Detached adverbial modifiers

Obligatory and non-obligatory adverbial modifiers

§ 95. Adverbials are structurally more independent of the verb than objects. Their use is often optional. However, when introduced into the sentence, adverbials are of great communicative value. Thus in the sentence Professor Brown is leaving for London to-morrow, both adverbials for London and to-morrow give important pieces of information, although grammatically the sentence Professor Brown is leaving is complete.

Adverbials are obligatory when the sentence structure demands one or when their absence changes the meaning of the verb. This is the case:

a) After the verbs to behave, to act, to treat.

He behaved bravely. *He behaved has no sense.

The Murdstones treated David cruelly. - Мердстоны жестоко обращались с Давидом.

The doctor treated David - доктор лечил Давида.

b) After statal and durative verbs, such as to live, to dwell, to wait, to last, to weigh.

John lives in London. (John lives has a different meaning: ‘ he exists’, ‘he is alive’.)

The lecture lasted two hours.

c) After transitive verbs implying direction, such as to put, to take, to send.

Put the book on the shelf.

Take these letters to the post-office.

d) After intransitive verbs of motion and position in space, such as

to come, to go, to arrive, to return, to step, to sit, to lie, to stand.

Brett went to the dressing-room.

Robert was standing at the window.

The absolute use of the above verbs, that is without adverbials, is possible if the speaker is interested in the process itself or if the use of an adverbial is unnecessary because of the situation.

He was too weak to stand.

Everybody has come.

e) When an adverbial influences the meaning of a verb form.

I am going to the library to-morrow, (‘am going’ denotes intention, not an action).

f) When its absence changes the measing of the rest of the sentence.

Can you speak English without making mistakes?

I’ve never been there since my childhood.

Non-obligatory adverbials are those which are not necessary for the structure of the sentence. They neither influence the meaning of the verb form, nor change the structure or the meaning of the rest of the sentence, no matter how important they are from the communicative viewpoint.

She left the room without saying a word.

Before speaking he pressed the bell at his side.

§ 96. Detached adverbials being more loosely related to the modified parts of the sentence than non-detached adverbials are never obligatory. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by intonation in speaking and by commas in writing. Detachment of adverbials may be caused by various factors, the most important of which are their meaning, the form of expression, their extension, their position in the sentence, or the speaker’s desire for emphasis. Owing to their structure and meaning, absolute constructions are nearly always detached:

Wesley saw the boat, its decks deserted.

Participial phrases as adverbials also tend to be detached.

She then returned to her place, not having spoken another word.

Adverbials are detached when theyare placed m an unusual position, as in the following examples:

Like him, she saw danger in it.

Randall, for all his tiresomeness and badness, had always been her Randall.

Any adverbial may be detached if the speaker wishes to emphasize its meaning.

“He was her father,” said Frances Wilmot, gravely.

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