Adverbial Phrases

What Are Adverbial Phrases? (with Examples)

Adverbial phrase is the term for two or more words which play the role of an adverb. Look at these examples: In the examples above, all the adverbs tell us how the person will sit. They are all adverbs of manner. When used to modify a verb, an adverb (including an adverbial phrase and an adverbial clause) will usually describe when, where, or how something happens.

When (Adverbial Phrase of Time)

An adverbial phrase of time states when something happens or how often. For example:

Where (Adverbial Phrase of Place)

An adverbial phrase of place states where something happens. For example:

How (Adverbial Phrase of Manner)

An adverbial phrase of manner states how something is done. For example:

Offset a Fronted Adverbial Phrase with a Comma

When an adverbial phrase is at the start of a sentence, it is usual to follow it with a comma.

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See Also

What are adverbs? What are adverbial clauses? What are clauses? What are phrases? What are adjuncts? Glossary of grammatical terms Glossary of grammatical terms