Adverbial

The term 'adverbial' refers to a grammatical element that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It typically provides context such as time, place, manner, cause, or degree, thereby enhancing the meaning of the sentence. Adverbials can take the form of single adverbs, adverb phrases, or entire clauses that describe how, when, where, and why an action occurs. In English, they can usually be positioned at various points in a sentence.

Adverbial meaning with examples

• In the sentence 'She completed the marathon quickly,' the word 'quickly' serves as an adverbial, modifying the verb 'completed' by indicating the manner in which the action was performed.
• When saying, 'He will arrive tomorrow,' the word 'tomorrow' acts as an adverbial to specify the time of the action, which adds clarity to when we expect his arrival.
• Consider the sentence, 'They studied in the library all night.' Here, 'in the library' is an adverbial phrase that tells us where the studying took place, giving further context to the action.
• In the expression 'Although it was raining, they decided to go for a walk,' the clause 'Although it was raining' serves as an adverbial term explaining the circumstance under which they took action.
• In 'She spoke softly during the meeting,' the word 'softly' is an adverbial that describes the manner of her speaking, illustrating the attitude or approach she took in a formal situation.