adverbs

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bamthor

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Frustated 50+ parent that is helping 7th grader. Sentence: The conditions for workers were unsafe there. Is "there" an adverb? If yes. What verb, adverb or adjectives is it describing.
 

TheParser

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Frustated 50+ parent that is helping 7th grader. Sentence: The conditions for workers were unsafe there. Is "there" an adverb? If yes. What verb, adverb or adjectives is it describing.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Bamthor.

(1) As I type, no one else has replied. If I start, maybe others will join in.

I REALLY want to know the answer.

(2) Here are some thoughts -- NOT answers!!!

(3) You are tutoring a 7th-grader. I imagine that a 7th-grade teacher

does not want to make grammar too difficult:

The teacher: What does "there" mean?

Sammy: At that place.

The teacher: Excellent. And what part of speech is "there"?

Mary: An adverb.

The teacher: Perfect. And what word does "there" modify (belong to)
in our sentence?

Joey: Were.

The teacher: Why?

Mona: Because "were" is a verb, and adverbs modify verbs.

I imagine that if a 7th-grade class could have this level of discussion, any teacher would be delighted.

*****

I, however, am not satisfied:

(a) I feel that an adverb cannot modify a linking verb, since a linking verb means nothing.
 
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corum

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(a) I feel that an adverb cannot modify a linking verb, since a linking verb means nothing.
!
3.gif
;-)

How about this:
It looks exactly the same.
 

Barb_D

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In that example, I'd say "exactly" is modifying "the same."
 

corum

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In that example, I'd say "exactly" is modifying "the same."

He said they would look [exactly the same] and [exactly the same] they looked.

So would I. :oops::)

What about this:
He said they would [almost look] the same, and the same they [almost looked]
 

bamthor

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Frustated 50+ parent that is helping 7th grader. Sentence: The conditions for workers were unsafe there. Is "there" an adverb? If yes. What verb, adverb or adjectives is it describing.
Can someone please diagram this sentence?
 

corum

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Can someone please diagram this sentence?

According to Quirk et al., (1985), adverbials can be categorized into four classes according to their affinity with the rest of the containing sentence:

- adjunct
- subjunct

sentence adverbials:

- conjuncts
- disjunct

Among these, only the class of adjuncts have parity with other sentence elements such as subject, object, complement.

Like subject, object, and complement, and unlike the other three types of adverbials, they can be the focus of cleft sentences:

The conditions for workers were unsafe there.

It is the condition for workers that were unsafe there. -- subject focus
It is unsafe that the condition for workers were there -- complement focus
It is there that the condition for workers were unsafe -- adjunct focus

The parallel between adjunct and other sentence constituents extends also to contrast in alternative interrogation or negation:

Were the conditions for workers safe there or were something else safe? -- subject contrast in alternative interrogation

Were there or were here the conditions for workers safe? --adjunct contrast in alternative interrogation
The conditions for workers were safe there but not here. -- adjunct contrast in alternative negation.

Irrespective of their position, adjuncts come within the scope of predication ellipsis or pro-forms, exactly like other constituents that follow the operator (the first tensed auxiliary in a sentence):

The condition for workers were safe there and the condition for employers were safe there.

=

There, the condition for workers were safe and so were the condition for employers.

Furthermore, like subject, object, and complement, adjuncts can be too elicited by question forms:

What was safe there? The condition for workers. = subject
What was the condition for workers like? Safe. = complement
Where was the condition for workers safe? There. = adjunct

We have more than enough empirical evidence that 'there' in your sentence is a "normal adverbial", adjunct. It modifies the verb, "were".

Your diagram is:

 

corum

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The chrysalis slowly turned green.

turned = linking verb
slowly = adverb modifier modifying 'turned'
 

TheParser

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***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good afternoon.

(1) If you are a person who is still interested in this matter, I wish to report my findings.

(2) I have been communicating with as many people as possible, and I have found some answers that satisfy me and perhaps will satisfy you, too.

(3) There the conditions for workers were unsafe./ The conditions for workers were unsafe there.

(a) In those two sentences, the adverb of place "there" modifies the verb "were."

(4) The conditions there for workers were unsafe.

(a) "there" modifies "conditions." The adverb is acting as an adjective.

(5) The conditions for workers there were unsafe.

(a) "there" modifies "workers."

Thank you and have a nice day!
 
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