How to recognize an adverb

Question

HI,I'm confused with how to recognize an adverb withing a sentence. I take the exemple of at once. In Dictionary (Cambridge), I found out that at once could be an Adverb, and in that case it means :at the same time. And it could be also a conjunction, and this case it means: immediately.Here a sentence which is not helpful in the least to assert whether at once is an adverb or a conjunction: Although they were divorced, when they hear the news of his death, father and mother got there at once.I'm also confused with quite. When it is adverb and when it is predeterminer?Thanks for help.

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

butterfly60I'm also confused with quite. When it is adverb and when it is predeterminer?

A predeterminer comes before another determiner:

He is quite the good student.

Nothing gives quite the same feeling of excitement as bungee jumping.

An adverb comes before an adjective:

He was quite civil last night.

butterfly60Although they were divorced, when they heard the news of his death, father and mother got there at once.

Adverb - there are no grammatical structures being connected. It answers the question "When?" The usage as an adverb is much more common.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I'm confused with how to recognize an adverb withing a sentence. I take the exemple of at once. In Dictionary (Cambridge), I found out that at once could be an Adverb, and in that case it means :at the same time. And it could be also a conjunction, and this case it means: immediately. 'Immediately' is not a conjunction, it is an adverb. it's the same as 'at once'.

I can't think of an example with 'at once' as a conjunction. Are you perhaps thinking of the word 'once'?

eg We will eat dinner once he arrives.

Here a sentence which is not helpful in the least to assert whether at once is an adverb or a conjunction:

Although they were divorced, when they hear the news of his death, father and mother got there at once. This is an adverb meaning 'immediately'.

A 'conjunction' joins two things. Do you see two things in your example that are being joined by 'at once'? I don't.

I'm also confused with quite. When it is adverb and when it is predeterminer?

adverb examples

quite + adjective She is quite rich.

quite + verb She quite likes Tom.

predeterminer example

quite + noun She is quite a rich woman.

Clive

Butterfly60 · Answer

Hi Clive,

Thank you for your help.

I'm confused with how to recognize an adverb withing a sentence. I take the exemple of at once. In Dictionary (Cambridge), I found out that at once could be an Adverb, and in that case it means :at the same time. And it could be also a conjunction, and this case it means: immediately.'Immediately' is not a conjunction, it is an adverb. it's the same as 'at once'.

What I have related here is what I got from the Dictionary. In fact, to understand the meaning of At once I got to the word Once. Two uses for Once: Adverb and conjunction. At once is included in both cases. which means that at once can be also adverb as well as conjunction. Or I'm wrong?

And for the case when it is conjunction, it means at the same time.

I can't think of an example with 'at once' as a conjunction. Are you perhaps thinking of the word 'once'?

eg We will eat dinner once he arrives.

Here a sentence which is not helpful in the least to assert whether at once is an adverb or a conjunction:

Although they were divorced, when they hear the news of his death, father and mother got there at once. This is an adverb meaning 'immediately'.

A 'conjunction' joins two things. Do you see two things in your example that are being joined by 'at once'? I don't.

I dont see any meaning of conjunction in my example.

I reverse the question: Is there an example where at once is a conjunction?

I'm also confused with quite. When it is adverb and when it is predeterminer?

adverb examples

quite + adjective She is quite rich.

quite + verb She quite likes Tom.

predeterminer example

quite + noun She is quite a rich woman.

What is the meaning of quite in each case?

Butterfly60 · Answer

Thanks for your reply.

I want just to argue about the definition of an adverb. I think it changes not only adjectives but also Verbs. And its common use if for the latter, in which case, it can come at the beginning, center of end of a sentence.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

butterfly60Thanks for your reply.

I want just to argue about the definition of an adverb. I think it changes not only adjectives but also Verbs. And its common use if for the latter, in which case, it can come at the beginning, center of end of a sentence.

Yes. Adverbs commonly modify verbs as well as adjectives and other adverbs. The placement of adjectives in a sentence is generally more flexible as compared with other parts of speech.

He walked slowly and carefully.

He came early.

He came very early.

At once:

I cannot think of an example of using this phrase as a conjunction. Once is a common conjunction.

Once the bride and groom arrived, the wedding ceremony began.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I want just to argue about the definition of an adverb. I think it changes not only adjectives but also Verbs.

Yes, that's why I said

adverb examples

quite + verb She quite likes Tom.

And its common use if for the latter, in which case, it can come at the beginning, center of end of a sentence.

Broadly speaking, that's true, but it depends on the adverb.

eg She likes Tom quite is not acceptable.

Clive

Butterfly60 · Answer

Thank you

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

I'm confused with how to recognize an adverb withing a sentence. I take the exemple of at once. In Dictionary (Cambridge), I found out that at once could be an Adverb, and in that case it means :at the same time. And it could be also a conjunction, and this case it means: immediately.'Immediately' is not a conjunction, it is an adverb. it's the same as 'at once'.

What I have related here is what I got from the Dictionary. In fact, to understand the meaning of At once I got to the word Once. Two uses for Once: Adverb and conjunction. At once is included in both cases. which means that at once can be also adverb as well as conjunction. Or I'm wrong? As I already said, I can't think of an example where 'at onc' can be used as a conjunction.

And for the case when it is conjunction, it means at the same time.

I can't think of an example with 'at once' as a conjunction. Are you perhaps thinking of the word 'once'?

eg We will eat dinner once he arrives.

Here a sentence which is not helpful in the least to assert whether at once is an adverb or a conjunction:

Although they were divorced, when they hear the news of his death, father and mother got there at once. This is an adverb meaning 'immediately'.

A 'conjunction' joins two things. Do you see two things in your example that are being joined by 'at once'? I don't.

I dont see any meaning of conjunction in my example. That's because it isn't one.

I reverse the question: Is there an example where at once is a conjunction? Can't think of one.

I'm also confused with quite. When it is adverb and when it is predeterminer?

adverb examples

quite + adjective She is quite rich.

quite + verb She quite likes Tom.

predeterminer example

quite + noun She is quite a rich woman.

What is the meaning of quite in each case? 'Quite' is a rather odd word, because it can mean 'a lot' or 'a little' or some degree in between. Much depends on the context, and on the intonation with which it is said, and even on the nationality of the speaker since some cultures use irony more than others.

Clive

Butterfly60 · Answer

Clive,

I thank you very much for the explanations.

I was tormented by the frequent use of at once and quite in one of Dostoievski stories (The gambler).

Butterfly60

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I hope it was a good translation.

Clive

How to recognize an adverb

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