TYPES OF MEANINGS EXPRESSED BY ADVERBIAL GROUPS
Adverbs express five broad types of meaning in clauses and groups: circumstantial, stance, degree, focusing, connective. As with many adjectives and other word classes, however, the meaning of a particular adverb must be seen together with its function in context. The literal meaning of many adverbs can become figurative, or completely different, when used as an intensifier. Although far means distance, Don’t go too far, it expresses degree in Prices won’t go down very far. When it functions as an intensifier it takes on a meaning similar to much: far too short, a far nicer place, while so far expresses time, similar to up to now.
A Circumstantial adverbs: where, when and how things happen
Space
Position: Put the chairs here/outside/upstairs. An away match.
Direction: Push it inwards/down/through/out/away. The trip back.
Distance: Don’t go too far/near/close.
Time
Moment: They will be coming tomorrow/sometime/then/soon/later.
Frequency: The doctor came once/daily/frequently/now and again.
Duration: We didn’t stay long. We spoke briefly.
Relation: The taxi will arrive soon. It isn’t here yet.
Sequence: first, second, next, then, last, finally.
Manner
Hold it carefully.
Domain
The concert was a success artistically but not financially.
B Stance: expressing a personal angle
Certainty, doubt: You are certainly right. Perhaps I’m wrong.
Evidential: Apparently, they emigrated to Australia.
Viewpoint: We are in good shape financially, and Healthwise, too.
Emphasis: He is plainly just a creep. Indeed he is.
Judgement: The Minister has wisely resigned.
Attitude: Thankfully, it didn’t rain. Hopefully, it will be fine tomorrow.
C Degree adverbs: comparing, intensifying
Comparison: This is the most/the least efficient scanner we’ve had so far.
Intensification: He lives all alone but seems quite/fairly/pretty happy.
Attenuation: It was kind of strange to see her again.
Approximation: There were about/roughly/more or less 20 people there.
Sufficiency: Is the water hot enough?
Excess: Well, actually, it’s too hot.
D Focusing adverbs: restricting the scope
Restriction: That is merely a detail. He is just interested in money.
He hardly ate anything, only a yoghurt.
Reinforcement: The hotel had everything, even a fitness center.
Even is a scalar adverb which carries an implication that the unit modified by even is either high or low on a scale of expectedness, in the context. In the example, a fitness center is higher than expected, as not all hotels have a fitness center. In he wouldn’t stay even for one day, it is implied that one day is a shorter stay than had been expected. Both are interpreted as slightly surprising.
E Connective adverbs: logical connection
Sequence: First, we have no money, and second, we have no time.
Reinforcement: The house is small and besides/furthermore has no garden.
Conclusion: It was a tiring trip, but altogether very interesting.
Restating: We’ve got two pets, namely a rabbit and a canary.
Reason: I couldn’t find you, so I left.
Condition: Take an umbrella; otherwise (= if not), you’ll get wet.
Clarification: He wants to live abroad, or rather anywhere away from home.
Contrast: They accept his invitations, yet they run him down.
Alternation: There’s no tea. Would you like a cup of coffee instead?
Concession: What you said was true; still it was unkind.
Attention-seeking: Now, you listen to me! Now then, what’s all this about?
Technical description often makes use of adverbs of degree and quantity as in the following extract from an elementary textbook on Metals by H. Moore.
Some metals are used in a relatively7 pure state, for example aluminum, whose light ness and corrosion-resistance make it especially8 useful. But metals are used mostly9 with other elements to form alloys and so10 in this way their properties can be improved and their range of uses widely11 extended.
