Unit 5: Function Labels
5.8 Adverbials
It is important to distinguish ADVERB (one of the four major parts of speech) from ADVERBIAL, one of the five functions of the phrase in the clause.
The A slot can be filled by AvP, PP or NP.
15.
Cl [
A
AvP
AvP
H
(However)
Av
(However)
Av
S
NP
NP
H
(they)
pn
(they)
pn
P
VP
VP
H
(travelled)
V
(travelled)
V
A
AvP
AvP
H
(regularly)
Av
(regularly)
Av
A
PP
PP
M
(on
pr
(on
pr
M
the
d
the
d
M
59
d
59
d
H
bus)
N
bus)
N
A
NP
NP
M
(last
d
(last
d
H
year)
N
year)
N
]
This sentence illustrates the fact that a clause may contain several A's. Many of these are MOBILE constituents which can change position without making the clause ungrammatical. Moving A may, however, produce subtle variations in meaning, as in (16), where there is more emphasis on the time when they travelled.
16. Last year, however, they travelled regularly on the 59 bus.
