1. Noun Phrases as Adverbials
Ed McCorduck
English 402--Grammar
SUNY Cortland

2. slide 2: review of the definition of an NP
Remember from the chapter 2 “Phrase Structure” lecture that a noun phrase (NP) consists of at least a headword (or just “head”) which is always a noun:
English 402: Grammar

3. slide 3: examples of noun phrases
exx (headword in red)
a dog
the dog
dogs
Fido
this dog
those fierce dogs
that dog of mine
Mary’s humongous dog
a huge, shaggy dog foaming at the mouth that I saw make off with the chickens
English 402: Grammar

4. slide 4: NPs as adverbials
Noun phrases can also function as adverbials (see the “Adverbs and Adverbials” lecture).
exx
The hungover bastard just sat there all day.
NP functioning as an adverbial
(answers the questions “When?” or “How long?”)
She takes high tea each afternoon.
(answers the question “How often?”)
English 402: Grammar

5. slide 5: more examples of NPs as adverbials
Like hell I’m going to pay you back the next time I have any money.
NP (headword time) functioning as an adverbial
(answers the question “When?”)
We traveled deserted roads and pioneer trails to get there.
compound NP (i.e., two NPs joined by and, headwords roads and trails, respectively) functioning as an adverbial
(answers the questions “Where?” or “How?”)
She loves her morbidly obese man a ton.
NP functioning as an adverbial
(answers the questions “How?” or “How much?”)
English 402: Grammar

6. slide 6: distinguishing adverbial NPs from NPs with other functions
Sometimes it may be hard to distinguish an NP functioning as an adverbial from a structurally similar NP having another function in a sentence.
exx
Peerybingle drove a hearse.
NP functioning as dir obj in Pattern VII sentence
Peerybingle drove a mile.
NP functioning as an adverbial in Pattern VI sentence
(answers the question “How far?”)
English 402: Grammar

7. He reserved Monday for the stoning.
slide 7: another example of the difficulty distinguishing adverbial NPs from other NPs
He reserved Monday for the stoning.
NP functioning as dir obj in Pattern VII sentence
He departed Monday for the stoning.
NP functioning as an adverbial in Pattern VI sentence
(answers the question “When?”)
English 402: Grammar

8. slide 8: one test for telling if an NP functions as an adverbial
Two tests can often be applied to tell whether an NP is functioning as an adverbial in a sentence or the NP has some other function:
If the sentence can be made into a grammatical (in the descriptive sense) passive- voice sentence with the NP as the subject of the passive, the NP is (normally) not an adverbial.
English 402: Grammar

9. slide 9: examples of the application of the passive test
Peerybingle drove a demonstrator hearse.
NP (dir obj) ⇒
A demonstrator hearse was driven by Peerybingle.
Peerybingle drove a country mile.
NP (adverbial)
*A country mile was driven by Peerybingle.
English 402: Grammar 9

10. slide 10: more examples of the application of the passive test
The suits set aside Monday for the annual anal exam.
NP (dir obj) ⇒
Monday was set aside by the suits for the annual anal exam.
The suits flew out Monday for the annual anal exam.
NP (adverbial)
*Monday was flown out by the suits for the annual anal exam.
English 402: Grammar 10

11. slide 11: another test for telling if an NP functions as an adverbial
If a preposition can be inserted before the NP (i.e., if the NP can be incorporated into a PP) with the sentence still grammatical, the NP is (usually) then an adverbial.
exx
He drove a mile ⇒ He drove for a mile.
NP (adverbial) PP (adverbial)
He drove a hearse. ⇒ *He drove for a hearse.
NP (dir obj)
She comes Fridays. ⇒ She comes on Fridays.
NP (adverbial) PP (adverbial)
She detests Fridays. ⇒ *She detests on Fridays.
English 402: Grammar