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Yellowstarstruck Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Suddenly

Hi! For number 1 the adverb suddenly is describing the verb busy. Or is it describing two verbs got busy? Thanks, Fulvio

1. It suddenly got busy at the supermarket.

  

Top answer

Traditional grammar: "Got" is copulative there and takes the predicate adjective "busy". " "Suddenly" modifies the verb. "

— Anonymous

  • Traditional grammar: "Got" is copulative there and takes the predicate adjective "busy".
  • " "Suddenly" modifies the verb.
  • "
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2 Answers
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Traditional grammar: "Got" is copulative there and takes the predicate adjective "busy". It is like "Her face turned red." or "His legs grew tired." or "They got old."

"Suddenly" modifies the verb. It would not make sense for it to modify "busy": "It got suddenly busy." You could use a different adverb with "busy" that makes sense, like "very" or "frantically": "It got frantically

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It looks to me that "suddenly" is a sentential adverb — an adverb that modifies a whole sentence.

— It got busy at the supermarket.
— How did that happen?
— Suddenly.

CJ

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