Basic English Syntax with Exercises

sentential adverb

5.4.1 Adverbs

Adverbs are the classic verbal modifiers. We should be careful, however, to distinguish between them, as some do not modify within the verbal domain of the clause, but have a wider domain of operation, modifying clausal elements. Roughly we can separate VP adverbs from sentential adverbs. Consider the following examples:

5.4.1 Adverbs

The adverb in (168a) modifies the meaning of the whole clause: what is certain is that he will find out. In contrast, the adverb in (168b) modifies the verb, stating that it will be done in a certain manner (i.e. quickly). Note the different positions of these two adverbs: the sentential adverb precedes the modal auxiliary while the VP adverb follows it and is therefore closer to the VP. Indeed, placing the VP adverb further from the VP often produces an ungrammaticality:

6.2.4 Movement to tense and I

Suppose that, like the negative element, the adverb likes to follow the finite tense and precede the verb. However, unlike the negative it is not rigid about this. Specifically, when the verb and the inflection are in one place, it is impossible for the adverb to be between them. Thus a choice must be made: put the adverb above the tense, or put it below the verb. It seems that the restriction on adverbs preceding verbs is the stronger, so the adverb will be adjoined higher than the I position. The position it is actually adjoined to is the I', which we will see is a position where the sentential adverb may appear:

6.4 Adjunction within IP

In the last section of this chapter we will briefly consider adjunction within the clause. We have seen in the last chapter that adverbs come in at least two types: sentential adverbs and VP adverbs. The two can be distinguished by what they modify and also in terms of where they attach to a structure.

6.4 Adjunction within IP

Note that both of these positions are higher than those favoured by the VP adverbs and hence if we have a sentential adverb and a VP adverb, we predict that the sentential adverb will precede, which seems to hold true:

7.5.1 Topicalisation

So far we have claimed that AP modifiers of VP and of the clause are adjoined to various places inside the IP. There is another position in which we can find both VP and sentential adverbs which appears to be outside the IP altogether: