Adjective or adverb?

Question

In a sentence such as "The owners could not defend their property against the swarm of newcomers" is against the swarm of newcomers adjectival or adverbial? I want to say adverbial because it seems as though it's describing "defend", a verb.

What about the Except in swampy and barren regions in "Except in swampy and barren regions, food grows well in Southampton"? Is it adjectival because it's describing Southampton?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

It modifies "grows," answering where.

Valinova · Answer

So, if it's answering "Where?" it's adverbial and NOT adjectival.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Yes, but it has to modify a verb or adjective, not a noun.

The garden in the city center is in full bloom. (adjectival prepositional phrase)

Valinova · Answer

Thank you!

BillJ · Answer

ValinovaIn a sentence such as "The owners could not defend their property against the swarm of newcomers" is against the swarm of newcomers adjectival or adverbial? I want to say adverbial because it seems as though it's describing "defend", a verb.

No, it's not an adjunct (adverbial). It's actually a preposition phrase functioning as complement of the verb "defend". “Defend” is probably best seen here as a prepositional verb typically selecting “against” or “from” preposition phrases as complement, cf. the impossibility of *The owners could not defend their property to/on/as/across the swarm of newcomers". You can tell it’s not an adjunct because it doesn’t fit any of the semantic types such as location/reason/result/ etc.

ValinovaWhat about the Except in swampy and barren regions in "Except in swampy and barren regions, food grows well in Southampton"? Is it adjectival because it's describing Southampton?

I'd agree with what AS said, and add to it if I may. It’s not an adjective phrase describing Southampton. It's stating where in Southampton food does not grow well, so this time it's a prep phrase functioning as a supplementary adjunct (or adverbial). Unlike integrated adjuncts, which function as modifiers, supplements provide additional information, in this case about an exception concerning the food-growing properties of Southampton. Supplements are loosely attached expressions, usually set apart by punctuation, as can be seen from the comma in your example.

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for your scholarly explanation of "Except in swampy and barren regions." I think that in American high school-level classes, the teachers just tell the students that it is a prepositional phrase that modifies the whole sentence. Most students are able to appreciate such a simple explanation. "Proof" that it modifies the whole sentence is the fact that it could also come at the end of the sentence, introduced (as you pointed out) by a comma.

I think that in the lower grades, the teachers just say that the prepositional phrase modifies the verb "grow" -- as A.S. said.And that is all that young children need to know. At least they get the idea of a prepositional phrase being used to modify a verb.

Adjective or adverb?

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