Adverb or Adjective

Question

Hello    I wanted to know if the underlined word functions as an adjective or adverb.        "He escaped unharmed." Thanks,Specter

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It's an adjective that describes 'he'.

You could reword it as 'Unharmed, he escaped'.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

Specter I wanted to know if the underlined word functions as an adjective or adverb.
"He escaped unharmed."

It functions as both!!!
This construct is called (Take a deep breath!) a subject-oriented depictive secondary predication.
The primary predication here is that he escaped. The secondary predication is that he was unharmed. But the 'unharmed' part happened during the escape, so there's a temporal relation with the verb here (which is typical for a depictive construct) and that makes 'unharmed' adverbial in nature.
Here's what Himmelman and Berndt say about it:
"Depictive secondary predicates, being simultaneously predicates and adjuncts, take part in two relations within the clause, and thus pose problems for an analysis either in terms of constituency or in terms of dependency."
So the "experts" have noticed the same problem that you have.

But to leave theory behind and be practical about it -- I have heard it called an adverbial adjective, but for most purposes just 'adjective' is probably good enough.
Other examples:
She left angry.
They painted nude.
He returned astonished.
CJ

Specter · Answer

Thanks CJ <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' alt='Emotion: wink'/>

Adverb or Adjective

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