The attribute is a secondary part of the sentence which denotes the qualities of a person or thing expressed by a noun (or pronoun) in any of its functions in the sentence. The modified part of a sentence may have several attributes of various kinds. An attribute may be expressed by an adjective, a participle, a pronoun, a numeral, a noun in the possessive case, an adjectivized noun, a noun or a pronoun with a preposition, and infinitive, a gerund, an adverb, a whole syntactical word-combinations.
The apposition is a special kind of attribute expressed by a noun (sometimes a pronoun) which denotes the same person or thing as the head-noun. There are two kinds of appositions: a) a detached (loose) apposition and b) an undetached (close) apposition.
a) A detached apposition follows the head-noun in a rather loose connection and has the force of a descriptive attribute. It may modify a common noun or a proper noun: 1. The river rushed down the valley, a stream of molten bronze. 2. Lena, a very pretty girl, dreams to become an actress.
b) An undetached (close) apposition enters into such close relation with its head-noun that they form a group with one stress. The head-noun is often a proper noun, the name of a person; the apposition denotes rank, profession, relationship etc. The undetached apposition precedes the head-noun, except in some phraseological combinations where the apposition follows the head-noun (Richard the Lion Hearted, William the Conqueror). The stress is on the head-noun: 1. Major Brown looked at his watch impatiently. 2. Captain Smith told us an interesting story. 3. Aunt Becky was pleased to see us.
In geographical names the apposition follows the head-noun. The stress is on the apposition: Lake Baikal. The River Thames. Mount Everest.
The adverbial modifier is a secondary part of the sentence which modifies the verb-predicate, or a verbal in any of its functions, denoting the time, place, manner etc. A verb-predicate may have a number of adverbial modifiers: 1. They walked on silentlyside by sidefor ten minutes. 2. He ran along the streetat the swiftest pace. An adverbial modifier may be expressed by an adverb, a noun with a preposition, a noun without any preposition expressing extent, distance, definite and indefinite time, price etc., a participle, a gerund with a preposition, an infinitive, a whole syntactical word-combination: 1. He had slept unusually well. 2. The old man spoke with a quietearnestness. 3. She had been hours in the garden. 4. On entering the room he greeted everyone cheerfully.
According to their meaning adverbial modifiers may be classified as follows:
1. Adverbial modifiers of place: Outside it was getting dark.
2. Adverbial modifiers of time: Yesterday he passed his exam.
3. Adverbial modifiers of manner: The gardeners were busily potting out spring flowers.
4. Adverbial modifiers of degree: He was completely happy.
5. Adverbial modifiers of cause: I was stiff with long sitting on the bench.
6. Adverbial modifiers of purpose: She strained her ears to catch the words.
7. Adverbial modifiers of measure (time, distance, cost, weight): 1) He stood still a long while, surveying the hillside. 2) She moved down the stream a few steps … 3) She was now a hundred yards from the water. 4) It weighs seventy-five pounds.
8. Adverbial modifiers of result: Ben was too busy to listen to him now.
9. Adverbial modifiers of condition: In case of your absence I shall leave you a note.
10. Adverbial modifiers of exclusionor substitution introduced by except, save, but, instead etc.: She made no comment on it, except by a scornful movement of the lips.
Thus, adverbial modifiers in Modern English as well as in Ukrainian may be expressed by adverbs, nouns with prepositions, participles, by the infinitive and by whole clauses. Adverbial modifiers modify a part of a sentence expressed by a verb, adjective or adverb and serve to characterize the action or property as to their quality or intensity, or to indicate the circumstances under which the action takes place or with which the manifestation of quality is connected.
III. Practical task
Task I. Underline the attributes and state what they are expressed by.
1. When he returned, he was still standing there like a man of stone. 2. Amongst the last of the departing guests the fourth and the fifth brothers, Nicholas and Roger, walked away together, directing their steps alongside Hyde Park. 3. The thought of the night, nearly two years ago, when she came back by this train with the news of Hubert’s release and found her father sitting up, grey and worn, in his study, made her upset. 4. Through Aunt Ann’s compressed lips a tender smile forced its way. 5. Old Jolyon has got nobody else to leave his money to. 6. Recalling that never-to-be-forgotten day, they always exchange understanding smiles. 7. Tall, straight-shouldered, neither lean nor stout, he was an imposing figure. 8. Furious, he didn’t answer, feeling himself in an utterly false position. 9. And on Monday morning, weary, he began the new week’s day. 10. Then, low voiced, he replied and everybody looked at him. Of age which refused to declare itself, short and square, with a deep soft voice, he had an appearance of complete detachment.
Task II. Point out adverbial modifiers in the following sentences. State their type and translate into Ukrainian.
1. A secretary came running with a frightened expression. 2. The people in the bus remained silent till the end of the ride. 3. The lady lived in a large gloomy house in one of the London’s higher-class squares. 4. The fire that was merrily burning in the grate attracted the newcomers as a magnet. 5. Caroline, not knowing what to say, looked questioningly at her companion. 6. The village is large enough to organize a drama society for the young people. 7. The motorcycle rushed past like a lightning leaving a cloud of smoke and a few passers-by behind. 8. He walked rapidly, his head bent, looking neither to the right nor left. 9. I sat at work in the schoolroom with the window open. 10. After a few more minutes, he drove up to the house and stopped the car in the yard. 11. Fleur rose from her chair swiftly, restlessly, and flung herself down at a writing table.
Task III. Point out the apposition and say whether it is close or loose.
1. Maria, the mother, had not taken off her shawl. (Cronin). 2. One of our numbers, a round-faced, curly-haired little man of about forty, glared at him aggressively. (Braddon). 3. You look all right, Uncle Soames. (Galsworthy). 4. But the doctor – a family physician well past middle age – was not impressed. (Carter). 5. They, the professors, were right in their literary judgement… (London)
