Adjuncts

Overview

Adjuncts are optional modifiers that add circumstantial information to a sentence.

• Spanish: Uses adverbs (-mente), prepositional phrases (en, a, con, por, para), and clauses. Position is relatively flexible.
• English: Uses adverbs (-ly), prepositional phrases, and clauses. Position varies by adjunct type.
• Chinese: Uses adverbial phrases (很hěn…地dì), coverb phrases (在zài, 跟gēn, 用yòng), and clauses (因yīn为wéi…所suǒ以yǐ). Time adjuncts typically precede the verb.

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Comparison at a glance

Adjunct type	Spanish	English	Chinese
Time	Flexible position	Flexible position	Usually before S/V
Place	en, a, de	in, at, on, to	在zài, 到dào
Manner	-mente, con + N	-ly, with + N	地dì, reduplication
Reason	por, a causa de	because of, due to	因yīn为wéi…所suǒ以yǐ
Means	en, con	by, with	坐zuò, 用yòng
Accompaniment	con	with	和hé…一yī起qǐ
Condition	si	if	如rú果guǒ…就jiù
Concession	a pesar de	despite	尽jìn管guǎn…还huán是shì

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Examples in context

He arrived yesterday

• ES: Llegó ayer.
• EN: He arrived yesterday.
• ZH: 他tā昨zuó天tiān来lái了le。

She runs quickly

• ES: Ella corre rápidamente.
• EN: She runs quickly.
• ZH: 她tā跑pǎo得de很hěn快kuài。

Because of the rain, he stayed

• ES: Por la lluvia, se quedó.
• EN: Because of the rain, he stayed.
• ZH: 因yīn为wèi下xià雨yǔ，所suǒ以yǐ他tā没méi去qù。

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Common mistakes

1. English speakers learning Spanish: Llegó para la lluvia → Llegó por la lluvia (por = cause)

2. Spanish speakers learning English: He arrived quicklyly → He arrived quickly (just one -ly)

3. English speakers learning Chinese: 他tā来lái了le昨zuó天tiān → 他tā昨zuó天tiān来lái了le (time before verb)

4. Chinese speakers learning English: He by car came → He came by car (English PP follows verb)

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Related topics

• Adverbs: How adverbs function
• Prepositions: How prepositions work
• Temporal Clauses: How time clauses work
• Subordination: How subordinate clauses work