Combinations of adverbs

A clause can include a wide range of adverbs, as illustrated in the title:

(66) Yesterday, [even the rather clever bishops] could not very easily have sensibly organized [a moderately unusual exorcism] here

Besides the negator not, this sentence features eight adverbs:

. Yesterday, a sentential time adverb in initial position, I

. Even, modifying the following NP, the rather clever bishops

. Rather, modifying adjective clever

. Very, modifying adverb easily

. Very easily, sentential adverb in position A, following the first word (could) of the auxiliary (could have)

. Sensibly, manner adverb in position V, immediately preceding the verb organized

. Moderately, modifying adjective unusual

. Here, sentential spatial adverb, in final position, F

We can now look, in turn, at the overall possibilities for an adverb modifying an adverb, and for the inclusion of more than one adverb in a clause. Firstly, we consider which adverbs may modify an adverb which is (a) modifying an NP; or (b) in some other function. Secondly, we examine the multitudinous possibilities for combination of adverbs in sentential function.

(a) Modifying an NP

Adverbs following an NP (alone, only, even) may not receive any modification. For those that precede, it is generally possible for them to be modified by really or truly, as in She’s going to be [truly kind-of an intermediate boss] and He has been [really very much the person in charge].

(b) In another function

We indicated whether a given adverb may modify an adjective or an adverb. We can now look at things the other way round, and investigate which adverbs may be modified by another adverb.

First, it is generally not possible for time and spatial adverbs to be modified by a further adverb, although there is a modifier right used with some of these items; for example, right there, right down, right now. And a small number of single-word time adverbs may be modified by rather, truly, very, terribly, etc.; for example, very recently, terribly often, rather soon.

Monomorphemic adverbs, and those ending in -ly but with a different meaning from the corresponding adjective, may be modified by really or truly (for example, really rather jealously).

. Adverbs such as slightly and somewhat, for example, somewhat easily, slightly angrily.

. Adverbs such as rather, quite, kind for example, rather cleverly, quite narrowly, kind-of obviously, quite poetically. There is an exception; because of its meaning, similarly can scarcely be modified by these adverbs.

. Very, terribly, awfully, and other adverbs; for example, awfully carefully, terribly slowly. The exception here is that adverbs ending in -ally, (which are formed on derived adjectives), may not easily be modified by very, terribly, awfully, etc.

Adverbs such as very and terribly may themselves by modified by some items, such as just, only and even; for example, only very rarely, just terribly cleverly. Really and truly may modify other adverbs, and they may even modify an adverb which is modifying a second adverb which is modifying a third adverb, as in She behaved really rather stupidly jealously. No other adverbs may modify really or truly.

An adverb in manner or sentential function may be modified in the ways just outlined. We now examine how a clause may include more than one adverb in manner and/or in sentential function.

As pointed out, there can be only one manner adverb in a clause. Two positions are available for a manner adverb—V, immediately before the verb, and O, following verb plus object, etc.—but only one of these may be filled. In contrast, a clause can include a number of sentential adverbs; these may all be in position A (following the first word of the auxiliary, or preceding a non-copula verb but following the copula when there is no auxiliary), or all in position F (clause-final), or distributed between positions I (clause-initial), A and F.

There can be one manner adverb and one or more sentential adverbs. When there is no auxiliary, positions A (for sentential adverbs) and V (for manner adverbs) will coincide. And positions O (for manner adverbs) and F (for sentential adverbs) will often coincide. The general rule is that a manner adverb should occur nearer to the verb than a sentential adverb. For example, one can say He again (A) [warmly (V) recommended her] or He [recommended her warmly (O)] again (F); the order of adverbs cannot be reversed in these examples.

Adverbs can occur in manner or in sentential function. We may have two of these in a clause, but only one can be in manner function, the other taking on sentential function: for example, He had stupidly (A) been [slowly (V) embezzling the funds].

When a clause includes more than one sentential adverb, there is generally a preferred order of occurrence. For example, also will most often precede deliberately. They can both occur in position A, or in I A, or A F, or I F, as in:

(67a) He had also (A) deliberately (A) been taking the money

(67b) Also (I) he had deliberately (A) been taking the money

(67c) He had also (A) been taking the money deliberately (F)

(67d) Also (I) he had been taking the money deliberately (F)

However, there can be complications. A clause may involve really and deliberately as sentential adverbs in positions I A or A F or I F, as in:

(68a) Really (I) he had deliberately (A) been taking the money

(68b) He had really (A) been taking the money deliberately (F)

(68c) Really (I) he had been taking the money deliberately (F)

One can place really and deliberately after the first word of the auxiliary, as in:

(69) He had [really deliberately (A)] been taking the money

However, since really—unlike also—may modify an adverb, (69) is taken to include a complex sentential adverb really deliberately, rather than two independent sentential adverbs, really and deliberately. Note that the wide possibilities illustrated by (68a–c) do provide ample opportunity for including really and deliberately as distinct sentential adverbs.

In essence, there can be a sequence of sentential adverbs at position A. Or the first of them may be put into position I and the final one (or perhaps more than one) into position F. It is not normally possible to have more than one in position I, and the possibilities for position F are more limited than those for position A. Thus, for a sequence such as also possibly deliberately, the possibilities are A A A, or I A A, or A A F, or I A F.

Sequencing preferences may be contravened by restriction on the occurrence of a particular sentential adverb. A sequence of three sentential adverbs in slot A was illustrated by:

(3) She had also (A) deliberately (A) just (A) been arranging the beautiful flowers

However, although also and deliberately can occur in all three positions (A, I and F), just (here the non-time adverb) is confined to position A. We may thus get:

(3a) Also (I) she had deliberately (A) just (A) been arranging the beautiful flowers

(3b) Also (I), she had just (A) been arranging the beautiful flowers deliberately (F)

(3c) She had also (A) just (A) been arranging the beautiful flowers deliberately (F)

Since just may not go into position F, deliberately does so in (3b-c), even though this reverses the preferred order at position A. (If we were to encounter just deliberately at position A, this would probably be taken to be one complex sentential adverb, with just modifying deliberately, rather than two distinct sentential adverbs.)

Since just may not go into position F, deliberately does so in (3b-c), even though this reverses the preferred order at position A. (If we were to encounter just deliberately at position A, this would probably be taken to be one complex sentential adverb, with just modifying deliberately, rather than two distinct sentential adverbs.)

There are many adverbs which can occur in sentential function and there are very many combinations of them. Each adverb sequence has its own personality, as it were, so that no absolute algorithm can be provided for preferred sequencing. However, a general template may be perceived, which accounts for most ordering preferences within A position (or across I, A and F positions). The canonical ordering is as follows:

I. Phrasal adverbs—such as of course, once again, as usual—generally come first; and also indeed which, like the phrasal adverbs, demands comma intonation. For example, John was, of course (I), always (V) almost (VII) top of the class, and Mary’s work had, indeed (I), hardly (VII) been noticed.

II. see (67) and (3). (But note that there are instances where also comes later in sequence, at VI.)

III. Really and truly, For example, She also (II) really (III) again (V) prevaricated.

IV. Adverbs derived from adjectives by -ly, with meaning. For example, He also (II) stupidly (IV) still (V) retained his stock options.

V. Those time adverbs which may appear. For example, He cleverly (IV) again (V) deliberately (VI) avoided answering the question.

VI. Deliberately, and adverbs ending in -ally or -fully, For example, He stupidly (IV) later (V) accidentally (VI) extinguished the flame, and The land claim correctly (IV) now (V) geographically (VI) almost (VII) extends to the state border.

VII. Monomorphemic adverbs such as only, even, just, almost, hardly, simply, etc. For example, They also (II) now (V) simply (VII) disregarded the instructions.

It was noted that there are two homonymous adverbs just. These feature at different places in the preferred ordering. The time adverb just ‘happened a few moments ago’ is in V; for example, He just (V) deliberately (VI) erased it from the board. The non-time adverb just ‘this and nothing more’ is in VII; for example, He deliberately (VI) just (VII) outlined the main points (but refused to go into any detail).

There are also a number of adverb combinations, each of which effectively functions as a single complex adverb. These include only just, just about, just now, only now, even now and once again.

It was mentioned that spatial adverbs generally do not occur in A position. At the end of a clause we may get one (sometimes more) non-time non-spatial sentential adverbs and/or a sequence of time adverbs and/ or a sequence of spatial adverbs. As stated, time and spatial adverbs in F position may occur in either order, so long as they are not intermingled. And, as noted in the discussion, a non-time non-spatial adverb—such as sensibly—may occur in position F, before or after time adverbs and before or after spatial adverbs; its semantic scope is everything that precedes in the clause.

It must once more be emphasized that the adverb orderings just described are simply preferences. There can be deviations from the canonical pattern in particular pragmatic and discourse circumstances, and in view of the relation between meanings of the adverbs involved.