§ 99a. The term ADVERBIAL OF TIME is restricted here to those adverbials that answer the question ‘When? E.g. yesterday; theny at two o'clock; three days ago.
Some of the adverb phrases begin with a preposition. E.g. on Sunday; in summer; at six o'clock. Others have no preposition.
E.g. last night; two days ago; tomorrow evening.
The tables below illustrate the most often used adverbials of time.
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Table No. 79
morning (afternoon, evening) week (month, term, year, etc.)
this January (February, etc.) spring (summer, etc.) Sunday (Monday, etc.) next week (month, term, year, etc.)
last January (February, etc.)
spring (summer, etc.)
day (morning, afternoon, evening, night) (the) next ˆ week (month, year, etc.)
the following January (February, etc.) spring (summer, etc.)
tomorrow evening
last night
tomorrow ening (afte: ing)
yesterday morning moon, evening
“the da after tomorrow
y before yesterday
the week (month,| after next year, etc.) before last
morning (afternoon, evening, night) Monday (Tuesday, etc.) morning (after-
one noon, evening, night)
day (morning, etc.) in May (June, etc.) June (spring, etc.) morning (after-
noon, etc.)
today (this day)
tomorrow
yesterday week (fortnight)
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NOTES
1. Note that we say this morning, this afternoon, and this evening, but tonight instead of this night.
2. Next Sunday, etc., always future time. Note that instead of next day {see 3, below), we say tomorrow; instead of next morning, we say tomorrow morning ; instead of 4 last day, we say yesterday; instead of A last after- noon, we say yesterday afternoon.
3. In these combinations the reference is to the day, week, etc., that followed or that will follow. The reference is to the day, etc., after the day, etc., referred to, past or future.
4 & 5. Note that tomorrow and yesterday combine with morning, after- noon, and evening, and that tomorrow combines with night. But last night is preferred to yesterday night.
8. No preposition is needed with adverbials in this group: one morning in May; one hot July afternoon; one wet evening in November. If, however, the indefinite article is substituted for one, the preposition on is needed:
on @ sunny Fune morning; on a frosty morning in Fanuary.
9. The adverbials today (this day) week may point to either past or future time, as shown by the verb tense or the context.
This day week (= a week ago) we were in Wales.
I shall be seeing him today week (== in a week’s time).
Table No. 80
§ 99 b. This substitution table illustrates adverbials of time in which age occurs. No preposition is needed. The adverbials point to a period of time measured back from the present. Compare the adverbials of duration set out in Table No. 37.
(not) long
1 | a short (long, considerable) time (while) amoment (minute, hour, week, month, etc.)
a few minutes ago
several hours
a (not) many days
two or three (etc.) weeks (etc.)
a week (fortnight, month, etc.) (today) 3 | two (three, a few, several, etc.) ago | yesterday
weeks (months, etc.) last Monday
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Table No. §1
§99 c. This substitution table illustrates some of the thousands of possible adverbials of time that begin with a preposition.
next last morning on Sunday (Monday, etc.) afternoon
| evening
| Ee by Sunday (Monday, ete.) week (fortnight) Le
the-first (second, etc.) Sunday (Monday, etc.) in May (June, etc.)
the first (second, etc.) of May (June, etc.) May (June, etc.) the first (second, etc.) May (June, etc.)
2 in (the) spring (summer, etc.)
during | the morning (afternoon, evening, day, night) (the year) 500 8.C., 1066, 1914, etc.
at six o’clock (half past two, etc.) before | noon (midday, midnight) 3 | after | dawn (sunrise, sunset)
by Easter, Christmas, the New Year breakfast (supper, etc.)-time a few minutes (hours, days, etc.)
an hour’s .
. half (quarter of) an hour’s
4 | in ; -
a few (several) hours time
two (three, etc.) wi vs?
two or three (four or five) (ete.)
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NOTE
Specimen adverbials from this table are: on Sunday; on Monday morn- ing; by the first of May; in the morning; on the morning of June the first; at dawn; after sunset; in a few hours; in three hours’ time; in two or three
years’ time, .
Positions of Adverbials of Time
§99 d. The adverbials of time set out in Tables 79 to 81 normally have end position. They may have front position for emphasis or contrast.
End position:
I wrote to her last week.
Fe left a few months ago.
Where ave you likely to be next month?
We shall leave on Sunday morning.
Front position:
Last summer we went to Wales; this summer we've going to Scotland.
One cold December morning a man was walking along the Dover road,
End position and front position:
We left London at seven o’clock. At noon our aircraft landed at Rome airport. l
Adverbials of Frequency
§ 100 a. The term aDvERBIAL OF FREQUENCY is used here for those adverbials that answer the question ‘How often?’ Examples are:
always, often, every day, twice a week,
These adverbials can be placed in two groups. Group 1 includes such adverbs as always and often. Group 2 is made up of such adverb phrases as now and again, once a week, every other day, every few weeks,
§ 100 b. Adverbials of Frequency, Group 1, may occupy front, mid, or end position, though the mid position is most usual. The
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most commonly used are: always, regularly, usually, generally, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, seldom, (ever), never.
The adverb ever is not used in purely affirmative sentences. It is used in questions, and in clauses expressing conditions, doubt, or ignorance. Ever is used in affirmative sentences with hardly or scarcely meaning ‘very seldom’.
Table No. 82
$100 c. This table illustrates adverbs of frequency, Group 1, as mid-position adverbs in the pre-finite position. They have the pre-finite position when the finite verb is not one of the anomalous finites.
Subject A. of F. (MPA) Verb, etc.
1 | The sun always rises in the east.
2 | Mr. Black occasionally | goes to the cinema.
3 | His wife never goes,
4 | My brother rarely writes to me.
5 | We generally have breakfast at seven.
67) Tom usually "| eycles to school.
7 | Harry always’ ‘ | goes to school by bus.
8 | He sometimes goes to bed very late.
9 | Mrs. Green hardly ever | plays tennis now.
10 | I wonder ever met my brother while
whether you you were in Finland.
NOTES
"The verb have in No. 5 is the full verb. (here meaning ‘take’ or ‘eat’), not the anomalous finite.
"These adverbs may have front or end position for emphasis or contrast.
Sometimes he goes to school by bus and sometimes he cycles to schoal.
XM: ‘Do you generally go for a walk on Sunday mornings?”
Y: ‘No, usually I go to church?
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Usually here has front position for emphasis.
Often, when modified by quite or very, frequently takes end position.
Cứ (7 often meet Tom on his way to school.
“| I met Mr. White quite often when I was in London,
Very often the weather was too bad for us to go out. ` Quite often he prefers to stay at home instead of going to the cinema.
When seldom, rarely, or never has front position for emphasis, there is inversion of the subject and the finite verb (i.e. the interrogative form is used),
CE We seldom hear such fine singing from school choirs.
*| Seldom do we hear such fine singing from school choirs.
Table No. 83
§ 100 d. This table illustrates adverbs of frequency, Group 1, as mid-position adverbs in the post-finite position. The finite verb is one of the anomalous finites.
Subject x AF. A. of BF.
(X -not) (MPA)
xị lam always at home on Sundays.
2|Ican hardly ever | understand what that
man says.
3 | Do you often play tennis?
4 | ‘They don’t often go to bed late.
5 | You don’t usually arrive late, do you?
6 | You should always try to be punctual.
7 | She will occasionally | offer to help.
8 | She has never had a holiday.
9 | We can generally get there in time.
ro | Will he ever learn anything useful?
1I | I wonder whether
they will ever Improve.
12 | Ihave rarely seen better work.
14 | They can seldom find time for reading.
14 | You must never do that again.
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. NOTES
When the anomalous finite is stressed, the adverbial precedes it.
CE. They can always [kento:lwoz] find time for amusements.
"| They always can [!o:kwaz'kan] find time for amusements, I'm usually {aim'ja:zueli] here on Mondays.
“| I usually am [ju:guelilam] here on Mondays.
Ce She has never (fi:zlneve] refused to help.
* | She never has [[inevolhaz] refused to help.
In short answers, comments, and retorts the anomalous finite is stressed. So the adverb of frequency precedes the finite.
X: ‘Why don’t you stop beating your wife?’
Y: ‘But I never have beaten her!’ (stressed have).
Cf. ‘I have never beaten anybody.’ (unstressed have).
When have is a full verb (see § 4d), not an auxiliary, mid-position adverbs have pre-finite position,
CE. We generally have (full verb) coffee for breakfast.
‘| We have (aux. verb) always bought the best coffee.
Mid-position adverbs have pre-finite position when used with have to indicating obligation. (See §.4.f,} 13 g.)
CE I often have to cook my own breakfast.
“|1 baue often cooked my own breakfast.
With used to mid-position adverbs may have either pre-finite or post- finite position.
CE£ You always used to help me.
* | You used always to help me.
Ce He often used to sit outside the door of his house.
* |He used often to sit outside the door of his house.
When need is followed by a direct object or a fo-infinitive, mid-position adverbs have pre-finite position.
Some of the pupils often need help.
Others seldom need to come to me for help.
When zed is followed by a bare infinitive, mid-position adverbs have post-finite position.
You needn't always bang the door when you go out, need you?
You need never invite me to go out with you again!
When dare is followed by a to-infinitive, mid-position adverbs have post-finite position,
He would never dare to be so rude to his father.
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Table No. 84
§ 100 e. Thịa table illustrates adverbs of frequency, Group 2.
now and then
every now and again
so often
once, twice an hour
three (four, etc.) a day
a week two or three
(thtee or four, etc.) times | a month
several a year, etc.
every ‘| hour (day, morning, even-
every other ing, week, month, etc.)
every two (three, etc.) minutes (hours, days,
every few weeks, etc.)
every second (third, etc.) day (week, etc.)
NOTES
‘The adverbials illustrated in the above table, together with once, twice, again and again, as a rule, have end position or (less frequently) front position.
The buses run every hour.
We have English lessons every other day.
He plays tennis three or four times a week.
We heard shots now and then.
We stopped to rest every three hours.
The furnace should be cleared of ash every third day.
Front position for emphasis:
Now and again we heard shots in the woods.
Again and again I’ve warned you not to arrive late.
As a rule I don’t go to the office on Saturdays.
Every so often (i.e. occasionally) we stopped te look at our map.
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