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Grammarian-bot Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Difference between adverbial and preopositional phrase.



How can we differentiate between an adverbial phrase and a prepositional phrase?

1. I saw the movie on Friday.

2. Holmes is on the bed.

In 1st sentence, it is clear that "on Friday" is qualifying "saw" and is an adverbial phrase. But in the second sentence, "on the bed" is also qualifying "Holmes". But usually such phrases are regarded as prepositional phrase. So, how could be differentiate between the two.

Is it possible for a clause to be both (adverbial phrase and prepositional phrase) at the same time?
  

Top answer

But in the two examples you clearly distinguish between them, don't you? So what's your problem? Yes, you do it through the meanings of «Friday» and «bed», not through the bare structure...

— Ant_222

  • But in the two examples you clearly distinguish between them, don't you?
  • So what's your problem?
  • Yes, you do it through the meanings of «Friday» and «bed», not through the bare structure...
  • I saw him on the bed I saw him in bad mood.
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11 Answers
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But in the two examples you clearly distinguish between them, don't you? So what's your problem?

Yes, you do it through the meanings of «Friday» and «bed», not through the bare structure...

I saw him on the bed
I saw him in bad mood.
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A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition and continues with a noun phrase which is called the object of the preposition.

Anything adverbial means acting like an adverb.

There is nothing contradictory about these ideas. A prepositional phrase can act like an adverb, and so it may be an adverbial phrase.

on Friday acts like an adver
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So, it means that both the phrases "on Friday" and "on the bed" are both prepositional and adverbial phrase.
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I think "on the bed" does not qualify Holmes but the verb "be", in the neaning of "being at a certain place and time. Hence it would be an adverbial phrase.
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The problem here is that Example 2 is special because of the type of process envolved (process of being), so it is explained by MAK Halliday (An Introduction to Functional Grammar, 1994, p.130) as being a case of a "circumstancial process". The circumstantial element "on the bed" is an attribute that is being ascribed to the entity "Holmes" through the use of the relational process "to be".
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AnonymousThe problem here is that Example 2 is special because of the type of process envolved (process of being), so it is explained by MAK Halliday (An Introduction to Functional Grammar, 1994, p.130) as being a case of a "circumstancial process". The circumstantial element "on the bed" is an attribute that is being ascribed to the entity "Holmes" through the use of the
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It may be six years old but it's still of use to me now.
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hello all

i cannot understand adverbial phrase can u plz guide.

for eg: Ali is eating food with his right hand

so it answers the question how so it is an adverbial phrase.

am i right plz tell me asap..

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Grammarian-botHow can we differentiate between an adverbial phrase and a prepositional phrase?1. I saw the movie on Friday.2. Holmes is on the bed.In 1st sentence, it is clear that "on Friday" is qualifying "saw" and is an adverbial phrase. But in the second sentence, "on the bed" is also qualifying "Holmes". But usually such phrases are regarded as prepositional phrase.
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