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very much in love
very much alive
very much alike
very much afraid
With participles, however, both much and very may be used, often they go together:
much admired, very surprised, very much amused.
Among adverbs of degree there are many the meaning of which has become weakened and which are used
as intensifiers, adding emotional colouring to the content of what is said. This group of adverbs is very difficult
to define because adverbs of other semantic groups can occasionally function as intensifiers:
awfully painful,
very quiet,
rather calm,
most expensive,
terribly unjust,
faintly uneasy,
really pretty,
positively wonderful,
extremely beautiful,
too frightful,
so nice,
etc.
Syntactic functions and patterns of combinability
§ 242. Adverbs may perform different functions, modifying different types of words, phrases, sentences.
Some adverbs are restricted in their combinability whereas others may modify different words, for instance
enough, which may be used in to work enough, not quickly enough, quick enough. The most typical function of
the adverb is that of adverbial modifier.
The combinability and functions of the adverbs are as follows:
1. Adverbs may function as adverbial modifiers of manner, place, time, degree to a finite or non-finite form
of the verb:
He spoke aloud; I quite forgot about it; he spoke well.
Some adverbs of time though synonymous, are used in different syntactical patterns. Thus, already is used in
affirmative sentences, and yet - in interrogative and negative sentences:
They have already finished.
They havent finished yet.
Have they finished yet?
However, already may occur in interrogative and negative sentences when there is an element of surprise or
the question is suggestive, that is the speaker expects an affirmative answer.
Have they finished already? (The speaker is surprised at their having already finished.)
In the same way still, meaning continuously, up to this moment, is used in affirmative sentences and any
more in negative sentences. If any more is used in a question, it implies that the speaker expects a negative
answer.
He still works at the library.
He does not work there any more.
Does he take music lessons any more? - No, he doesnt.
2. Adverbs may function as adverbial modifiers to an adjective or another adverb. Usually the modifying
adverb is an intensifier:
very, rather, awfully, so, terribly, extremely, most, utterly, unusually, delightfully, unbelievably,
amazingly, strikingly, highly, that, etc.
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