Adjuncts

Summary

1 There are three main types of adjuncts according to their function.
2 Circumstantial Adjuncts provide information concerning time, place, manner,
means etc;
3 Stance adjuncts provide an attitudinal comment by the speaker on the content of
the clause or sentence. There are three classes of stance adjuncts: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
4 Connective adjuncts are not elements of structures, but connectors of structures.
They signal how the speaker intends the semantic connections to be made between one part
of the discourse and another. In discourse studies, many connective adjuncts are analysed as
discourse markers.
5 Adjuncts are realised by groups and clauses, according to type and function it is
common to nd a number of adjuncts in a single clause. The following example has five
circumstantial adjuncts, which in this clause are all optional: they can be omitted without
affecting the grammaticality of the clause. The bracketed(shaded, underlined, highlighted)
items are adjuncts:
(If at all possible) I'll see you (tomorrow) (after the show) (with Pete and Susan)
(outside the main entrance).

Whereas the more central elements of clause structure typically have xed places in
the clause, many adjuncts are characterised by their exibility as regards position:

Hastily she hid the letter.
She hastily hid the letter.
She hid the letter hastily

Semantically, adjuncts represent circumstances, specifications and comments of
many different types which are attendant on the verb or the whole clause. A further
characteristic of adjuncts is the tendency of different types of meanings to be expressed by
different adjuncts in a single clause.
Surprisingly (stance-modo), she almost(degree-intensidade?) forgot to set the alarm
clock last night(time)

Adjuncts (A) are grouped into three main classes according to their function in the
clause: circumstantial adjuncts (8.2.1), stance adjuncts (8.2.5) and connective adjuncts. A
fourth group consists of operator-related adjuncts. Certain single adverbs and adverbial
groups which can function as adjuncts of usuality (usually), frequency (sometimes, never),
degree (just), modality (probably) and aspectuality (still, yet, already), among others, relate
closely to the verb. These tend to be placed near the nite operator (We have just nished;
she is probably waiting).

Circumstantial Adjuncts-
Circumstantial adjuncts provide experiential details about the action or state
described by the verb, and answer such questions as where? when? how? why? and
occasionally what? as in What do you want it for? What did he die of?

Units that are set off from the main clause by a comma or a pause are called
supplementives. The ing and -en types, as well as verbless clauses such as afraid to leave the
house fall into this category. Semantically, they may be understood as reduced clauses of
means or reason with an adjunctive function.

Circumstantials functioning as central clause elements

Certain verbs predict a circumstantial element, without which the clause is
incomplete syntactically and semantically. They then have the status of a Complement:

Location in place or time, after a verb of position such as be, stay, live, lie, etc., as in:
We live in troubled times, The farm is situated in a valley

Extent in time or place with verbs such as take, as in The journey takes several days,
or last, as in The performance lasts (for) three hours, in which the preposition is optional. In
discourse, the time duration may be omitted if it is understood, as in Their love didnt last,
meaning didnt last a long time.

Direction and Goal after verbs of movement such as go, come or of movement +
manner such as fly, as in We flew south (Direction), We flew to New York (Goal).
Source in She tiptoed out of the bedroom, We flew from London.
Manner with behave, as in, She is behaving rather strangely. Also with one sense of
the transitive verb treat, as in: They treated the prisoners badly

Circumstantials and their ordering in discourse

When there is a number of circumstantials adjuncts at the end of a clause, they tend
to be placed in certain semantic orderings, such as Source-Extent-Path-Goal. This is illustrated
in the following sentence.

I slithered a few yards down the steep bank to the stream for a wash
I slithered a few yards down the steep
bank
to the stream for a wash.
Extent direction (Path) Goal Purpose

Stance Adjuncts


These express the speakers evaluation or comment on the content of the message,
or the viewpoint adopted. Syntactically, they often remain somewhat separate from the
clause, since their message refers to the whole of the clause or sentence. For this reason, they
are usually found before the clause or after it, as in the rst two examples below. But they can
also be placed parenthetically or between commas, within a clause or sentence, as in the last
two:
Naturally, he spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me when he saw me, naturally.
He naturally spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me, naturally, when he saw me.

Textually, stance adjuncts are of three main kinds: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
A. Epistemic stance adluncts - These express the speakers opinion regarding the
validity of the content, commenting on the certainty, doubt, possibility and obviousness of the
proposition:
Adjuncts

Summary

1 There are three main types of adjuncts according to their function.
2 Circumstantial Adjuncts provide information concerning time, place, manner,
means etc;
3 Stance adjuncts provide an attitudinal comment by the speaker on the content of
the clause or sentence. There are three classes of stance adjuncts: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
4 Connective adjuncts are not elements of structures, but connectors of structures.
They signal how the speaker intends the semantic connections to be made between one part
of the discourse and another. In discourse studies, many connective adjuncts are analysed as
discourse markers.
5 Adjuncts are realised by groups and clauses, according to type and function it is
common to nd a number of adjuncts in a single clause. The following example has five
circumstantial adjuncts, which in this clause are all optional: they can be omitted without
affecting the grammaticality of the clause. The bracketed(shaded, underlined, highlighted)
items are adjuncts:
(If at all possible) I'll see you (tomorrow) (after the show) (with Pete and Susan)
(outside the main entrance).

Whereas the more central elements of clause structure typically have xed places in
the clause, many adjuncts are characterised by their exibility as regards position:

Hastily she hid the letter.
She hastily hid the letter.
She hid the letter hastily

Semantically, adjuncts represent circumstances, specifications and comments of
many different types which are attendant on the verb or the whole clause. A further
characteristic of adjuncts is the tendency of different types of meanings to be expressed by
different adjuncts in a single clause.
Surprisingly (stance-modo), she almost(degree-intensidade?) forgot to set the alarm
clock last night(time)

Adjuncts (A) are grouped into three main classes according to their function in the
clause: circumstantial adjuncts (8.2.1), stance adjuncts (8.2.5) and connective adjuncts. A
fourth group consists of operator-related adjuncts. Certain single adverbs and adverbial
groups which can function as adjuncts of usuality (usually), frequency (sometimes, never),
degree (just), modality (probably) and aspectuality (still, yet, already), among others, relate
closely to the verb. These tend to be placed near the nite operator (We have just nished;
she is probably waiting).

Circumstantial Adjuncts-
Circumstantial adjuncts provide experiential details about the action or state
described by the verb, and answer such questions as where? when? how? why? and
occasionally what? as in What do you want it for? What did he die of?

Units that are set off from the main clause by a comma or a pause are called
supplementives. The ing and -en types, as well as verbless clauses such as afraid to leave the
house fall into this category. Semantically, they may be understood as reduced clauses of
means or reason with an adjunctive function.

Circumstantials functioning as central clause elements

Certain verbs predict a circumstantial element, without which the clause is
incomplete syntactically and semantically. They then have the status of a Complement:

Location in place or time, after a verb of position such as be, stay, live, lie, etc., as in:
We live in troubled times, The farm is situated in a valley

Extent in time or place with verbs such as take, as in The journey takes several days,
or last, as in The performance lasts (for) three hours, in which the preposition is optional. In
discourse, the time duration may be omitted if it is understood, as in Their love didnt last,
meaning didnt last a long time.

Direction and Goal after verbs of movement such as go, come or of movement +
manner such as fly, as in We flew south (Direction), We flew to New York (Goal).
Source in She tiptoed out of the bedroom, We flew from London.
Manner with behave, as in, She is behaving rather strangely. Also with one sense of
the transitive verb treat, as in: They treated the prisoners badly

Circumstantials and their ordering in discourse

When there is a number of circumstantials adjuncts at the end of a clause, they tend
to be placed in certain semantic orderings, such as Source-Extent-Path-Goal. This is illustrated
in the following sentence.

I slithered a few yards down the steep bank to the stream for a wash
I slithered a few yards down the steep
bank
to the stream for a wash.
Extent direction (Path) Goal Purpose

Stance Adjuncts


These express the speakers evaluation or comment on the content of the message,
or the viewpoint adopted. Syntactically, they often remain somewhat separate from the
clause, since their message refers to the whole of the clause or sentence. For this reason, they
are usually found before the clause or after it, as in the rst two examples below. But they can
also be placed parenthetically or between commas, within a clause or sentence, as in the last
two:
Naturally, he spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me when he saw me, naturally.
He naturally spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me, naturally, when he saw me.

Textually, stance adjuncts are of three main kinds: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
A. Epistemic stance adluncts - These express the speakers opinion regarding the
validity of the content, commenting on the certainty, doubt, possibility and obviousness of the
proposition:
Adjuncts

Summary

1 There are three main types of adjuncts according to their function.
2 Circumstantial Adjuncts provide information concerning time, place, manner,
means etc;
3 Stance adjuncts provide an attitudinal comment by the speaker on the content of
the clause or sentence. There are three classes of stance adjuncts: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
4 Connective adjuncts are not elements of structures, but connectors of structures.
They signal how the speaker intends the semantic connections to be made between one part
of the discourse and another. In discourse studies, many connective adjuncts are analysed as
discourse markers.
5 Adjuncts are realised by groups and clauses, according to type and function it is
common to nd a number of adjuncts in a single clause. The following example has five
circumstantial adjuncts, which in this clause are all optional: they can be omitted without
affecting the grammaticality of the clause. The bracketed(shaded, underlined, highlighted)
items are adjuncts:
(If at all possible) I'll see you (tomorrow) (after the show) (with Pete and Susan)
(outside the main entrance).

Whereas the more central elements of clause structure typically have xed places in
the clause, many adjuncts are characterised by their exibility as regards position:

Hastily she hid the letter.
She hastily hid the letter.
She hid the letter hastily

Semantically, adjuncts represent circumstances, specifications and comments of
many different types which are attendant on the verb or the whole clause. A further
characteristic of adjuncts is the tendency of different types of meanings to be expressed by
different adjuncts in a single clause.
Surprisingly (stance-modo), she almost(degree-intensidade?) forgot to set the alarm
clock last night(time)

Adjuncts (A) are grouped into three main classes according to their function in the
clause: circumstantial adjuncts (8.2.1), stance adjuncts (8.2.5) and connective adjuncts. A
fourth group consists of operator-related adjuncts. Certain single adverbs and adverbial
groups which can function as adjuncts of usuality (usually), frequency (sometimes, never),
degree (just), modality (probably) and aspectuality (still, yet, already), among others, relate
closely to the verb. These tend to be placed near the nite operator (We have just nished;
she is probably waiting).

Circumstantial Adjuncts-
Circumstantial adjuncts provide experiential details about the action or state
described by the verb, and answer such questions as where? when? how? why? and
occasionally what? as in What do you want it for? What did he die of?

Units that are set off from the main clause by a comma or a pause are called
supplementives. The ing and -en types, as well as verbless clauses such as afraid to leave the
house fall into this category. Semantically, they may be understood as reduced clauses of
means or reason with an adjunctive function.

Circumstantials functioning as central clause elements

Certain verbs predict a circumstantial element, without which the clause is
incomplete syntactically and semantically. They then have the status of a Complement:

Location in place or time, after a verb of position such as be, stay, live, lie, etc., as in:
We live in troubled times, The farm is situated in a valley

Extent in time or place with verbs such as take, as in The journey takes several days,
or last, as in The performance lasts (for) three hours, in which the preposition is optional. In
discourse, the time duration may be omitted if it is understood, as in Their love didnt last,
meaning didnt last a long time.

Direction and Goal after verbs of movement such as go, come or of movement +
manner such as fly, as in We flew south (Direction), We flew to New York (Goal).
Source in She tiptoed out of the bedroom, We flew from London.
Manner with behave, as in, She is behaving rather strangely. Also with one sense of
the transitive verb treat, as in: They treated the prisoners badly

Circumstantials and their ordering in discourse

When there is a number of circumstantials adjuncts at the end of a clause, they tend
to be placed in certain semantic orderings, such as Source-Extent-Path-Goal. This is illustrated
in the following sentence.

I slithered a few yards down the steep bank to the stream for a wash
I slithered a few yards down the steep
bank
to the stream for a wash.
Extent direction (Path) Goal Purpose

Stance Adjuncts


These express the speakers evaluation or comment on the content of the message,
or the viewpoint adopted. Syntactically, they often remain somewhat separate from the
clause, since their message refers to the whole of the clause or sentence. For this reason, they
are usually found before the clause or after it, as in the rst two examples below. But they can
also be placed parenthetically or between commas, within a clause or sentence, as in the last
two:
Naturally, he spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me when he saw me, naturally.
He naturally spoke to me when he saw me.
He spoke to me, naturally, when he saw me.

Textually, stance adjuncts are of three main kinds: epistemic, evidential and
evaluative.
A. Epistemic stance adluncts - These express the speakers opinion regarding the
validity of the content, commenting on the certainty, doubt, possibility and obviousness of the
proposition: