Collins Cobuild English Grammar (178 page)

The following adverbials are commonly used in this way:

actually

anyhow

anyway

by the way

incidentally

look

now

now then

okay

right

so

then

well

well now

well then

you know

They usually occur at the beginning of a clause. However, a few of them can be used in other places in the clause, when you want to pause or want to draw attention to the fact that you are introducing a new topic.

Actually
,
anyhow
,
anyway
,
by the way
,
incidentally
, and
you know
can be used at the end of a clause.
By the way
,
incidentally
, and
you know
can be used after the subject or after the first word in a verb phrase.

Here are some examples showing sentence connectors being used to change the topic of a conversation:

Actually
, Dan, before I forget, she asked me to tell you about my new job.
Well now
, we’ve got a very big task ahead of us.

Here are some examples showing sentence connectors being used to start talking about a different aspect of the same topic:

What do you sell there
anyway
?
This approach,
incidentally
, also has the advantage of being cheap.

Then
by itself is not used at the beginning of a clause, only at the end.

That’s all right
then
.
Are you fond of her,
then
?

10.58
   Some sentence connectors are used at the beginning of a clause to introduce a fact, often one that corrects the statement just made. They can also be used at the end of a clause, and elsewhere, to emphasize the fact.

actually

as a matter of fact

as it happens

I mean

indeed

in fact

Note that
actually
is used here to add information on the same topic, whereas in the previous paragraph it indicated a change of topic.

Actually
, I do know why he wrote that letter.
He rather envies you
actually
.
I’m sure you’re right.
In fact
, I know you’re right.
There’s no reason to be disappointed.
As a matter of fact
, this could be rather amusing.
They cannot hop or jump.
Indeed
, they can barely manage even to run.

You see
is used to introduce or point to an explanation.

‘Are you surprised?’ – ‘No.
You see
, I’ve known about it for a long time.’
He didn’t have anyone to talk to,
you see
.

After all
is used to introduce or point to a reason or justification of what you have just said.

She did not regret accepting his offer. He was,
after all
, about the right age.

USAGE NOTE

10.59
   Prepositional phrases are sometimes used to introduce a new topic or a different aspect of the same topic.
As to
or
as for
can be used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a slightly different topic.

As to
what actually transpired at the headquarters, there are many differing accounts.
We will continue to expand our business.
As for
our competitors, they may well struggle.

With
and
in the case of
are sometimes used to mention another thing that is involved in a type of situation that was previously mentioned.

With children
, you have to plan a bit more carefully.
When the death was expected, the period of grief is usually shorter than
in the case of
an unexpected death.

Leaving words out

10.60
   In English, people often leave words out rather than repeating them. Leaving words out is called
ellipsis
. This sometimes occurs in clauses that are linked by words like
and
,
but
or
or
, and coordinated groups of words. These are explained in paragraphs
8.152
to
8.176
.

This section deals with how words can be left out in subordinate clauses and separate sentences as well as in coordinate clauses. The second clause or sentence could be said or written by the same person, or it could be part of a reply or comment by someone else. Omission of certain words in conversation is explained in paragraphs
10.74
to
10.81
.

contrasting subjects

10.61
   If you have just described an action or state and you want to introduce a new subject only, you do not need to repeat the rest of the sentence. Instead, you can just use an
auxiliary
.

There were 19- and 20-year-olds who were earning more than I
was
.
They can hear higher sounds than we
can
.

contrasting the verb form or the modal verb

10.62
   If you want to change only the verb form or the modal, you use a new auxiliary, with a subject referring to the same person or thing.

They would stop it if they
could
.
Very few of us have that sort of enthusiasm, although we know we
ought to
.
I never went to Stratford, although I probably
should have
.
This topic should have attracted far more attention from the press than it
has
.

do

10.63
   If you choose no other auxiliary verb, you usually use
do
,
does
, or
did
.

You look just as bad as he
does
.
I think we want it more than they
do
.

be
as a main verb

10.64
   However, the linking verb
be
is repeated, in an appropriate form. For example,
I was scared and the children were too
.

‘I think you’re right.’ – ‘I’m sure I
am
.’

If the second verb phrase contains a modal, you usually put
be
after the modal.

‘I’m from Glasgow.’ – ‘I thought you
might be
.’ ‘He thought that it was hereditary in his case.’ – ‘Well, it
might be
.’

However, this is not necessary if the first verb phrase also contains a modal.

I’
ll
be back as soon as I
can
.

Be
is sometimes used after a modal in the second clause to contrast with another linking verb such as
seem
,
look
, or
sound
.

‘It
looks
like tea to me.’ – ‘Yes, it
could be
.’

have
as a main verb

10.65
   If the first verb is the main verb
have
, a form of
have
is sometimes used instead of a form of
do
.

She probably has a temperature–she certainly looks as if she
has
.

leaving words out with
not

10.66
   You can make the second verb phrase negative by adding
not
to the auxiliary. These combinations are contracted in informal speech and writing to
don’t
,
hasn’t
,
isn’t
,
mustn’t
, and so on (see paragraph
5.59
for a list of these
contractions
). You use the same forms for a negative response to a question.

Some managed to vote but most of them
didn’t
.
‘You’re staying here!’ – ‘But Gertrude, I
can’t
, I
mustn’t
!’
‘And did it work?’ – ‘No, I’m afraid it
didn’t
.’
Widows receive state benefit; widowers
do not
.
He could have listened to the radio. He
did not
.

USAGE NOTE

10.67
   With passives,
be
is often, but not always, kept after a modal.

He argued that if tissues could be marketed, then anything
could be
.

However, with perfect passives, you can just use the auxiliary
have
or
has
. For example, you could say,
Have you been interviewed yet
?
I have
.

Note that when a modal with
have
is used for a passive or progressive verb phrase,
been
cannot be omitted.