Adverb as Complement of a Preposition by Solomon Osuokam Ogbeh

 In English grammar, an adverb can function in various roles within a sentence. One such role is serving as a complement of a preposition. When used in this way, adverbs often convey specific information about place or time, helping to complete the meaning of the prepositional phrase.

Understanding Complements

A complement is a word or group of words that completes the meaning of another part of the sentence. In the case of prepositional phrases, the complement can be a noun, pronoun, or, as we'll focus on here, an adverb.

Place Adverbs as Complements of Prepositions

Place adverbs such as "here," "there," "home," and others can serve as the complement of various prepositions. These combinations help to specify the location related to the action or state described by the verb.

Adverbs "Here" and "There"

"Here" and "there" are commonly used as complements of the prepositions along, around, down, from, in, near, on, out (of), over, round, through, under, and up. These adverbs indicate specific points or areas in space relative to the speaker or context.

Examples:

1. Along: "They walked along here yesterday." (Here indicates the specific path they walked along.)
2. Around: "Let's look around there for your lost book." (There specifies the area they are searching around.)
3. Down: "The children slid down here during recess." (Here points to the exact location they slid down.)
4. From: "She waved at me from there." (There specifies the point she waved from.)
5. In: "We found the keys in here." (Here denotes the precise place inside where the keys were found.)
6. Near: "The school is near here." (Here specifies the vicinity around the current location.)
7. On: "You can place the flowers on there." (There indicates the specific spot on which to place the flowers.)
8. Out (of): "He stepped out of there quickly." (There points to the exact place he stepped out from.)
9. Over: "They climbed over here." (Here specifies the exact location they climbed over.)
10. Round: "We drove round there to see the new market." (There indicates the area they drove around.)
11. Through: "She walked through here last night." (Here specifies the exact path she walked through.)
12. Under: "The cat hid under there." (There indicates the exact spot under which the cat hid.)
13. Up: "He ran up here to catch the bus." (Here points to the exact place he ran up to.)

Adverb "Home"

The adverb "home" can function as the complement of the prepositions at, from, near, and toward(s). This usage often relates to the place of residence or origin.

Examples:

1. At: "She is at home now." (Home specifies her current location.)
2. From: "I just came from home." (Home indicates the point of origin.)
3. Near: "We live near home." (Home specifies the proximity to the place of residence.)
4. Toward(s): "He is heading towards home." (Home indicates the direction of movement.)

Other Place Adverbs

Place adverbs such as above, abroad, below, downstairs, upstairs, indoors, outdoors, inside, outside, within, and without often serve as complements of the preposition "from." These adverbs help specify the point of origin or direction related to the action or state.

Examples:

1. From Above: "Water dripped from above." (Above specifies the origin of the dripping water.)
2. From Abroad: "My friend just returned from abroad." (Abroad indicates the foreign location she returned from.)
3. From Below: "A sound came from below." (Below specifies the origin of the sound.)
4. From Downstairs: "He shouted from downstairs." (Downstairs indicates the specific level in the building.)
5. From Upstairs: "Noise was heard from upstairs." (Upstairs specifies the origin of the noise.)
6. From Indoors: "They called us from indoors." (Indoors indicates the origin within a building.)
7. From Outdoors: "Voices were heard from outdoors." (Outdoors specifies the origin outside the building.)
8. From Inside: "She spoke from inside the house." (Inside specifies the location within the house.)
9. From Outside: "He saw them from outside." (Outside indicates the origin outside the house.)
10. From Within: "A faint light shone from within." (Within specifies the internal origin of the light.)
11. From Without: "The house appeared desolate from without." (Without indicates the perspective from the outside.)

More Examples

To make the concept more relatable, here are some practical examples using Nigerian names:

1. Along: "Amina walked along here after school."
2. Around: "Chidi searched around there for his missing notebook."
3. Down: "Ngozi slid down here during the sports day."
4. From: "Emeka waved at me from there."
5. In: "We found the missing phone in here, Chiamaka."
6. Near: "The new market is near here, Tunde."
7. On: "You can place your bag on there, Funmi."
8. Out (of): "Obinna stepped out of there quickly."
9. Over: "The kids climbed over here, Musa."
10. Round: "We drove round there to see the new stadium, Ada."
11. Through: "Mary walked through here last night."
12. Under: "The puppy hid under there, Ifeoma."
13. Up: "Kunle ran up here to catch the bus."

By understanding how adverbs function as complements of prepositions, students can enhance their comprehension and use of complex sentence structures, making their communication clearer and more effective.