Prepositional phrase and adverbial phrase

Question

Hi,some websites say that an adverbial phrase is made with an adverb as its head. However, others say this is an adverb phrase, although it has no adverb:'Kevin hit the nail with a hammer'.with a hammer is an adverbial phrase, but there is no adverb as its head. Can you clear this up for me please...------Saying this, I would assume this is an adverbial phrase even though it is not made from a preposition... 'You should be able to agree with other parties' decisions in order to be a good manager when in a business meeting'.When in a business meetng=to me, seems like an adverbial phrase, but some websites say that a adverb phrase has to be formed by either a preposition or a to infinitve... Your answer, please...---------Thanks.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

An adverbial phrase tells you how, when, where, etc. some action took place. It certainly does not need to start with an adverb.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but "when in a business meeting" seems to describe the manager, not an action.

Eddie88 · Answer

'You should be able to agree with other parties' decisions in order to be a good manager when in a business meeting'.

Hmmm...I struggle to see how 'when in a business meeting' describes the manager...

I feel that 'when in a business meeting' modifies the verb 'agree' by saying when 'you should' agree...

But looking at it again, 'agree' may not be a verb, but a to infinitive...(infinitves function as nouns, and in this case, it may be the object of the verbs 'should be').

Is this right?

If so, maybe, 'when in a business meeting' modifies the verbs 'should be'

Correct me if I am wrong, please.

Cheers.

Anonymous · Answer

Kevin hit the nail with the hammer. it is a prepositional phrase. a prepositional phrase always follows a noun. that is how you can distinquish from the averbial phrase.

manager when in a business meeting. again it is follow by an noun (manager)

L. a. cervantes

Andriy Lapin · Answer

Hello Eddie88,

the main difficulty in this situation is that people sometimes confuse phrases as such with clause elements. In Kevin hit the nail with a hammer the highlighted part is a prepositional phrase; such phrases have two obligatory elements - the preposition (with) and the prepositional complement (a hammer). Now let's move to the level of clause elements. As we know, phrases can have various syntactic functions, but they have only one particular role in each given sentence. In your case, the prepositional phrase with a hammer functions as an adverbial (please do not confuse it with adverb phrase which has an adverb as an obligatory element - there is no such phrase in your sentence). By the way, this one is called process instrument adverbial.

Concerning the construction when in a business meeting, I am absolutely sure that this one is not a phrase of any kind - it is a special type of non-finite clause known as a verbless clause. Such clauses usually function as adverbials in a sentence. In your sentence it is a point-in-time adverbial.

Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff.

Andriy Lapin · Answer

As I see it, you talk about the scope of adverbials, i.e., that part(s) of clauses which they focus on. I believe that When in a business meeting refers to the clause as a whole, in other words, it is not limited neither to a noun phrase a good manager nor to a verb phrase should be able to.

Please ask again if you have any further questions.

Respectfully, Gleb Chebrikoff.

BarbaraPA · Answer

HI Gleb,

Remember to look at the date of the first post. This one was actually pretty old. Posts made in the past 3 or 4 days are more likely to have their original poster still looking for an answer.

Eddie88 · Answer

Hi there, guys:

Thank you for your posts, but, as GG said, this thread began a long time ago.

I have a far greater understanding of grammar now, and after reading your recent answer, I totally agree.

Adverbials have scope to modify an entire clause or even sentence, just as 'which' relative clauses can.

Here is a more recent thread of mine. Since I have you here now, I won't bother creating another thread.

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one of which is relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

This sentence reminded me of an interesting discussion I had on relative clauses with quantifiers versus absolute phrases. With this in mind, which do you prefer?

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one of which is relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one of them relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

All are grammatical but read read differently. Which you do you prefer?

Notice how we don’t have a comma splice in each case, but this could easily be changed!! Interesting constructions these are!

Regards

Eddie

BarbaraPA · Answer

Eddie88
This sentence reminded me of an interesting discussion I had on relative clauses with quantifiers versus absolute phrases. With this in mind, which do you prefer?

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one of which is relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one of them relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.

As you will know, semicolons are used in two instances, one relevant to what we are discussing in this thread.
All are grammatical but read read differently. Which you do you prefer?

Hi Eddie,

I prefer the first one. The "one of which" phrasing sets up the reader better than the "two instances, one relevant... " which could sound a bit like a list. (Two turtle doves, one partridge in a pear tree, and four Bernese mountain dogs.) Although it is ALMOST immediately clear that it's not a list, the first one doesn't require any backtracking at all.

The second one has the "one of" phrasing as well, but (maybe it's just personal preference) I prefer the "one of which" to "one them."

It's great you came back to your old thread to comment and congratulations on your progress!

Coloraday · Answer

Eddie88You should be able to agree with other parties' decisions in order to be a good manager when in a business meeting'.

in order to be a good manager when in a business meeting.
This is the adverbial phrase of the whole sentence with the infinitive of purpose and when in a business meeting is the adverbial phrase of in order to be a good manager with subordinating word.

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,

To me, the sentence can do without the conjunction "when" if we rearrange the wording which I think it is structurally more intelligable.

"In order to be a good manager, you should be able to agree with other parties in a business meeting".

A business meeting is about coming to a mutually benefitial business decision; not individual decision

arrived by each party.

BTW, this is my understanding toward "adverbials" which may or may not be acceptable to traditional grammarians. Adverbial phrase doesn't need the presence of an adverb to perform its adverbial function which is to modify or add additional information to the main sentence body.

A prepostion phrase and participle phrase can also have the adverbial property.

Prepositional phrase and adverbial phrase

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