Adjuncts and their

Classification
Presented to: Prof. Nazir Ahmad Malik
Presented by: Tahir Ghafoor M
Adjunct: Definition
An adjunct is part of a Sentence and
modifies the Verb to show time,
manner, place, frequency and
degree.
 Eg: It is nearly done. ('Nearly' describes the
degree to which the action has been done.)
 Eg: I go there twice a week. ('Twice a week'
describes the frequency with which the
action is done.)
Source:
http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/adjunc
Classes of Adverbials
 Adjuncts
 Disjuncts

 Conjuncts

Adverbials may be integrated to some

extent into the structure of the clause
or they may be peripheral to it. If
integrated, they are termed ADJUNCTS.
If peripheral, they are termed
DISJUNCTS and CONJUNCTS.
Adjuncts
An adverbial is integrated to some extent in
clause structure if it is affected by such
clausal processes as negation and
interrogation.
e.g., it is an adjunct if
1. It cannot appear initially in a negative
declarative clause:
1. *Quickly they didn’t leave for home
2. It can be the focus of a question or of clause
negation:
1. Does he write to his parents because he wants to
(or does he write to them because he needs
money)?
Disjuncts and Conjuncts
In contrast, a disjunct or a conjunct is not affected
by either of these clausal processes.
e.g., the disjunct to my regret can appear initially in
a negative declarative clause:
To my regret, they didn’t leave for home
and cannot be the focus of a question or of clause
negation:
*Does he write to his parents, to my regret, (or
does he write to them, to my relief)?
Multiple class membership
Items can belong to more than one
class.
e.g., naturally is an adjunct in
They aren’t walking naturally (in a
natural manner)
And a disjunct in
Naturally, they are walking (of course)
Subclassification of
Adjuncts
1. Viewpoint
2. Focusing (additive, limiter)
3. Intensifier (emphasizer, amplifier, downtoner)
4. Process (manner, means, instrument)
5. Subject (general, volitional, formulaic)
6. Place (postion, direction)
7. Time (when, duration, frequency, relationship)
8. Others (purpose, cause, reason, …)
1. Viewpoint Adjuncts
Viewpoint adjuncts can be roughly paraphrased
by ‘if we consider what we saying from a
[adjective phrase] point of view’ or ‘if we
consider what we are saying from the point of
view of [noun phrase]’.
Viewpoint adjuncts are most commonly derived from adjectives
by the addition of a –ly suffix:
e.g., Geographically, ethnically, and linguistically, these islands are
closer to the mainland than to their neighboring islands.
Viewpoint Adjuncts (some
examples)

Many of these people have suffered,

economically speaking, because of their
political affiliations
As far as mathematics is concerned, he
was a complete failure
Looked at politically, it was not an easy
problem
2. Focusing Adjuncts
Focusing adjuncts indicate that what is
being communicated is limited to a part
that is focused – LIMITER ADJUNCTS – or
that a focused part is an addition –
ADDITIVE ADJUNCTS. Most focusing
adjuncts are adverbs.
 Limiters (Exclusives and Particularizers)
 Additives
Limiters
(a)Exclusives restrict what is said to the part
focused, e.g: alone, just, merely, only, purely, simply,
etc.
You can get a B grade JUST for that answer
(a) Particularizers restrict what is said
particularly or mainly to the part focused,
e.g.: Chiefly, especially, mainly, mostly, in particular, etc.
The workers, IN PARTICULAR, are dissatisfied with the
government
Additives
The focusing adjuncts that indicate
that a focused part is an addition,
e.g.:
 Also, either, even, either, nor, too, in addition,
etc
 My father won’t give me the money.
He won’t EVEN lend it to me.
 They won’t help him, but they won’t
harm him EITHER.
3. Intensifiers
Intensifiers are not limited to indicating an
increase in intensity; they indicate a point
on the intensity scale which may be high or
low.
Intensifiers can be divided into three
semantic classes:
 Emphasizers
 Amplifiers (maximizers, boosters)
 Downtoners (compromisers, diminishers,
minimizers, approximators)
Intensifiers
Emphasizers have a general
heightening effect; amplifiers scale
upwards from an assumed norm;
downtoners have a lowering effect,
usually scaling downwards from an
assumed norm.
Emphasizers
Common emphasizers include:
 (a) actually, certainly, clearly, definitely,
indeed, obviously, plainly, surely, etc
 (b) frankly, honestly, literally, simply, etc

While emphasizers in (a) seem to be free to co-

occur with any verb or predication, those in (b)
tend to be restricted. E.g., honestly tends to co-
occur with verbs expressing attitude or cognition:
 They honestly admire her courage.

Some Examples:
 I honestly don’t know what she wants

 She actually sat next to him

 I just can’t understand it

 I simply don’t believe it

Amplifiers
Amplifiers are divided into:
 Maximizers, which can denote the upper
extreme of the scale, e.g. absolutely,
altogether, completely, entirely, etc
 I can perfectly see why you are anxious about it
 We absolutely refuse to listen to your grumbling
 and
 Boosters, denote a high point on the scale,
e.g. badly, deeply, greatly, heartily, much,
so, well, a great deal, etc.
 They like her very much
 I can well understand your problem
Downtoners
Downtoners have a lowering effect on
the force of the verb. They can be
divided into four groups:
 Compromisers have only a slight lowering
effect (kind of/sort of, quite/rather etc)
 Diminishers (partly, slightly, a little etc)
and Minimizers (a bit, barely, hardly, in the
least, etc) scale downwards considerably
 Approminators (almost, nearly, as good
as, etc) serve to express an approximation
to the force of the verb
Downtoners
Some Examples:
 I kind of like him.
 We know them slightly.
 I don’t enjoy it in the least.
 I almost resigned.
4. Process Adjuncts
Process adjuncts define in some
way the process denoted by the
verb. They can be divided into at
least three semantic subclasses:
 Manner
 Means
 Instrument
Manner Adjuncts
Examples:
 They sprayed tear gas
indiscriminately on the protesters.
 She replied to questions with great
courtesy.
 He spoke in a way that reminded me
of his father
Means and Instrument
Adjuncts
Examples of Means:
 He decided to treat the patient surgically
 I go to school by car

Examples of Instruments:
 He examined the specimen microscopically
 You can cut the bread with that knife
5. Subject Adjuncts
Subject adjuncts relate to the referent of
the subject in an active clause (or the
agent in a passive clause) as well as to the
process or state denoted by the verb. All
are either adverb or prepositional phrases.
Three groups can be distinguished:
 general
 volitional
 formulaic
Subject Adjuncts
General subject adjuncts:
 Resentfully, the workers have stood by their
leaders (‘the workers have stood by their
leaders and were resentful about it’)
Volitional subject adjuncts:
 He deliberately misled us (‘he was being
deliberate when he …)
Formulaic adjuncts:
 He kindly offered me a ride (‘he was kind
enough …’)
6. Place Adjuncts
Place adjuncts denote static position
and also direction, movement, and
passage, here brought together
under the general term ‘direction’.
Examples showing position:
 He lives in a small village
 They are not there
 She works a long way from here
Place Adjuncts
Examples showing direction:
 He ran past the sentry
 They followed him wherever he went
 I took the papers from the desk
 He threw it ten yards
Over to Furrakh