Adverbial / Adjectival confusion!?

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Adverbial / Adjectival confusion!?Adverbial / Adjectival confusion!?Hi everyone, I'm a native english speaker. However, I have been studying grammar for a weeks now; and I realized it's very difficult! Right now my problem is about adjectival/adverbial confusion. (prepositional and infinitive phrases). I have the following questions:1. For example, "I study to learn" - Adverbial Infinitive; modifies study"I have a problem in math" - Adjectival, regarding math.2. These are all fairly simple as the phrases follow the "modifiee"However, in this example."I brough a book to read""to read" modifies the book (as I was told that), and the explanation was that "Why do I bring? I bring to read" doesn't make sense. Adverb or Adjective?3. However, in this example; "I became a lawyer to earn money""I became to earn money?" doesn't make sense, and neither does "Which lawyer? The earning money lawyer". Adverb or Adjective?4. "I will discuss the problem with you"As a native speaker, I think that "with you" is an adverbial ansering how you will speak. But "with you" also makes sense when describing the problem. Adverb or Adjective?In short, my HUGE problem is when I do know it's an adverbial or adjective, especially when it doesn't follow the word it modifies.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

BlackBlitz 1. For example, "I study to learn" - Adverbial Infinitive; modifies study
"I have a problem in math" - Adjectival, regarding math.

2. These are all fairly simple as the phrases follow the "modifiee"
However, in this example.
"I brough a book to read"
"to read" modifies the book (as I was told that), and the explanation was that "Why do I bring? I bring to read" doesn't make sense. Adverb or Adjective? I agree that it answers the question "why do I bring?", but it doesn't modify the book! "I do bring because _________ ." Who cares about the book? This question is about "bringing." It's about the action - the verb. That makes it adverbial. I believe "why" questions are always adverbial. "Why did you do it?"

3. However, in this example; "I became a lawyer to earn money"
"I became to earn money?" doesn't make sense, and neither does "Which lawyer? The earning money lawyer". Adverb or Adjective? "I became X to earn money" makes perfect sense to me. Same question, "why?" Same answer, "adverbial."

4. "I will discuss the problem with you"
As a native speaker, I think that "with you" is an adverbial ansering how you will speak. But "with you" also makes sense when describing the problem. Adverb or Adjective? I agree with your analysis of the problem. The sentence may be considered ambiguous. "I shall discuss the problem I'm having with you." Still ambiguous. If this were a test, I'd recommend going with "adverbial," simply because it's a little more likely.

In short, my HUGE problem is when I do know it's an adverbial or adjective, especially when it doesn't follow the word it modifies. At this stage in your progress, I'd stick with the "Does it answer the question why, etc. ?" tool. It's probably the simplest and most reliable.

In examples like, "I brought a book to read," where you seem to feel that it answers the question "What did I bring?" as well as the question "Why did I bring it?", concentrate on the phrase you're trying to identify, "to read." It doesn't tell what you brought. It describes the purpose of the action.

Infinitive phrases like this are (I think) always about the action - even when the action verb is a verb of being: "This book is to remain in the library." (adverbial) You think "to remain" describes the book??

Adverbial / Adjectival confusion!?

Adverbial / Adjectival confusion!?

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