The adverbial of condition

The identifying questions are in what case? or on what condition? The adverbial of condition is generally expressed:

• by a noun or a pronoun, or by a prepositional phrase (nominal or sometimes gerundial) with the prepositions but for, except for, without.

e.g.: But for you I wouldn’t be here at all.

Without faith there can be no cure.

• by a participle or an adjective with the conjunctions if or unless

e.g.: Jane won’t sing unless asked to.

We’ll come earlier if necessary

• by an infinitive or a participle.

e.g.: I would have done better to have followed my first thought.

Skillfully managed, conversation with him might prove amusing.

The adverbial of concession

This adverbial expresses some idea that contradicts what is stated in the modified part of the sentence. Thus in its meaning it is opposite to the adverbial of reason. The identifying question is in spite of what? The adverbial of concession is expressed:

• by a prepositional phrase introduced by in spite of, despite, for all, with all and phrases introduced by the conjunction though.

e.g.: In spite of his anger John listened to me attentively.

Cleary, for all his reputation, was already out of date.

With all his faults, I like him.

Though a bad painter, he had a delicate feeling for art.

Note:

The conjunction if introduces concessive adverbials in cases like the following:

e.g.: Your remark is witty, if rather cruel (...хоча дещо жорстоке).

Adverbials of attendant circumstances and subsequent events

These adverbials have no identifying questions. The adverbial of attendant circumstances expresses some fact that accompanies the event presented by the modified part of the sentence. This adverbial may be expressed:

• by a gerundial phrase

e.g.: We walked three miles without meeting anyone

• by a participial phrase

e.g.: In the study with the door closed, he stood before the window, smoking his pipe.

• by any kind of absolute construction

e.g.: With a yell, he sprang back, a sweat coming on his skin

• by an infinitive phrase

e.g.: He woke up to see that it was daylight.

The adverbial of comparison

This adverbial is introduced by the conjunctions than, as, as if, as though or the preposition like. The adverbial with than is preceded by the comparative of the adverb or the adjective it modifies, the adverbial with as - by the correlative adverbs as or so:

e.g.: A mountain is higher than a hill.

The boy is now as tall as his father.

The difference between the use of like and as is important. Ann talked to us like a teacher means that Ann is not a teacher, whereas the sentence Ann talked to us as a teacher implies that she is a teacher and in talking to us her professional manner was apparent. The conjunctions as if and as though give the comparison a modal shade of meaning: They precede a participle, an infinitive, or a prepositional phrase, as in:

e.g.: As if obeying him, I turned and stared into his face.

He prospered greatly, almost as though against his will.