adverb as noun & adjective??

[panicmonger]

Sometimes, it is quite confusing because an adverb can also be used as a noun and an adjective.

As the examples below show:
1. For a holiday abroad you need a valid passport. (adjective)
2. We prefer imports of cheap food from abroad. (noun)

Are they the extended uses of adverbs?
Thank you.

 

[Pedroski]

1. For a holiday abroad you need a valid passport. (adjective)
Since we don't say: *an abroad holiday and you might ask the question 'A holiday where? Abroad! and you could replace 'abroad' with 'in China' I would call 'abroad' here an adverb.

2. We prefer imports of cheap food (which come) from abroad/Africa/China. (noun) But it's in the prepositional adverbial 'from abroad'

You are right: just because we call a word a verb or a noun or whatever, that is no guarantee that it will have that function in every sentence. But you know that well from Chinese!!

 

[panicmonger]

You are right: just because we call a word a verb or a noun or whatever, that is no guarantee that it will have that function in every sentence. But you know that well from Chinese!!

yeah... Tell me about it. I agree with you.