Adverbs and adverbials showing degrees of variability

A variety of adverbs and adverbial groups of words that together function as adverbs are used to modify phrasal verbs that relate to something variable, such as distance, time, cost, speed, temperature, amount, or quantity.

Adverbs and adverbials allow the speaker to be more precise about what is being measured — to say whether it was a little or a /of or to be precise about exactly how much. But the verb must be something that is variable. In cannot be something either/or, such as shut off, for example (a TV is either on or off — it cannot be in between). Adverbs and adverbials are used to strengthen the meaning of the verb:

He fell asleep on the train andwent wellbeyond his stop.

Shefellwaybehind in her work when she was sick.

Keep faraway from the fire.

to weaken the meaning of the verb:

I went abitover my budget.

Keep slightlyto the right on that road.

He fella little behind.

The meeting mayrun somewhatover. 289

or to be exact:

Weplanned two weeksahead.

Go three floorsup.

Sometimes, in informal English, way is repeated for extra emphasis:

What Jim saidwent way, way, waybeyond impolite — it was outrageous.

1. keep at p.v. When youkeep at it, you continue with an activity even though it may be difficult. When yousay "Keep at it" to people, you encourage them to finish with an activity that is difficult.

I know this work is difficult, but you have tokeep at it.

Keep at it; you're almost finished.

Keep away

keep away & keeps away keeping away kept away kept away

1. keep away (from) p.v. When youkeep away orkeep away from people, you do not come close to them or associate with them. When youkeep away orkeep awayfrom things, you do not touch them, come close to them, or use them. When you keep away orkeep away from places, you do not come close to them or go to them.

Mark was very sick yesterday, so everyonekept away from him.

We're going to eat dinner in a few minutes, sokeep away from those cookies.

That's a bad neighborhood, sokeep away from it,

2. keep... away (from) p.v. When youkeep people or thingsaway orkeep them away from something or someone else, you do not allow them to come close to or associate with someone or come close to or touch something.

That dog is dangerous, sokeep itaway.

Paul has an alcohol problem, sokeep himaway from the bar at the party tomorrow.

Keep down

keep down & keeps down keeping down kept down kept down

1. keep ... down p.v. When youkeep the cost, quantity, or amount of something down, you keep it a low level.

The company tried tokeep its pricesdown.

They wanted a smalt wedding, but they have such large families that it was hard to keep the number of guestsdown.

2. keep... down p.v. When youkeep the volume of noise, music, or conversation down, you keep it at a low level. When people are being noisy and you want them to be quieter, you tell them tokeep itdown.

Will you pleasekeep itdown; I'm trying to study.

You kids can watch TV, butkeep the volumedown — your mother is taking a nap.

1. keep from p.v. When youkeep from doing something, you do not do it even though it is hard not to.

I was so angry that I don't know how Ikept from punching that guy in the nose.

The movie was so sad that I couldn'tkeep from crying.

2. keep... from p.v. When youkeep peoplefrom doing something, you stop them from doing it.

Jim's girlfriend's parents don't like him, and they try tokeep himfrom seeing her.

When I was young, my poor healthkept mefrom doing a lot of things the other kids did.

Keep off

keep off & keeps off keeping off kept off kept off

1. keep... off p.v. When youkeep off something, you do not walk or stand on it. When youkeep other people or thingsoff something, you do not allow them to walk or stand on it.

The sign says"Keep off the grass." You shouldkeep your kidsoff the streets and in school.

2. keep... off p.v. When youkeep off drugs, cigarettes, or other addictive substances, you do not use them. When youkeep peopleoff drugs, cigarettes, or other addictive substances, you prevent them from using them.

Since getting out of jail, Hank has been able tokeep off drugs.

Ned is a nice guy as long as you cankeep himoff booze.

Keep on

keep on & keeps on keeping on kept on kept on

1. keep on p.v. When youkeep on doing something, you continue doing it.

I told her to be quiet, but she justkept righton talking.

Don't stop —keep on going.

2. keep... on p.v. When youkeep peopleon at their place of employment, you con­tinue to employ them.

The company decided against laying all the workers off and will insteadkeep a few on to maintain equipment until business improves.

Everyone on the hotel staff was fired after the hotel went out of business, except for two guys who werekept on to clean and paint the building.

1. keep... to p.v. When youkeep informationto yourself, you do not tell anyone.

This is a secret, sokeep itto yourself.

I wish she wouldkeep her racist commentsto herself; I don't want to hear them.

2. keep... to p.v. When youkeep somethingto a certain cost, quantity, or amount, you do not let the cost, quantity, or amount go higher than that level.

Here's my credit card, butkeep your spendingto a minimum — don't go crazy with it.

The room doesn't hold a great many people, so we have tokeep the number of guests to 200.

3. keep to p.v. When youkeep to the right or left, you continue moving to the right or left.

When you pass a big red barn on the highway,keep to the right; the exit is right after the barn.

Faster cars are supposed tokeep to the left.

Keep up

keep up & keeps up keeping up kept up kept up

1. keep... up p.v. When youkeep an activityup, you continue doing it.

Leopards can run extremely fast, but they can'tkeep itup longer than a minute or two.

I told you to stop doing that. If youkeep itup, I'm going to get angry.

2. keep up (with) p.v. When you are in a group that is studying, working, and so on, and you are able to learn or work at the same rate as the others, youkeep up orkeep up with the group.Fall behind is the opposite ofkeep up.

Lydia missed several days of school last month, and now she's having a hard time keeping up with the rest of the class.

The assembly line was going so fast that no one couldkeep up.

3. keep up (with) p.v. When youkeep up orkeep up with people or things that are moving, you are able to move at the same rate.Fall behind is the opposite of keep up.

Bob walks so fast that it's hard tokeep up with him.

The wounded soldiers couldn'tkeep up with the rest of the army.

4. keep up (with) p.v. When you can understand and respond to a situation that is changing, you are able tokeep up with the situation.

Computer technology is changing so fast. How can anyonekeep up with it?

Jane always has some new idea. I can'tkeep up with her.

5. keep... up p.v. When people or thingskeep youup, they prevent you from going to bed, or if you are in bed, they prevent you from falling asleep.

Ned just would not leave last night; hekept meup until 2:00 in the morning.

That noisy party across the alleykept meup all night.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 544