• Dutch1
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
Position of VP adverbs with respect to clause adverbs
quickinfo

Verb Phrase (VP) adverbs normally follow clause adverbs, although there are well-defined exceptions to this generalisation.

readmore

VP adverbs occur in the middle field, though they may usually be topicalised. VP adverbs may not occur to the left of clausal adverbs, except for place adverbs. A minimal pair is provided in (1). (a) involves a place adverb to the left of a clausal adverb. (b) involves a different VP adverb to the left of a clausal adverb:

1
a. Hjir wurdt it faaks boud
here is it maybe built
Here, it will be built maybe
b. *Kreas wurdt der faaks boud
nicely is there maybe built
Nicely, it will be built maybe

However, if a negation is present, other VP adverbs may be preposed across a clausal adverb:

2
Kreas wurdt der faaks net boud
nicely is there maybe not built
Nicely, it will not be built maybe
References
    printreport errorcite