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Expressing how / when / where

Form and function

We use the term 'adverb' when we are referring to a particular form or grammatical category.

When we want to talk about how adverbs function to tell us ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’, we can use a term like Circumstance , because they tell us about the circumstances surrounding an activity.

Another grammatical form which can function as a Circumstance, telling us ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘how’, is the prepositional phrase (ie a preposition + noun group):

	Yesterday / In the evening the ghost was searching for food. adverb prepositional phrase
	The ghost was searching for food frantically / *in a frantic manner*. adverb prepositional phrase
	The ghost was searching for food downstairs / *in the kitchen*. adverb prepositional phrase

We need to remember that there is never a one-to-one relationship between form and function: one grammatical form might perform a number of different functions, and a particular function might be expressed by a range of grammatical forms, as in the following table:

Function	Form
expressing 'how / when / where...' (Circumstance)	adverb (She dropped it here.)
	adverb group (She dropped it right here.)
	prepositional phrase (She dropped it on the floor.)

So the same function (expressing 'how / when / where...') can be performed by adverbs, adverb groups and prepositional phrases. Sometimes we even find noun groups expressing 'when' or 'where':

The following day we travelled to Guangzhou.
They live next door.

For more information on other grammatical classes that have similar functions to adverbs, see

	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Prepositional phrases: Expressing how / when / where / why: Overview
	Grammar: Groups & phrases: Adverb group: Expressing how / when / where

Note that the term Circumstance is written with a capital to remind us that it is a functional term.