Adverb phrases: functions

We use adverb phrases with be. This is especially typical of adverbs of place:

I’ m upstairs. I’ll only be a minute.

A: Have you seen my gloves?

B: They’ re right there, on the table.

Adverb phrases + adjectives/adverbs

We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify adjectives and other adverbs:

I found it [ADV] extremely [adjective] difficult to talk to her.

He drives [ADV] really [ADV] carefully.

Adverb phrases + other phrases

We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify noun phrases (np) and prepositional phrases:

That’s [ADV] quite [NP] a tree. (it’s a tree that is special in some way, e.g. it’s very big)

There was [ADV] hardly [pronoun] anyone at the concert.

We climbed [ADV] right [prepositional phrase] over the top of the hill and down again.

Adverb phrases + determiners

We use adverb phrases to modify determiners, especially words like all, some, half, many (quantifiers):