First Grammar Lessons: Part III, Lesson VIII

First Grammar Lessons: Part III, Lesson VIII

Lesson VIII

An adverb is a short way of saying two or three words.

If we could not say here, we must say in this place.

If we could not say now, we must say at this time.

If we could not say nicely, we must say in a nice manner.

That is, we should use a preposition and its object where we now use an adverb.

As adverbs are so much shorter, we use them when we can. Still it often happens that prepositions and their objects come in as the adjuncts to the predicate instead of adverbs.

Put your book on the table.

Put it where? on the table.

I will come in a minute.

I will come when? in a minute.

To be learnt.

Prepositions and their objects are used as adjuncts.

Exercise VIII

1. Show how the following adjuncts can be expressed by one adverb:

In a nice manner, in this place, at that time.
(She does it nicely, she came here, I was speaking then.)

2. Give six sentences with adjuncts formed of prepositions and nouns:

They are in the garden.
We are going on the water.

3. Read a page from a book, and show which adjuncts can be turned into single adverbs, and which must be left in separate words as they are.