ADJUNCTS (A)
SYNTACTIC AND SEMANTIC FEATURES
In contrast with the more central clausal constituents, which are realized only once in a clause it is common to find a number of adjuncts in a single clause. The following illustration has five circumstantial adjuncts, which in this clause are all optional: they can be omitted without affecting the grammaticality of the clause. The bracketed items are adjuncts:
(If at all possible) I’ll see you (tomorrow) (after the show) (outside the main entrance.
Adjuncts can be added to any of the basic clause structures:
SP(A) The bells rang all day long.
SPOd (A) Tom hired a car at Doncaster.
SPPC(A) You must allow for delays in holiday periods.
SPOiOd(A) He sends me flowers through Interflora.
SPCs(A) The weather is rather unpredictable in these parts.
SPOdCo(A) They expected to find themselves up against opposition any day soon.
Whereas the more central elements of clause structure typically have fixed places in the clause, many adjuncts are characterized by their flexibility as regards position:
Hastily she hid the letter.
She hastily hid the letter.
She hid the letter hastily.
While the great majority can occur at the end of the clause, they also occur frequently in initial and medial positions, these being determined to a great extent by semantic and pragmatic considerations.
Semantically, adjuncts represent circumstances, specifications and comments of many different types which are attendant on the verb or the whole clause. A further characteristic of adjuncts is the tendency of different types of meanings to be expressed by different adjuncts in a single clause, not as coordinated realizations of a single adjunctive element, but as separate, multiple adjuncts:
Surprisingly (stance), she almost (degree) forgot to set the alarm clock last night (time).
