The adverbial of condition

§ 106. The identifying questions are in what case? or on what condition? The adverbial of condition is generally expressed by a noun or a pronoun, or by a prepositional phrase (nominal or sometimes gerundial) with the prepositions but for, except for, without.

But for you I wouldn’t be here at all.

Except for the sound of his breathing I wouldn’t have known he was there.

Without faith there can be no cure.

This adverbial is sometimes expressed by a participle or an adjective with the conjunctions if or unless.

Jane won’t sing unless asked to.

We’ll come earlier if necessary.

Less frequently it is an infinitive or a participle.

I would have done better to have followed my first thought.

Skilfully managed, conversation with him might prove amusing.

The adverbial of concession

§ 107. This adverbial expresses some idea that contradicts what is stated in the modified part of the sentence. Thus in its meaning it is opposite to the adverbial of reason. The identifying question is in spite of what?

The adverbial of concession is expressed by a prepositional phrase introduced by in spite of, despite, for all, with all and phrases introduced by the conjunction though.

In spite of his anger John listened to me attentively.

Cleary, for all his reputation, was already out of date.

With all his faults, I like him.

Though a bad painter, he had a delicate feeling for art.

Note:

The conjunction if introduces concessive adverbials in cases like the following:

Your remark is witty, if rather cruel (...хотя и несколько жестокое).

Adverbials of attendant circumstances and subsequent events

§ 108. These adverbials have no identifying questions. The adverbial of attendant circumstances expresses some fact that accompanies the event presented by the modified part of the sentence. This adverbial may be expressed by a gerundial phrase, a participial phrase, any kind of absolute construction, and rather rarely by an infinitive phrase.

We walked three miles without meeting anyone (and did not meet anyone)

“No,” said Gabriel, turning to his wife (and turned to his wife)

I dropped my fists and walked away, “Scout’s a coward” ringing in my ears.

In the study with the door closed, he stood before the window, smoking his pipe.

The adverbial of subsequent events points out an event following the event presented in the modified part of the sentence. This adverbial is most frequently expressed by an infinitive,or sometimes by a participle.

He woke up to see that it was daylight.

They said something to her, receiving no answer.

The adverbial of comparison

§ 109. This adverbial is introduced by the conjunctions than, as, as if, as though or the preposition like. The adverbial with than is preceded by the comparative of the adverb or the adjective it modifies, the adverbial with as - by the correlative adverbs asor so:

A mountain ishigher than a hill.

The boy is nowas tall as his father.

Tom is notso tall as his brother.

Tom speaks French as fluently as a born Frenchman.

Tom speaks French like a Frenchman.

The difference between the use of like and as is important.

Ann talked to us like a teacher means that Ann is not a teacher, whereas the sentence Ann talked to us as a teacher implies that she is a teacher and in talking to us her professional manner was apparent.

The conjunctions as if and as though give the comparison a modal shade of meaning: They precede a participle, an infinitive, or a prepositional phrase, as in:

As if obeying him, I turned and stared into his face.

He prospered greatly, almost as though against his will.

The adverbial of degree

§ 110. This adverbial modifies various parts of the sentence expressed by verbs, adjectives, adverbs and statives, characterizing actions, states and quality from the viewpoint of their intensity. The identifying questions being how much? to what extent?

Adverbials of degree are expressed mainly by adverbs and by preposi­tional phrases with the preposition to.

The story is extremely long.

All was planned to the split second.

Now you may read to your hearts content.

Sometimes nouns can be modified by an adverbial of degree, as in:

You are quite a man, my boy.

The adverbial of measure

§ 111. This adverbial is expressed by a noun denoting a unit of measure (length, time, weight, money, temperature).

It is used after statal verbs denoting processes, states, or characteristics allowing measurement, such as to measure, to last, to wait, to sleep, to walk, to run, to weigh, to cost. Nouns as adverbials of measure are preceded by numerals or the indefinite article in its, numerical function.

The room measures 30 feet across.

We walked (for) five miles.

The box weighs a ton.

The temperature went down ten degrees below zero.