[General] Can we use an adverb phrase to answer a how-question about an action verb?

[Mike MC]

Example:

Chagrined, he opened the door.

Q. How did he open the door?
A. chagrined

I don't think the question matches the answer. We should put it like this:
How was he feeling when he opened the door?
What do you think? What's the question whose answer is "chagrined"?
And my question in general: can we use an adverb clause/phrase to answer a how-question about an action verb?

 

[tzfujimino]

Re: Can we use an adverb phrase to answer a how-question?

Example:

Q. How did he open the door?
A. chagrined

I don't think the question matches the answer. We should put it like this:
How was he feeling when he opened the door.
What do you think? What's the question whose answer is "chagrined"?
And my question in general: can we use an adverb clause/phrase to answer a how-question?

I think the sentence means "Feeling/Being chagrined, he opened the door."

So "How was he feeling/did he feel when he opened the door?" is appropriate, in my opinion.

If it were "He opened the door in a chagrined way.", the question would be "How did he open the door?".

I'm not confident about my punctuation.

 

[teechar]

Re: Can we use an adverb phrase to answer a how-question?

If it were "He opened the door in a chagrined way.", the question would be "How did he open the door?".

I'm not confident about my punctuation.

Remove that full stop (in red).

 

[teechar]

I don't think the question matches the answer. We should put it like this:
How was he feeling when he opened the door?

Yes, that makes sense.

And my question in general is: can we use an adverb clause/phrase to answer a how-question about an action verb?

Yes.

A: How did he open the door?
B: Violently.

 

[Mike MC]

Yes.

A: How did he open the door?
B: Violently.

Thanks for the answer, but as far as I know violently is an adverb of manner, not an adverb clause or a reduced adverb clause (adverb phrase).

 

[teechar]

Thanks for the answer, but as far as I know violently is an adverb of manner, not an adverb clause or a reduced adverb clause (adverb phrase).

Yes, that's right. I should have read the question more carefully.
Perhaps you can give us one or two examples that you might have in mind to illustrate the question please.

 

[Mike MC]

Yes, that's right. I should have read the question more carefully.
Perhaps you can give us one or two examples that you might have in mind to illustrate the question please.

Focus on Grammar, second edition

I can't give an example for how.

 

[teechar]

There is a section in the following link on "how".
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/adverb-clauses.html

 

[Mike MC]

There is a section in the following link on "how".
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/adverb-clauses.html

From the above reference:

Adverb Clauses of Condition:
These adverb clauses answer the question how.

• If you save some money, you can buy a new game.
• Unless you hurry, you will be late for school.

Are how something happens and under what condition(s) it happens the same?

 

[teechar]

Not necessarily.
A: How did the bridge collapse?
B: The steel reinforcement gradually corroded and eventually failed.
A: Under what conditions did that happen?
B: The brackish waters of the bay were more saline than average, and the reinforcement bars were not coated with a resin.

 

[Mike MC]

Not necessarily.
A: How did the bridge collapse?
B: The steel reinforcement gradually corroded and eventually failed.
A: Under what conditions did that happen?
B: The brackish waters of the bay were more saline than average, and the reinforcement bars were not coated with a resin.

I see the same problem even in the next edition of Focus on Grammar:

Adverb clauses are dependent clauses that indicate how, when, where, why, or under what conditions things happen; or they introduce a contrast.

You see, it puts how and the adverb clauses of condition in two separate categories, but doesn't provide a single example for how. Please see the attachment: View attachment Focus on Grammar - Third edition.pdf

 

[teechar]

Don't worry too much about it. Move on.

 

[jutfrank]

For anyone wondering what Mike MC means by the term 'adverb clause', see here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adver...dverbial clause is a,and implied (see below).

If you scroll down to the heading 'Types', there's a nice chart of examples with their functions.