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Hans51 Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Adverbs never modify Nouns?

I have learned that adverbs cannot modify nouns but I have seen sentences in which adverbs seem modify nouns like

There are steps forward.

Here in the sentence forward as an adverb modifies steps and then I was wondering if I can rewrite it to "There are forward steps" for the same meaning and is it true that adverbs cannot modify nouns?

Thank you so much as usual in advance.
  

Top answer

I don't agree with your explanation using your example, but it does raise a good point. " It seems to be modifying the steps. But we don't have a position like predicate adjective for adverbs (predicate adverbs).

— Englishmaven

  • I don't agree with your explanation using your example, but it does raise a good point.
  • " It seems to be modifying the steps.
  • But we don't have a position like predicate adjective for adverbs (predicate adverbs).
  • "Here" is modifying "are," though it feels too abstract, and we may want to attach the word to a concrete noun, steps.
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6 Answers
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I don't agree with your explanation using your example, but it does raise a good point. In a sentence like "The steps are here," the word "here" is definitely telling where, which is adverbial, but it is hard to accept that the word "here" is modifying the verb "are." It seems to be modifying the steps. But we don't have a position like predicate adjective for adverbs (predicate adverbs). "Here" i
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Thank you so much!

And what I cannot understand well is that forward can be also used as an adjective and then why is it not considered as an adjective here in the sentence, There are steps forward and why isn't forward put before steps like There are forward steps. And if it is possible, is there a meaning difference between them, you think?
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Hans51is it true that adverbs cannot modify nouns?
The problem here is that no one seems to know the answer.

In other words, why not? I think, however, that what few of them there may be, they all have to be used after the noun they modify.

forward is both an adjective and an adverb, so it doesn't quite qualify for the s
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We often take two steps forward and three steps back(wards).

The words "forward" and "back" in that sentence represent either reduced clauses or prepositional phrases. Clauses and prepositional phrases are placed after the noun that they modify.

We often take two steps going forward and three steps going back.

We often take two steps
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AlpheccaStarsThe words "forward" and "back" in that sentence represent either reduced clauses or prepositional phrases. Clauses and prepositional phrases are placed after the noun that they modify.
I don't really see any justification for claiming a reduced clause or prepositional phrase, neither of which seems very natural. I suspect that some modern schools
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Your question might have the key to the answer. Adverbs typically fall at the end of the sentence, so "steps forward" would support the adverb argument.

I think "forward steps" refers to walking in a forward direction. "Steps forward" could refer to the position of the steps.
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