281. Caution.-Do not confound adjectives in ly with adverbs in ly. We cannot say "She treated me friendly" or "She talked lovely" or "He acted silly." We must say,

1. He treated me in a friendly manner.

2. She talked in a lovely manner.

3. He acted in a silly manner.

EXERCISES

I

In which of the four classes are to be found most of the adverbs that may be compared? Name ten adverbs that are incapable of comparison.

II

Construct sentences illustrating the use of badly, much, worse, and least first as adjectives, then as adverbs.

III

Explain the functions of only in these sentences:

1. He only loaned me five dollars.

2. He loaned me only five dollars.

3. He only hinted it to me.

4. He hinted it only to me.

5. I only saw him yesterday.

6. I saw him only yesterday.

IV

Write five adverbial phrases (§ 74, d); five ad verbial clauses (§ 84).

282. How to Parse Adverbs.

To parse an adverb name (1) its class, (2) its degree, and (3) the word, phrase, or clause that it modifies.

EXERCISE

Parse the adverbs in the following selection:

When Turner's picture of Cologne was exhibited in the year 1826, it was hung between two portraits, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, of Lady Wallscourt, and Lady Robert Manners. The sky of Turner's picture was exceedingly bright, and it had a most injurious effect on the color of the two portraits. Lawrence naturally felt mortified, and complained openly of the position of his pictures. You are aware that artists were at that time permitted to retouch their pictures on the walls of the Academy. On the morning of the opening of the exhibition, at the private view, a friend of Turner's who had seen the Cologne in all its splendor, led a group of expectant critics up to the picture. He started back from it in consternation. The golden sky had changed to a dun color. He ran up to Turner, who was in another part of the room. “Turner, what have you been doing to your picture?" “Oh,” muttered Turner, in a low voice, "poor Lawrence was so unhappy! It's only lamp black. It'll all wash off after the exhibition!" He had actually passed a wash of lamp black in water color over the whole sky, and utterly spoiled his picture for the time, and so left it through the exhibition, lest it should hurt Lawrence's.

RUSKIN: Lecturcs on Architecture

PREPOSITIONS

283. Prepositions and Adverbs.

The prepositions most frequently used are about, above, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, by, concerning, during, except, for, from, in, into, of, off, on, through, under, until, upon, with, without. It will be seen that most of these may be used also as adverbs:

1. He's not strong enough to walk about much.
2. Suppose we go above for a few minutes.
3. This happened two days after.

Remembering that transitive means "having the power to pass over" (§ 55), we may say that many adverbs are nothing more than intransitive prepositions, while the corresponding prepositions are transitive adverbs.

284. Prepositions as Connectives.

Prepositions are usually placed immediately before their objects. They connect their objects with some preceding word or phrase in the sentence. In "He laid his hand upon me," upon is a preposition connecting its object me with the predicate laid: it shows the relation between me and laid. The object of a

preposition is always a noun or a noun equivalent; it may be (a) a word, (b) a phrase, or (c) a clause:

(a) 1. It hangs over the door.

2. We spoke to them.

3. I shall be ready by then (=that time).

4. They started from here (= this place). (b) 5. She was about to fall.

6. It sold for more than a quarter.

7. The question of how to do it remains unsettled.

8. The train did not start until twenty minutes past eight. (c) 9. It all depends upon what he intends to do.

10. I speak only of what I have seen.

11. It's a question of whether we can get permission.

285. Prepositional Phrases and Phrasal Prepositions. Compare the italicized groups of words in these sentences:

(a) 1. They were caught in the act.

2. This house has been entered by a burglar.
(b) 3. By way of change, let's play two on a side.
4. She was absent on account of sickness.

The italicized groups in (a) are prepositional phrases, because they are introduced by prepositions; the italicized groups in (b) are phrasal prepositions, because each phrase performs the function of a preposition. Other phrasal prepositions are apart from, as regards, because of, by means of, in addition to, in place of, in spite of, instead of, with regard to.

286. A Prepositional Phrase is a phrase introduced by a preposition.

287. A Phrasal Preposition is a preposition consisting of a phrase.

288. The Position of Prepositions.

Grammarians used to say that a preposition is a bad word "to end a sentence with"; but while prepositions usually precede their objects they frequently come last in the clause or sentence. It is proper to say:

1. The man I was talking to is my brother?
2. Where did he come from?

3. What hotel is he stopping at?

4. This is the gun that I shot with.

5. The affair was very much talked about.

NOTE.-In the sentences just cited the so-called prepositions may be considered as adverbs joined to the verb and forming compound or phrasal predicates. In "The man whom I was talking to," to may be called an adverb or a preposition; but in "The man that I was talking to," to can hardly be a preposition since to that is not English.

289. "Than" and "But" as Prepositions.

The best writers of to-day use than as a preposition only in the than whom construction (§ 164), and but as a preposition only when it means except:

1. For a while Clive thought himself in love with his cousin, than whom no more beautiful girl could be seen. 2. He found himself in the camp of Richard the LionHearted, than whom none knew better how to do honor to a noble foe.

3. There's nobody here but me.