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A few miles into the town — verbless clause, or adverbial phrase?

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3

A few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

I don't know if "a few miles into the town" is a verbless clause like this

(Being) a few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

if it is just a normal adverb phrase like this

I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned a few miles into the town.

Because, when trying to use this prepositional phrase that starts with "into" without "a few miles", it sounds strange.

Into the town, I saw a beautiful building.<-It sounds strange, unless it is used as a verbless clause.

Now (being) into the town, I saw a beautiful building. <- Sounds better I think.

Which one is it? Is "a few miles into the town" a verbless clause, or an adverb phrase?

grammar parts-of-speech clauses

share|improve this question

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Yes, of course it is a verbless clause. It can be paraphrased as "When I was a few miles into the town". Its function is adjunct.
  
  – BillJ
  Jul 23 '16 at 12:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The most likely source is the one implying the metaphor involved: (When/Once I had walked/gone/come) A few miles into the town, I saw ... The whole point of fronting it is to link the sentence up with previous sentences about the narrator's movement.
  
  – John Lawler
  Dec 24 '18 at 22:39
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

3

A few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

I don't know if "a few miles into the town" is a verbless clause like this

(Being) a few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

if it is just a normal adverb phrase like this

I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned a few miles into the town.

Because, when trying to use this prepositional phrase that starts with "into" without "a few miles", it sounds strange.

Into the town, I saw a beautiful building.<-It sounds strange, unless it is used as a verbless clause.

Now (being) into the town, I saw a beautiful building. <- Sounds better I think.

Which one is it? Is "a few miles into the town" a verbless clause, or an adverb phrase?

grammar parts-of-speech clauses

share|improve this question

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Yes, of course it is a verbless clause. It can be paraphrased as "When I was a few miles into the town". Its function is adjunct.
  
  – BillJ
  Jul 23 '16 at 12:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  The most likely source is the one implying the metaphor involved: (When/Once I had walked/gone/come) A few miles into the town, I saw ... The whole point of fronting it is to link the sentence up with previous sentences about the narrator's movement.
  
  – John Lawler
  Dec 24 '18 at 22:39
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

A few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

I don't know if "a few miles into the town" is a verbless clause like this

(Being) a few miles into the town, I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned.

if it is just a normal adverb phrase like this

I saw a beautiful building that was now abandoned a few miles into the town.

Because, when trying to use this prepositional phrase that starts with "into" without "a few miles", it sounds strange.

Into the town, I saw a beautiful building.<-It sounds strange, unless it is used as a verbless clause.

Now (being) into the town, I saw a beautiful building. <- Sounds better I think.

Which one is it? Is "a few miles into the town" a verbless clause, or an adverb phrase?

grammar parts-of-speech clauses

share|improve this question

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

share|improve this question

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

share|improve this question

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

asked Jul 19 '16 at 3:54

quetchalcoatlequetchalcoatle

226

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

0

Whether or not "being" is included in the sentence, it is an adverbial phrase. Including "being" or any present participle in the formation of an adverbial phrase that introduces a sentence simply makes it a type of adverbial phrase that's called an "absolute phrase." In this context, it is not a clause because "being" isn't functioning as a verb but as a gerund. The phrase, whether it has the gerund or not, adverbially modifies the verb "saw" in the main clause. It describes on how "I saw."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 19 '16 at 4:11

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  OK. I forgot that verbless clause, or absolute phrase, is an adverb phrase. But what I was trying to find was if "being" is an obligatory part of it. Should I perceive it as "being" always there with a few miles into the town?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:04
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Being" isn't obligatory. It's not implied if you don't say it. You'd only perceive it there if it were explicitly stated. Now there may be relatively little difference in meaning, but that lack of difference doesn't mean that "being" is automatically implied even when it's not there.
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:09
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you. So can it be used with "there expleitive"? Please consider the following: "A few miles into the town, there was a building." If I undo the inversion done to it, it becomes something like this: A few miles into the town, a building was there. But if I consider it an absolute phrase, it is: Being a few miles into the town, a building was there. To me, putting "being" in sounds stretched. For me to be able to use this phrase with "there expleitive, or inversion", it must be just pure adverb phrase, like "beside the lake, there was a building". No "being" is present with "beside....
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  ...the lake". So as you said there doesn't have to be being, a few miles into the town, there was a building should sound idiomatic, which I am not so sure about. Does a few miles into the town, there was a building sound idiomatic?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  You know that "being" isn't implied because if you move the modifier to the end of the sentence instead of placing it at the beginning, the grammar changes completely (e.g., "I saw a building a few miles from town" verses "I saw a building, being a few miles from town.")
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

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0

Whether or not "being" is included in the sentence, it is an adverbial phrase. Including "being" or any present participle in the formation of an adverbial phrase that introduces a sentence simply makes it a type of adverbial phrase that's called an "absolute phrase." In this context, it is not a clause because "being" isn't functioning as a verb but as a gerund. The phrase, whether it has the gerund or not, adverbially modifies the verb "saw" in the main clause. It describes on how "I saw."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 19 '16 at 4:11

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  OK. I forgot that verbless clause, or absolute phrase, is an adverb phrase. But what I was trying to find was if "being" is an obligatory part of it. Should I perceive it as "being" always there with a few miles into the town?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:04
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Being" isn't obligatory. It's not implied if you don't say it. You'd only perceive it there if it were explicitly stated. Now there may be relatively little difference in meaning, but that lack of difference doesn't mean that "being" is automatically implied even when it's not there.
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:09
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you. So can it be used with "there expleitive"? Please consider the following: "A few miles into the town, there was a building." If I undo the inversion done to it, it becomes something like this: A few miles into the town, a building was there. But if I consider it an absolute phrase, it is: Being a few miles into the town, a building was there. To me, putting "being" in sounds stretched. For me to be able to use this phrase with "there expleitive, or inversion", it must be just pure adverb phrase, like "beside the lake, there was a building". No "being" is present with "beside....
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  ...the lake". So as you said there doesn't have to be being, a few miles into the town, there was a building should sound idiomatic, which I am not so sure about. Does a few miles into the town, there was a building sound idiomatic?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  You know that "being" isn't implied because if you move the modifier to the end of the sentence instead of placing it at the beginning, the grammar changes completely (e.g., "I saw a building a few miles from town" verses "I saw a building, being a few miles from town.")
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

0

Whether or not "being" is included in the sentence, it is an adverbial phrase. Including "being" or any present participle in the formation of an adverbial phrase that introduces a sentence simply makes it a type of adverbial phrase that's called an "absolute phrase." In this context, it is not a clause because "being" isn't functioning as a verb but as a gerund. The phrase, whether it has the gerund or not, adverbially modifies the verb "saw" in the main clause. It describes on how "I saw."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 19 '16 at 4:11

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  OK. I forgot that verbless clause, or absolute phrase, is an adverb phrase. But what I was trying to find was if "being" is an obligatory part of it. Should I perceive it as "being" always there with a few miles into the town?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:04
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "Being" isn't obligatory. It's not implied if you don't say it. You'd only perceive it there if it were explicitly stated. Now there may be relatively little difference in meaning, but that lack of difference doesn't mean that "being" is automatically implied even when it's not there.
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:09
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you. So can it be used with "there expleitive"? Please consider the following: "A few miles into the town, there was a building." If I undo the inversion done to it, it becomes something like this: A few miles into the town, a building was there. But if I consider it an absolute phrase, it is: Being a few miles into the town, a building was there. To me, putting "being" in sounds stretched. For me to be able to use this phrase with "there expleitive, or inversion", it must be just pure adverb phrase, like "beside the lake, there was a building". No "being" is present with "beside....
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:13
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  ...the lake". So as you said there doesn't have to be being, a few miles into the town, there was a building should sound idiomatic, which I am not so sure about. Does a few miles into the town, there was a building sound idiomatic?
  
  – quetchalcoatle
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  You know that "being" isn't implied because if you move the modifier to the end of the sentence instead of placing it at the beginning, the grammar changes completely (e.g., "I saw a building a few miles from town" verses "I saw a building, being a few miles from town.")
  
  – Benjamin Harman
  Jul 19 '16 at 4:15
  
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

Whether or not "being" is included in the sentence, it is an adverbial phrase. Including "being" or any present participle in the formation of an adverbial phrase that introduces a sentence simply makes it a type of adverbial phrase that's called an "absolute phrase." In this context, it is not a clause because "being" isn't functioning as a verb but as a gerund. The phrase, whether it has the gerund or not, adverbially modifies the verb "saw" in the main clause. It describes on how "I saw."

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 19 '16 at 4:11

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

share|improve this answer

edited Jul 19 '16 at 4:11

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415

answered Jul 19 '16 at 3:58

Benjamin HarmanBenjamin Harman

1,2791415