Shifting Adverbials

1. Shifting Adverbials Aimee Lee Roderick Martin Bravo Jenny Lee

2. What is a shifting adverbial? An adverbial clause is a clause that functions as an adverb. In other words, it contains subject and predicate and modifies a verb. • I saw Joe when I went to the store. • He sat quietly in order to appear polite.

3. Adverbials continued • Adverbials can be brisk, or they can be long and relaxed, changing the tone and pace of the sentence

4. Consider these examples -I haven’t been feeling well lately. -I haven’t been feeling well since September. -I haven’t been feeling well since the beginning of the semester. -I haven’t been feeling well since September, when the semester started.

5. Adverbials cont. • Adverbials are flexible so they can be placed anywhere in a sentence. • When the adverbial is the main focus, it is usually placed near the beginning or end of the sentence. • Example: Sarah finished her homework yesterday. • Where “yesterday” is the new information added.

6. Adverbial Clauses • Adverbial clauses have a movable nature. • Although they come up naturally in speech, they are often times misplaced in writing. • Two main problems: (1) The wrong idea gets subordinated (2) the meaning of the subordinator is imprecise.

7. Adverbial Clauses • What are some of the ways you could change the following sentences into a compound sentence without changing the meaning? (use: while, although, even though) -We worked hard for the candidates. -We suspected they didn’t stand a chance.

8. Answers • While we worked hard for the candidates, we suspected they didn’t stand a chance. • Although we worked hard for the candidates, we suspected they didn’t have a chance. • We worked hard for the candidates, even though we suspected they didn’t stand a chance.

9. Adverbs of Emphasis • One of the other purposes of a adverbials is to emphasize a particular structure and in doing so, control the pace and rhythm of the sentence.

10. Main Stress • Read the following sentences and note where you apply the main stress: -I hardly slept last night. -I slept hardly at all last night. -My roommate never has trouble sleeping. -Some people are always looking for trouble. -Joe tells me that he rarely stays awake past midnight.

11. Main Stress • You most likely put the emphasis on hardly, all, never, always, and rarely. • These words help to emphasize a point trying to be made.

12. Common “Only” • Only, like any other emphasizer, can change the focus of the sentence by directing the reader’s attention to a certain word.

13. “Only” used correctly • I’m taking only twelve credits this semester. • The car only looks old; it’s really quite new. • Joe isn’t only handsome; he’s rich too. • Paul cleans the house only on Saturdays.

14. “Only” used incorrectly. • When you read these sentences you will find yourself putting nearly equal emphasis on “only” and the word following it. • I’m only taking twelve credits this semester. • Paul only cleans houses on Saturdays. • We’re only going to be gone for two or three days. • Jane refuses to watch the Super Bowl; she only likes baseball.

15. Time for Worksheets! • Please try the elementary side. When you are finished, continue onto the college side!