Unabated

Question

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/unabated?q=unabated

The rain continued unabated.
I saw the above example sentence for "unabated" as an adjective.
How can it be an adjective if it doesn't answer the question- which one or how many?
It seems to modify the verb "continue" to me and thus answering the question "how"?
Thanks

Persian Learner · Accepted Answer

It functions as adverbial in your example.

Check this entry.

CalifJim · Answer

JigneshbharatiHow can it be an adjective if it doesn't answer the question- which one or how many?

When you read in grammar books such things as "Adjectives answer the question 'which one?' or 'how many?'" or "Adverbs answer the question 'how?', 'when?', 'where?', etc.", be aware that these are very elementary descriptions of the typical functions of adjectives or adverbs that we see in most sentences, but not all. There are usually other attributes that can be considered in deciding which part of speech a word is than just what simple question it might answer as explained in a grammar book.

'unabated' has the qualities of both adjective and adverb in this sentence. This usage is also called a secondary subject-oriented predicate. In this particular sentence, that would be a combination like this:

The rain continued; the rain was unabated.

The same construction occurs in sentences such as They escaped unharmed.

CJ

Unabated

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