use the word asleep as a adverb

[notmyname216]

Given these sentences:

I was fast asleep.
I can fall fast asleep.
I fall fast asleep.

In the first sentence "was" is a linking verb, "fast" is a adverb, "asleep" is a adjective.

In the second sentence "fall" is a linking verb, "fast" is a adverb and "asleep" is a adverb.

Why is "asleep" in the second sentence a adverb (it has exactly the same
structure as the first sentence)?

Is "asleep" also a adverb in the third sentence?

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by notmyname216

I was fast asleep.
I can fall fast asleep.
I fall fast asleep.
Why is "asleep" in the second sentence a adverb (it has exactly the same
structure as the first sentence)?

Different verbs: 1. is copular, whereas 2. and 3. are not. "asleep" functions as an adverb in 2. and 3. It modifies the verb.

In 1. "asleep" modifies a noun, the subject. Adjectives describe people, places, and things; adverbs "add to" the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

[notmyname216]

What about these sentences:

I fall fast asleep.
He went fast asleep.

"asleep" is a adverb in the first sentence.
"asleep" is a adjective in the second sentence.

Both sentences seem like they are structured the same.
Unless the difference is because "fall" is a linking verb and "went" is not.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by notmyname216

What about these sentences:

I fall fast asleep. ("asleep" is a adverb)
He went fast asleep. ("asleep" is an adjective)

Both sentences seem like they are structured the same.
Unless the difference is because "fall" is a linking verb and "went" is not.

Well, "asleep" describes how I fall, and how I went. It describes the verb, so it functions as an adverb in both sentences. If we look at a linking structure, we see that "asleep" described the subject, which is a noun, not the verb:

I am fast asleep. (I = asleep; "asleep" is an adjective. It describes a noun)

With linking structures, the subject complement modifies the subject, and since "I" a noun, "asleep" functions as an adjective in that structure.

Compare:

I fell asleep. (verb+adverb)
I was asleep. (Linking Structure: subject = adjective)

[notmyname216]

Examining the different sentences using the word "asleep"

Copular verb type

1) The baby was fast asleep. was->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adjective
2) The baby was asleep fast. was->verb, asleep->adjective, fast->adverb

Linking verb type

3) The baby seems fast asleep. seems->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adjective
4) The baby seems asleep fast. (bad form for sentence)
5) The baby sounds fast asleep. sounds->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adjective
6) The baby sounds asleep fast. (bad form for sentence)
7) The baby appears fast asleep. appears->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adjective
8) The baby appears asleep fast. (bad form for sentence)

Common verb type

9) The baby went fast asleep. went->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adverb
10) The baby went asleep fast. went->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->adverb
11) The baby fell fast asleep. fell->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adverb
12) The baby fell asleep fast. fell->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->fast

Is the following true?

1) In both sentences 9 and 10 the meaning of the sentence is different
even though "fast" and "asleep" are both adverbs?
The same is true for sentences 11 and 12?

2) A copular verb can have a adjective after the verb. That adjective must describe the subject of the sentence.

3) For all Linking verbs word order must be adverb/adjective.
(covers examples 4, 6 and 8.)

4) No adjectives can follow a common verb to describe the subject.
They are adverbs.

[Casiopea]

Are the following true?

1) True.

2) True. The adjective either directly or indirectly modifies the subject:

Direct: She is great.
'great' modifies 'She' directly.

Indirect: She is a great singer.
'great' directly modifies 'singer', and 'a great singer' modifies 'She', so 'great' indirectly modifies 'She'.

3) True in general, but there are a few exceptions. Here's one:

Example: They are good enough. (adjective+adverb)

'enough' functions as an adverb in that context. It's called a post-modifier.

4) No adjectives can follow a common verb to describe the subject. They are adverbs.

Common verb type
9) The baby went fast asleep. went->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adverb
10) The baby went asleep fast. went->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->adverb
11) The baby fell fast asleep. fell->verb, fast->adverb, asleep->adverb
12) The baby fell asleep fast. fell->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->fast

True. Only linking verbs allow adjectives to reach back across the verb to modify the subject. That's because linking verbs represent a grammatical equals sign (=). For example,

The baby is asleep.
The baby = asleep.

Below, the modified word is underlined:

Example: The baby is alseep. (adjective)
Example: The baby fell asleep. (adverb)

[RonBee]

You can be fast asleep, but you can't be asleep fast.

[notmyname216]

You can be fast asleep, but you can't be asleep fast.

Are you sure? What about these sentences:

1) I went asleep fast. went->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->adverb
2) Asleep fast I went. <not a vaild sentence?>
3) Asleep fast went I. asleep->adverb, fast->adverb, went->verb

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by notmyname216

Are you sure? What about these sentences:

1) I went asleep fast. went->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->adverb
2) Asleep fast I went. <not a vaild sentence?>
3) Asleep fast went I. asleep->adverb, fast->adverb, went->verb

Ronbee was pointing out the verb "be", a linking verb. Your examples do not house a linking verb.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by notmyname216

Are you sure? What about these sentences:

1) I went asleep fast. went->verb, asleep->adverb, fast->adverb
2) Asleep fast I went. <not a vaild sentence?>
3) Asleep fast went I. asleep->adverb, fast->adverb, went->verb

Unfortunately, none of those sentences work. The expression is: "I went to sleep." Example:

A: What time did you go to sleep last night?
B: I went to sleep last night at about nine o'clock.

One might, possibly, say, "I fell asleep quickly" (It didn't take long) but not, "I fell asleep fast."