2.2.3. Types of adjuncts
Adjuncts can be classified into different types. The most common ones are manner, temporal, and locative adverbial phrases. In what follows we give examples of different types of adjuncts in LSC and their distribution in the sentence.
Manner adverbial phrases [SYNTAX 3.5.4] in LSC are usually placed after the verb (a-c).
[th--]
a) xavi sleep deep-1.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
[th--]
b) xavi sleep deep-a.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
c) baby sleep good.
‘The baby sleeps very well.’
Moreover, the adverb may be expressed only with the non-manual markers that usually accompany that adverb, as illustrated in the example below.
[th--]
xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
Temporal phrases [SYNTAX 3.5.2] may serve as an adjunct too. When the adverbial phrase refers to a specific time or space its distribution is less restricted in the sentence, since, as we will see later, it modifies the whole event. This type of adjunct is more commonly found in initial position in the sentence, as exemplified in (a) below. However, it can also be placed in final sentence position (b).
a) time seven diana wake_up.
‘Diana wakes up at seven.’
b) diana wake_up time seven.
‘Diana wakes up at seven.’
In the examples below, all_day is functioning as a temporal adjunct expressing duration and may also be placed in any position in the clause.
a) xavi sleep all_day.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
b) all_day xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
c) xavi all_day sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
Adjuncts may also be locative phrases [SYNTAX 3.5.3]. Locative phrases seem to have a free distribution in the sentence, as illustrated in (a-c); however, example (c) is only acceptable in a specific situation in which there is a contrast with some other utterance, namely, that Xavi usually sleeps in a different room.
a) his bedroom xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
b) xavi bedroom his sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
c) xavi sleep his bedroom.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
Finally, adjuncts in LSC can also be adverbial clauses. In the examples below, the adverbial clause is expressing cause [SYNTAX 3.5.5], and it can be either sentence final, or sentence initial.
re hn
a) cl: 'blind closed' ix xavi sleep ix.
‘Since the blinds are closed Xavi is sleeping.’
re
[th--]
b) xavi sleep cause cl: 'blind closed' ix.
‘Xavi is sleeping because the blinds are closed.’
The second dimension that can be taken into account in order to classify adjuncts is their function in the clause. According to their function, adjuncts may be classified as i) low adjuncts that modify the predicate, ii) adjuncts that modify the event expressed by the verb (spatial or temporal location), iii) adjuncts that modify higher portions of the clause typically containing aspectual information, or subject oriented modifications, and iv) adjuncts that attach to the highest clausal level and modify the speech act.
In LSC, low adjuncts that modify the predicate show a more restricted distribution than other types of adjuncts. They are commonly placed after the verb (a-c), or they can be expressed only with non-manual marking spreading over the verb (d).
pc
a) xavi sleep deep-1.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
pl
b) xavi sleep deep-a.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
c) baby sleep good.
‘The baby sleeps very well.’
[th--]
d) xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps profoundly.’
Adjuncts that modify the event expressed by the verb (spatial or temporal location) in LSC may be either temporal phrases (a-c), locative phrases (d-f) or duration phrases (g-h). This type of adjuncts shows a less restricted distribution in the sentence, since they can be placed in any position in the clause, even though the signers have a strong preference for placing them in sentence initial position.
a) time seven diana wake_up.
‘Diana wakes up at seven.’
b) diana wake_up time seven.
‘Diana wakes up at seven.’
c) his bedroom xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
d) xavi bedroom his sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
e) xavi sleep his bedroom.
‘Xavi sleeps in his bedroom.’
f) xavi sleep all_day.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
g) all_day xavi sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
h) xavi all_day sleep.
‘Xavi sleeps all day.’
Adjuncts modifying higher portions of the clause typically contain aspectual information, or subject oriented modifications and appear before or after the main clause, as shown below.
re
[th--]
xavi sleep cause cl: 'blind closed' ix.
‘Xavi is sleeping because the blinds are closed.’