Chapter 7
Adjuncts, Disjuncts, Conjuncts
1. Units realizing adverbial functions
2. Classes of adverbials
3. Definition of positional terms
4. Adjuncts
5. Disjuncts
6. Conjuncts
1. Units realizing adverbial functions
a) Adverb phrases
b) Noun phrases (less common)
c) Prepositional phrases
d) Finite verb clauses
e) Non-finite verb clauses (-ing participle, -ed participle,
infinitive)
f) Verbless clauses
2. Classes of adverbials
• 3 classes of adverbial: Adjuncts, Disjuncts, Conjuncts
• If integrated into the structure of the clause → they are termed
adjuncts
• If peripheral to it → they are termed disjuncts and conjuncts
• Conjuncts have a connective function
• Some items can belong to more than one class
3. Definition of positional terms
1. Initial position (before S)
2. Medial position: M1 (immediately before
1st auxiliary or lexical ‘be’, or between 2
auxiliaries or an auxiliary and lexical ‘be’);
M2 (immediately before the lexical V, or in
the case of lexical “be” before the
complement)
3. Final position (after an intransitive V or
after any O or C)
4. Adjuncts
a) Syntactic features of adjuncts
- Can come with the scope of predication
pro-forms or predication ellipsis.
- Can be the focus of limiter adverbials
such as ‘only’
- Can be focus of additive adverbials
such as ‘also’
- Can be the focus of a cleft sentence
b) Adverb phrases as adjuncts
- Can often constitute a comparative
construction
- Can have premodifying ‘however’ to form the
opening of a dependent adverbial clause
- Can have premodifying ‘how’, a proform for
intensifiers in questions or exclamations
- Can have premodifying ‘so’ followed by S-
operator inversion and a correlative clause
c) Subclassification of Adjuncts (see figure 8 in 8.6)
d) Relative positions of adjuncts
- Where adjuncts cluster in final position, the normal
order is:
process – place – time
- 3 other general principles apply to relative order
whether within a class or between classes:
+ The order can be changed to suit the desire for
end-focus
+ A clause normally comes after other structure
+ Longer adjuncts tend to follow shorter adjuncts
viewpoint (8.7) additive
focusing (8.8ff) limiter
emphasizer
intensifier (8.12ff) amplifier
downtoner
manner
process (8.19ff) means
Adjunct instrument
general
subject (8.22f) volitional
formulaic
place (8.24ff) position
direction
when
time (8.31ff) duration
frequency
relationship
purpose
others (8.45) cause, reason
5. Disjuncts
• Most disjuncts are prepositional phrases or clauses
• Can be divided into 2 main classes: style and attitudinal disjuncts
• Style disjuncts: the adverb phrase as style disjunct implies a verb of
speaking of which the S is the ‘I’ of the speaker; normally appears
initially
• Attitudinal disjuncts: convey the speaker’s comment on the content of
what he is saying: can generally appear only in declarative clauses
6. Conjuncts
- Most conjuncts are adverb phrases or prepositional phrases
- Classes of conjuncts:
a) enumerative (see 10.10)
b) reinforcing (10.11)
c) equative (10.11)
d) transitional (10.13)
e) summative (10.14)
f) apposition (10.15)
g) result (10.16)
h) inferential (10.17)
i) reformulatory (10.18)
j) replacive (10.19)
k) antithetic (10.20)
l) concessive (10.21)
m) temporal transition (10.5)
- Positions of conjuncts
+ the normal position of conjuncts is initial
+ medial positions are rare, and final positions rarer
- Conjuncts as correlatives
- Conjunctions for clauses with conjuncts
