- Comparatives and superlatives: plus largement; le plus d’ordres professionnels(lines 43–5) (see
Chapter 18)
Discover more about adverbs and adverbial phrases
1 USAGEa An adverb may precede and qualify another adverb or adverbial phrase:
e.g. Vous lisez très vite; il s’est trop mal exprimé.
Nous l’avons découvert tout à fait par hasard.
b There are two major categories of adverbs which do not appear in the text:
adverbs of place:
e.g. ailleurselsewhere; partouteverywhere
and adverbs of quantity/degree:
e.g. assezenough; autantas much; davantagemore; troptoo much
c The preposition sans+ noun produces many useful adverbial phrases:
e.g. sans cessecontinuously; sans interruptionuninterruptedly
It is also possible to use sans+ infinitive:
e.g. sans hésiterunhesitatingly; sans pouvoir rien fairehelplessly
d Many adverbial phrases of manner are formed on the following models:
e.g. d’un air fâchéangrily
d’une façon/manière charmantecharmingly
d’un ton secdrily
par hasardaccidentally
e There are many idiomatic adverbial phrases which are used to translate English adverbs in -ly:
e.g. à peu prèsnearly; au justeexactly; d’habitudeusually; de plus en plusincreasingly; en
généralgenerally; en particulierparticularly; peu à peugradually; tout à faitcompletely; tout de
suiteimmediately
NoteAll these phrases are invariable; en généraland en particulierdo not have a feminine form.
f There are a few adjectives which can be used as adverbs in certain set expressions with certain
verbs. They always remain in the masculine singular:
e.g. parler basto speak quietly; voir clairto see clearly; crier fortto shout loudly
g Impersonal expressions are sometimes a useful alternative to an adverb:
e.g. il est évident queobviously; il est possible quepossibly
2 FORMATIONNote the following exceptions to the rules given under Adverbs and adverbial phrases in the
text.
a A few adjectives ending in mute -etake an acute accent before -ment:
e.g. aveuglément; conformément; énormément
Adverbs and adverbial phrases 111