Adjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts

I. Common features of adverbials

Adverbials - either Adjuncts, Disjuncts or Conjuncts - share the following characteristic features:
a. Expression (or realization):
- By an adverb: He went there yesterday. (adjuncts)
Frankly, I don’t like his manner. (disjunct)
- By a prepositional phrase:
Peter was playing with great skill. (adjunct)
On the contrary, he’s a man of few words. (conjuncts)
Like his brother, he’s an author. (disjunct)
- By a noun phrase (less common):
He went to London last week. (adjunct)
They praised Tom many times. (adjunct)
- By a non-finite verb clause:
To tell the truth, he failed the driving test. (disjunct)
Making a lot of noise, they praised Tom. (adjunct)
Caught red handed, they couldn’t deny their mistake. (adjunct)
- By a finite verb clause:
Peter was playing although he was very tired. (adjunct)
What’s more important, he won the decisive match. (conjunct)
- By a verbless clause:
When in London, he sent me a lot of letters. (adjunct)
Grateful for his help, they praised Tom. (adjunct)
b, Position: Most adverbials are mobile: they can be placed initially, medially or finally :
Like his brother he’s an author.
~ He is, like his brother, an author.
~ He’s an author, like his brother.
c, Identity: They are in most cases, optional in clause structure, except the cases where A
stands after an intensive verb (clause type SVA) or after O (clause type SVOA).

II. Adjuncts
1. Syntactic features of Adjuncts
a , Adjuncts can come within the scope of clause interrogation and can be the focus of the
question:
We didn’t go there on Monday but on Tuesday.
b, They can come within the scope of clause negation and can be the focus of the negation.
c, They can come within the scope of predication pro-forms or predication ellipsis.
John greatly admires Bob, and so does Mary.
Peter will pay back the loan when he has money but George won’t.
d, They can be the focus of restrictive adverbial (e.g. only)
They only want the car for an hour.
Only afterwards did he explain why he did it.
e. They can be the focus additive adverbials (also) or, of a cleft sentence:
They will also meet if they have time.
It was when we were in Paris that we first saw John.
f, Besides, Adverbs as Adjuncts can have these additional features:
- Can be focus of clause comparison:
John writes as frequently as
more frequently than his brother does.
- Can be premodified by 'however' or 'how':
However strongly you feel about it, you should be careful what you say.
How cautiously he drives!
- Can be premodified by 'so':
So monotonously did he speak that everybody left.

2. Sub classification of Adjuncts

a, Place Adjuncts:
- Most place adjuncts are prepositional phrases or clauses:
He jumped over the fence and ran across the road.
Stay where you are. He’s nowhere to be seen.
- They may be used for both position and direction (like other place adjuncts):
He was upstairs. He went up stairs.
- A few NP can be used as place adjuncts (position or direction)
He lives a long way from here. He threw it (about) ten yards.
- Position and direction adjuncts can be used together in the same clause :
The children are running around upstairs.
He was thrown overboard near the shore.
b. Time Adjuncts:
Time adjuncts are often clauses (finite and non-finite) or prepositional phrases:
We’ll go there when we have time.
Having finished work they went home.
She’ll go there in December.
Adverbs as time adjuncts are a relatively closed, though, fairly large class. They can be
divided into 4 semantic classes:
- When: today, tomorrow, afterwards, again, eventually, formerly
- Duration: (not) very long, permanently, briefly, (ever) since, lately
- Frequency:frequently, rarely, monthly, annually, usually, ever, once
- Relationship: already, afterwards, before, subsequently, then, yet,...
They went to see him again yesterday at 8 o’clock (time when)
A few NPs can be used as time adjuncts :
Next Sunday, I’ll go there. (time when)
I shall be in my office every other day. (time frequency).
c, Process Adjuncts: Process adjuncts can be divided into 3 semantic sub classes
- Manner adjuncts:
She replied to questions with great courtesy.
He spoke in a way that reminded me of his father.
- Means adjuncts: He decided to treat the patient surgically.
We often go to school by bus.
- Instrument adjuncts: He examined the specimen microscopically.
He can cut the bread with that knife.
d, Focusing Adjuncts:
- Limited adjuncts (what is being communicated is limited to the part that is focused). These
include: alone, just, merely, only, simply, chiefly, especially, in particular.
John only phoned Mary to day.
You can get a B grade just/simply for that answer.
- Additive adjuncts (the focused part is an addition): also, either, even, neither, nor, too, as
well, in addition.
We too/ as well will do what we can for you.
They won’t help him, but they won’t harm him either.
e, Intensifiers: There are three subclasses:
- Emphasizers: actually, certainly, definitely, indeed, really, literally, frankly, honestly, for
sure, of course.
I honestly don’t know what he wants.
They didn’t know what to do, of course.
- Amplifiers: absolutely, completely, entirely, quite, thoroughly, in all respects, by far, to some
extent.
We absolutely refuse to listen to your grumbling.
I entirely agree with you.
- Downtoners: kind of, sort of, quite, rather, partly, somewhat.
The incident somewhat influenced his actions in later life.
We didn’t enjoy it in the least/ at all.
+ Other adjuncts: purpose, cause/ reason, etc.
Purpose: We fought heroically for our own liberation.
Reason/ cause: He was absent because he was ill.
The figure below shows different classes of adjuncts
Place (1) Time (2) Process (3) Focusing (4) Intensifier(5) Others (6)
Position Point Manner Limited Emphasise Purpose
Destination Duration Means Additive Amplifier reason
Frequency Instrument Downtoner etc.
Relationship  

III. Disjuncts
1. Style disjuncts
When using style disjuncts, the speaker/writer implies his own comment on the
speaking/writing style: seriously, personally...
Seriously, do you intend to resign?
Strictly speaking, nobody is allowed in here.
If I may say so, the dress doesn’t suit you.
2. Attitudinal disjuncts
These convey the speaker/ writer’s comment on the content of what he is saying.
Obviously, nobody expected us to be here today.
They arrived, to our surprise, before we did.
Even more important, he has control over the party’s finances.
IV. Conjuncts
Most conjuncts are adverb phrases or prepositional phrases.
The most commonly used conjuncts are:
1. Enumerative: first(ly), second(ly), for one thing, for a start, to begin with, to start with, in
the second place
2. Reinforcing: also, furthermore, moreover, in addition, what is more
3. Equate: equally, likewise, in the same way
4. Transitional: incidentally, by the way
5. Apposition(al): namely, in other words, for example
Result(ative): consequently, hence, therefore, as a result
I’d like you to do two things for me. First, phone the office and tell him from me that
I’m going to tell him that myself. Secondly, post this letter.
Exercíse: 1, 2, 3, 4,

Exercise 1. Using only information contained in the passage below, compose sentences so
that each one contains an adverbial, and each adverbial is realized by a different one of the
following units:

1. an adverb phrase 5. an infinitive clause

2. a noun phrase 6. an -ing participle clause
3. a prepositional phrase 7. an -ed participle clause
4. a finite clause 8. a verbless clause

‘Forster arrived at Nassenheide one morning in April. He was early, but went straight to the

castle. When Herr Steinweg opened the door, Forster explained that he had come to take up

his duties as tutor. Herr Steinweg wished to appear friendly, and welcomed Forster in. Forster

felt relieved, though he was not aware that his host was rather annoyed at his unexpected

arrival.’

Exercise 2.

a. In the first three of the sentences below, use a pro-form in the second clause which will

echo the adjunct of the first clause.

1. Herr Steinweg speaks English fluently, and his son speaks English fluently too.

2. Forster began the conversation nervously, and Ilsa began the conversation nervously, too.

3. I can do this easily, and you can do it easily too.

b. In the next three sentences, use an adjunct as the focus of only:

4. Forster only came to like her ______

5. He only worked seriously ______

 6. She could only speak English ______

c. In the next three, use an adjunct as the focus of also:

7. He only came to like her gradually, but he also came to admire her _______

8. He only worked intensively in the morning, but he also worked a little _______

9. She could only speak intensively in the morning, but he also worked a little _______

d. Convert the next three into cleft sentences with focus on the adjunct underlined:

10.He arrived at Nassenheide in April.

11.He came to understand the local customs with difficulty.

12.She only met young men in the drawing-room.

Exercise 3. Identify the adjuncts in the sentences below, and state (a) the class, and (b) the

subclass, if any, to which each adjunct could be alloted:

1. Prince Albert foresaw great changes in the framework of society.

2. The masses now hold strong views.

3. I heard a machine which haltingly reproduced the human voice.

4. We even thought it was going to explode.

5. No one can really be informed about all these questions.

6. I simply did not have the technical knowledge required.

7. Something happens to make the answer completely wrong

8. Suddenly, the door swung open.

9. The train stopped suddenly.

10. A man's real influence is only exerted after his death.

11. Butler was conceited and rather self-conscious.

12. An unstable community is especially liable

13. Artistically, the work had little merit.

14. Lytton Strachey ranked much of Hugo's poetry highly.

15. He was highly critical of one particular play of Hugo’s

16. Hugo’s revolutionary aims were purely literary.

17. His call for an overthrow of the old classical drama rang our far beyond the literary world.

18. Conservatives heard the call with alarm.

19. A queue of long-haired, strangely dressed youths formed outside the theatre.

20. You see three-quarters of his figures, to just above the knees.

21. He is standing almost square.

22. When you start looking especially at his body, you move naturally from the top.

23. The eyes are a little sad if you look at them alone.

24. His right hand, entirely shadowed, is on his hip

25. This style of conversation is quite different from that of rhetoric

26. That is one of those fruitful ideas that can carry society forward.

27. These ideas are already improving society.

28. We shall find that the Greeks and Romans, too, overran the world in their day.

29. They deliberately spread their culture.

30. As far as culture is concerned is concerned, their influence remains today.

Exercise 4. Classify the disjuncts in the sentences below as:

a. Style disjuncts

b. Attitudinal disjuncts

1. Honestly, I was nowhere near the scene of the accident when it happened.

2. I was, indeed, several miles away.

3. Luckily, someone managed to get in touch with me.

4. I was off duty, strictly speaking.

5. Confidentially, the driver was inexperienced.

6. As a matter of fact, he had only just passed his driving test.

7. Quite rightly, you telephoned the hospital first.

8. Foolishly, the girl who answered the telephone did not ask you name.

9. I think, personally, that the girl is rather stupid.

10. Her appointment has not yet been confirmed, understandably.