Collins Cobuild English Grammar (129 page)

BOOK: Collins Cobuild English Grammar
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or a
to
-infinitive clause:

We mentioned that we were looking for
somewhere to live
.
I wanted to have
somewhere to put it
.

You can also use a relative clause. Note that the relative pronoun is usually omitted.

Was there
anywhere you wanted to go
?
Everywhere I went
, people were angry or suspicious.

different or additional places

6.63
    
Else
is used after the indefinite place adverb to indicate a different or additional place.
We could hold the meeting
somewhere else
.
More people die in bed than
anywhere else
.

Elsewhere
can be used instead of
somewhere else
.

Gwen sat next to the window. The other girls had found seats
elsewhere
.
6.64
    
Everywhere
and
anywhere
can also be used as the subjects of verbs, especially
be
.
Sometimes I feel that
anywhere
, just
anywhere
, would be better than this.
I looked around for a shop, but
everywhere
was closed.

Destinations and directions

adverbs indicating destinations and targets

6.65
    Adverbs can be used to indicate destinations and targets.
I have expected you, she said, inviting him
inside
.
No birds or animals came
near
.

The following adverbs are used to indicate destinations or targets:

aboard
abroad
ashore
close
downstairs
downtown
heavenward
home
homeward
in
indoors
inland
inside
inward
inwards
near
next door
outdoors
out of doors
outside
overseas
skyward
there
underground
upstairs
uptown

The comparative forms
nearer
and
closer
are more commonly used than
near
or
close
.

Come
nearer
.

Deep
,
far
,
high
, and
low
are also used as adverbs showing a destination or target but only when they are modified in some other way.

The dancers sprang
high into the air
brandishing their spears.

The comparative forms
deeper
,
further
(or
farther
),
higher
, and
lower
are also used, and so is the superlative form
furthest
(or
farthest
). These do not have to be modified in any way.

We left the waterfall and climbed
higher
.
People have to trek
further and further
.

relative direction

6.66
    Adverbs can be used to show direction in relation to the particular position of the person or thing you are talking about. For more information on
phrasal verbs
, see paragraphs
3.83
to
3.116
.
Go
north
from Leicester Square up Wardour Street.
Don’t look
down
.
…the part of the engine that was spinning
around
.
Mrs James gave a little cry and hurried
on
.
They grabbed him and pulled him
backwards
.
He turned
left
and began strolling slowly down the street.

They can also show the direction in which someone or something is facing in relation to the front of the place they are in.

The seats face
forward
.

The following adverbs are used to show direction of this sort:

ahead
along
back
backward
backwards
forward
forwards
left
on
onward
right
sideways
~
anti-clockwise
around
clockwise
counterclockwise
(American)
down
downward
downwards
east
eastward
eastwards
north
northward
northwards
north-east
north-west
south
southward
southwards
south-east
south-west
round
up
upward
upwards
west
westward
westwards

movement in several directions

6.67
    The adverbs
round
,
about
, and
around
show movement in several directions within a place.
Stop rushing
about
!
They won’t want anyone else trampling
around
.

The following adverbial expressions are used to talk about repeated movement in different directions:

back and forth
backwards and forwards
from side to side
in and out
round and round
to and fro
up and down
At other times she would pace
up and down
outside the trailer.
Burke was walking
back and forth
as he spoke.

movement away

6.68
    The following adverbs are used to talk about movement away from someone or something:
aside
away
off
out
outward
The farmer just laughed and rode
away
.
It took just one tug to pull them
out
.

The adverb
apart
indicates that two or more things move away from each other.

I rushed in and tried to pull the dogs
apart
.

movement along a path

6.69
    The following adverbs are used to talk about movement along a road, path, or line:
alongside
beside
downhill
downstream
uphill
upstream
Going
downhill
was easy.
It wasn’t the moving that kept me warm; it was the effort of pushing Daisy
uphill
.

movement across or past something

6.70
    The following adverbs are used to talk about movement across or past something:
across
by
over
overhead
past
round
through
There’s an aircraft coming
over
.
‘Where are you going?’ demanded Miss Craig as Florrie rushed
by
.

indefinite direction:
somewhere
,
everywhere
,
nowhere
, etc.

6.71
    The indefinite place adverbs are used to talk about a destination or direction when you want to be more general or vague.

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