Next: Confusion with other pos-values
Up: type-value general
Previous: type-value general
- A general adverb is an invariable morphological unit that
can be either a dependent constituent of a syntagm or an independent constituent of a sentence.
A particular case of a general adverb is the morphological unit tout because
it vary according to the features gender and number in a specific
morpho-phonological context
that is before a consonant:
- no variation before a vowel : Elle est tout heureuse/ Elles sont tout heureuses
- variation before a consonant : Elle est toute heureuse/ Elles sont toutes heureuses
As to the opposite of pronouns, adverbs have a ``semantic orientation''.
Given X an invariable morphological unit,
If X is an independent constituent of a sentence, that is a constituent which can stay at
the beginning of
the sentence in an anteposition, and if X can be moved inside the sentence, X is an adverb.
- Pierre vient demain /pos=adverb & type=general / Demain /pos=adverb & type=general
, Pierre vient.
- Paul travaille ici /pos=adverb & type=general / Ici /pos=adverb & type=general ,
Paul travaille.
- Paul a maintenant /pos=adverb & type=general fini / Maintenant /pos=adverb
& type=general , Paul a fini.
- Cependant /pos=adverb & type=general , il n'est pas venu / Il n'est
cependant /pos=adverb & type=general pas venu.
- Evidemment /pos=adverb & type=general , Paul est parti le premier /
Paul, évidemment /pos=adverb & type=general , est parti le premier
- Juridiquement/pos=adverb & type=general , Pierre est en tort /
Pierre est, juridiquement/pos=adverb & type=general , en tort
- Heureusement/pos=adverb & type=general , il n'a pas eu mal / Il n'a
heureusement/pos=adverb & type=general pas eu mal.
Remark:
In combination with the preposition de, deictic adverbs can play the role
of a modifier within a NP:
- le repas d' hier /pos=adverb & type=general était bon.
- les gens d' ici /pos=adverb & type=general sont gentils.
Given X an invariable morphological unit;
If X can be preceeded by the coordinate conjunction et for example, X is an adverb
(and not a coordinate conjunction).
- Pierre a mangé au restaurant et ensuite /pos=adverb il est allé au cinéma.
Given X an invariable morphological unit or the morphological unit tout,
Adj an adjective, NP a nominal phrase, VP a verbal phrase,
If 'X+Adj' is a constituent of a NP or VP and if the reduction of X doesn't affect
grammatically the NP or VP,
X is an adverb.
- Marie est très /pos=adverb & type=general jolie / Marie est jolie
- Marie est toute /pos=adverb & type=general jolie / Marie est jolie
- une maison particulièrement /pos=adverb & type=general grande / une grande maison
- une toute /pos=adverb & type=general jeune fille / une jeune fille
- Pierre est plutôt /pos=adverb & type=general grand / Pierre est grand
Some of these adverbs have comparative value ('adverb ... que'):
- Pierre est plus /pos=adverb & type=general grand que Jean.
- Pierre est moins /pos=adverb & type=general grand que Paul.
- Pierre est aussi /pos=adverb & type=general grand que Laurent.
- Pierre est plutôt /pos=adverb & type=general grand que petit.
Some of these adverbs can form superlatives in combination with the definite article
('le + adverb'):
- Pierre est le plus /pos=adverb & type=general grand.
- Max est le moins/pos=adverb & type=general grand.
Given Y an adverb or a prepositional phrase PP,
and given X an invariable morphological unit or the morphological unit tout,
If 'X+Y' is a constituent of a NP or VP and if the reduction of X doesn't affect
grammatically the NP or VP,
X is an adverb.
- Il court extrêmement /pos=adverb & type=general vite / il court vite
- Il est venu longtemps /pos=adverb & type=general après / il est venu après
- Il est beaucoup /pos=adverb & type=general en avance / il est en avance
Given X an invariable morphological unit, VP a verbal phrase,
If X is an expansion of the VP (X ``modifies'' V, and the reduction of X doesn't affect
grammatically the VP),
X is an adverb.
- Il travaille bien /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Il mange trop /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Il lit attentivement /pos=adverb & type=general le journal.
- Il travaille assidûment /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Ce vase est fabriqué artisanalement /pos=adverb & type=general .
Remark: A range of adverbs which are an expansion of a VP can be focalized with ``c'est ... que''.
- Pierre a lu attentivement /pos=adverb & type=general l'annonce - C'est attentivement qu'il a lu
l'annonce.
- Il a arrosé les plantes abondamment /pos=adverb & type=general - C'est abondamment qu'il a
arrosé les plantes.
Given Aux an auxiliary, Pro a pronoun, Past part a past participle,
If 'ne (Pro) Aux X Past part' succeeds, X is an adverb.
- Pierre n'est pas /pos=adverb parti.
- Pierre n'a guère /pos=adverb mangé.
- Pierre n'est plus /pos=adverb sorti.
but:
- Pierre n'a vu personne /pos=p .
If X can be the response of a yes/no-question, X is an adverb.
- Est-il venu? - Oui /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Est-il venu? - Non /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Il n'est pas venu? - Si /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Veux-tu encore du café? - Volontiers /pos=adverb & type=general .
- Tu vas partir en vacances? - Vraisemblablement /pos=adverb & type=general
- Pronouns which can occupy the position of a PP or an ADVP have no ``semantic
orientation'', whereas adverbs that occupy the same position do have.
A given pronoun can commute with adverbs that have different semantic values.
In other words, adverbs have deictic value, whereas pronouns have anaphoric
value.
If X can commute with different morphological units and if X embody their different semantic
values, X can be a pronoun.
- Il s' y /pos=p assoit : Il s'assoit ici/pos=adverb / là/pos=adverb
- Il est venu quand/pos=p ? : Il est venu aujourd'hui/pos=adverb / hier/pos=adverb
Different semantic classes:
|
pos=adv & type=general |
| D e s c r i p t i o n | E x a m p l e s | | |
| adverbs of assertion | volontiers /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of conjunction | en outre /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of disjunction | en clair /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of evaluation | paradoxalement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of frequency | mensuellement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of inhabit | généralement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of chronology | premièrement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of time | demain /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of attitude oriented to the subject | prudemment /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of manner oriented to the subject | joyeusement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of manner oriented to the predicate | modulairement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of intensity, quantity | excessivement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of point of view | techniquement /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of place | ici /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of comparison | moins /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
| adverbs of negation | pas /pos=adverb & type=general | | |
Some adverbs in combination with the indefinite determiner de have determinative value;
they form with the determiner 'de'' a determinative group, with ``de'' as the head and the adverb as the
modifier.
|
pos=adverb |
| D e s c r i p t i o n | E x a m p l e s | | |
| Adverb+de | Tant /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Autant /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Trop /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Assez /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Moins /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Beaucoup /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Peu /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
|
| Plus /pos=adverb de/pos=adposition personnes | | |
Adverbs with the prefixed adverb là or the particle ci
can be anaphors for locative PP's:
|
pos=adverb | pos=adposition |
| Description | Example | Description | Example |
| adverb | Il a mis de la crème là-dessus /pos=adverb | adposition | Il a mis de la crème sur /pos=adposition la tarte |
Next: Confusion with other pos-values
Up: type-value general
Previous: type-value general