245. Have been to, etc. The verb phrase have been or had been may be followed by the preposition to, or a noun denoting motion, to express motion to and from a person or place (this idiom has been in good use for nearly three hundred years):

1. We have been to Paris (to dinner, to mother's).

2. I had been to see Irving that night.

3. He has been the rounds.

246. Help to. An infinitive used as the object of the verb help has the preposition to (the omission of to is now dialectal or vulgar, says the Oxford English Dictionary):

1. They helped to plant the trees. (Do not omit to.)

2. She will help you to secure employment.

3. He wished to help me to plant the trees.

4. The hereditary enemies of his house had helped him to mount a throne. MACAULAY.

247. It may be. The sentence it may be, meaning possibly, is often shortened to may be or (adverbially) maybe; but these uses are now archaic or dialectal (§ 380):

This, it may be, was the reason for the change.

248. Need. The verb need takes the infinitive with to unless the sentence is (actually or virtually) negative or interrogative; when the infinitive does not have to, the third person singular of the present indicative is need (instead of 'needs'; § 622):

1. He says he needs to find more men. (In 'Does he need to go?' need is an infinitive, object of does; § 174.)

2. I (You, He) need not ask; I (You, He) hardly need ask. Need he do this? Why need she say so?

९

249. Please. In such expressions as please to open the door' the verb please is for 'please it you' (that is, may it please you'), a subjunctive of wish (§ 162):

1. Please to stop the carriage. -DICKENS. (To is often omitted.) 2. Please not to forget that we want you.

3. Please your honor, there's a man at the door.

4. Please, may I come in? Give me my hat, please.

5. Will you, please, take a message for me?

250. Pray, prithee. In such expressions as 'pray do so' the verb pray is for 'I pray you' (§ 350); prithee is an archaic colloquialism (§ 380) for 'I pray thee':

1. Pray tell me what I shall do.

2. Prithee, friend, exhibit thy wisdom.

251. Send, try. The verb send is followed by and with a coördinate verb, or by an infinitive with to (like come and go, $242); try is properly followed by the infinitive with to:

1. Send and find him; send somebody to find him.

2. Try to get a little rest. (Not 'try and get'.) (Exercise XXV, d-g, § 570.)

THE ADVERB

252. Adverb. An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (see $.255 also):

1. He walked slowly; she sings well.

2. Rather cheerful; unusually kind; broiling hot. 3. More slowly; almost never; hardly ever.

253. Adverb phrase and clause. A phrase or a clause (§§ 6, 7) may be used as an adverb; such a phrase is called an adverb phrase, and such a clause an adverb clause (§§ 268-270): 1. The animal leaped blindly. (Adverb.)

2. He leaped without looking. (Adverb phrase; § 282, 2.)

3. He leaped before he looked. (Adverb clause.)

254. Adverb modifying phrase or clause. An adverb may modify an adverb phrase or an adverb clause :

1. The chestnuts lay all over the ground. (The adverb all modifies the entire phrase, or unit, 'over the ground'. This is more logical than to say that all modifies the preposition over, as is stated in some grammars.)

2. She found her purse exactly where she had dropped it. (Exactly modifies 'where she had dropped it'.)

255. Adverb modifying noun. An adverb sometimes modifies a noun (especially a noun implying action), and thus has the force of an adjective (§ 383):

1. The down grade; the up train; her arrival here.

2. The trees there (elliptical for which are there, § 347) are green.

256. Formation. In formation a good many adverbs are old forms of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives, with or without a preposition; some adverbs are formed from different parts of speech by the addition of -wards, -ward, -ways, -way, and -wise:

1. Home, aboard, anew, forever, indeed, sometime.

2. Always (= all the way), backward(s), downward(s), endwise, homeward(s), upward(s).

257. Adverb from adjective. Many adverbs are formed from adjectives, by the addition of ly (but there are also a few adjectives ending in ly, such as early, friendly, kindly):

Bright, brightly; playful, playfully; wise, wisely.

258. Adverb and adjective alike. Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives; in poetry they are often alike ($ 504):

Best, better, cheap, clean, close, deep, direct (§ 417), early, fair, far, fast, full, hard, high, ill, just, late, long, loud, low, near, pretty, quick, right, sharp, short, slow, soft, straight, well, wide, wrong.

NOTE. The adverbs quickly, slowly, and softly are now more frequently used than the adverbs quick, slow, and soft.

259. Adverb and adjective distinguished. When adjectives and adverbs are alike in form, they are to be distinguished by their use. If they modify nouns or pronouns, they are adjectives; if they modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, they are adverbs (§ 383; but see §§ 238, 239, 504):

1. The sun is bright (adjective); it shines bright (adverb). 2. He is late (adjective); he works late (adverb).

3. Her voice became low (adjective); she spoke low (adverb). 4. I heard him breathe quick and deep. (Adverbs.)

260. Adjective misused for adverb. Care should be taken not to use adjectives for adverbs (see §§ 238, 239):

1. He sings badly. (Not 'bad'.)

2. She paints finely. (Not 'fine '.)

3. She reads well; that sounds well. (Not 'good'; § 238.)

4. You row excellently. (Not 'excellent '.)

5. Surely I will meet you. (Not 'Sure'.)

261. Adverb after be. An adverb is frequently used in the predicate after the verb be:

1. School is over. (Not 'out'; see out, over, § 417.)

2. The great secret was at last out..

262. Classification. Adverbs may be divided into different classes, according to their meaning:

1. Time, denoting when: afterwards, again, daily, never, now, often, sometime, sometimes, soon, etc.

2. Place, denoting where: above, anywhere, forward, here, in, out, somewhere, there, thither, up, yonder, etc.

3. Manner, denoting how: fast, likewise, quick, quickly, slowly, thus, truly, well, wisely, etc.

4. Degree, denoting how much: abundantly, all, almost, also, besides, but (= only), enough, half, hardly, merely, more, most, much, quite, rather, scarcely, so, too, very, etc.

5. Number, denoting, how many times or where in a series: once, twice, three times, tenfold; first, secondly, fifthly, etc.

6. Cause, denoting why: consequently, hence, so, therefore, etc. 7. Opposition, denoting contrast: however, still, yet, etc.

8. Assertion, denoting affirmation or denial (some of which, such as yes and no, do not modify other words, and may stand alone as complete sentences): apparently, aye, certainly, indeed, really, surely, yea, yes, etc.; by no means, no, not at all, etc.; likely, perhaps, possibly, probably, etc.

263. Interrogative adverb. An interrogative adverb is used in asking a question:

1. When did you see him? Where does he live?

2. How did you find him? Why don't you speak?

264. Comparison. The comparison of adverbs is similar to that of adjectives (§ 132):

265. Irregular comparison. A few adverbs have irregular comparison; some forms are like irregular adjectives (§ 134):