most common suffix is -ly, by means of which new adverbs are coined from adjectives and participles: occasionally, lately, immediately, constantly, purely, slowly, charmingly.

The less common snffixes are the following:

-wise -ward(s) -fold -like -most -way(s)

clock wise, crab wise, corkscrew -wise, education- wise on ward(s), back ward(s), home ward(s), east ward(s) two fold, mani fold war like inner most, outer most long ways, side ways

Of these suffixes the first two are more ptoductive than the rest.

Compound adverbs are formed of two stems:

sometimes, somewhere, everywhere, downstairs, etc.

Composite phrasal adverbs consist of two or more word-forms, as

a great deal, a little bit, far enough, now and then, from time to time, sort of, kind of, a hell of, a lot of, a

great deal of.

§ 240. The only pattern of morphological change for adverbs is the same as for adjectives, the degrees of comparison. The three grades are called positive, comparative, and superlative degrees.

Adverbs that are identical in form with adjectives take inflections following the same spelling and phonetic rules as for adjectives:

early late hard slow

- earlier - later - harder - slower

- earliest - latest - hardest - slowest

Several adverbs ending in -ly (quickly, loudly) form comparatives according to the same pattern, dropping their adverb-forming suffix. These adverbs acquired the form in -ly only recently and retained the older forms of the comparative and superlative:

quickly loudly

- quicker - louder

- quickest - loudest

However most disyllabic adverbs in -ly and all polysyllabic ones form the comparative and superlative analytically, by means of more and most:

wisely softly deeply

- more wisely - more softly - more deeply

- most wisely - most softly - most deeply

The adverb often occurs with both types of comparison:

often

oftener more often

As with adjectives, there is a small group of adverbs with comparatives and superlatives formed from different stems (suppletive forms). These comparatives and superlatives are identical with those for the corresponding adjectives and can be differentiated from the latter only syntactically.

well badly little much   far

- better - worse - less - more further farther

- best - worst - least - most - furthest - farthest

Which do you like best?

This is least painful for you.

Either farther (farthest) or further (furthest) are used when speaking of places, directions, or distance:

He is too tired to walk any farther (further).

But only further (furthest) is used with the meaning more, later:

Don’t try my patience any further.

Most of the adverbs, however, stand outside the degrees of comparison:

pronominal adverbs denoting place and time

(here, somewhere, there, sometimes, when),

denoting manner

(somehow, thus), and

adverbs of manner denoting gradation

(minimally, optimally, proximally - ближе к центру).

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