English for Professional Purposes

Types of business entities

Ben Stanley

Department of Social Sciences, SWPS University

June 22, 2026

Sentence adverbials

Adding nuance to business communication

  • In the world of business communication, clarity and precision are paramount
  • While conveying facts and information is crucial, sentence adverbials can elevate your writing by adding nuance, emphasis, and a sense of flow
  • Sentence adverbials are words, phrases, or even short clauses that modify an entire sentence, rather than a specific verb, adjective, or noun
  • They provide additional information about the circumstances surrounding the main action or state of being in a sentence

Frequency adverbials

  • These adverbs indicate how often things happen, such as “always,” “never,” “usually,” “occasionally,” “frequently,” and “rarely”

e.g., “The company regularly conducts market research to stay ahead of trends.”

Manner adverbials

  • These adverbs describe how something is done, such as “quickly,” “efficiently,” “carefully,” “enthusiastically,” and “reluctantly”

e.g., “The new marketing campaign was launched successfully.”

Degree adverbials

  • These adverbs modify the intensity or extent of something, such as “very,” “extremely,” “quite,” “slightly,” and “almost”

e.g., “The product launch was met with overwhelming positive feedback.”

Focus adverbials

  • These adverbs introduce emphasis or highlight a specific aspect of the sentence, such as “frankly,” “honestly,” “indeed,” “fortunately,” “unquestionably,” and “of course”

e.g., “Clearly, the company needs to invest in employee training to improve customer service.”

Connective adverbials

  • These adverbs show the relationship between sentences or ideas, such as “furthermore,” “however,” “therefore,” “consequently,” and “in addition”

e.g., “Sales figures were disappointing. Consequently, the board of directors called an emergency meeting.”

Sentence adverbial positioning

Sentence adverbials can appear in various positions within a sentence, although some placements are more common:

  • Initial position
    • Often used for emphasis or introducing a new idea
    • e.g., “Fortunately, the technical glitch was resolved quickly.”
  • Mid-sentence position
    • Offers flexibility for adding nuance or highlighting specific aspects
    • e.g., “The company, despite facing economic challenges, managed to increase its market share.”
  • Final position
    • Can provide a concluding remark or emphasis on the final point
    • e.g., “The meeting was a success, overall.”

Effective use of sentence adverbials

  • Clarity and concision
    • Strive for clarity
    • Avoid overusing sentence adverbials, as it can make your writing cumbersome
  • Emphasis
    • Use them strategically for emphasis and highlighting key points
  • Tone
    • Sentence adverbials can subtly influence the tone of your writing
    • “Fortunately” suggests a positive outcome, while “unfortunately” suggests a less desirable one

Frequency adverbials - Examples

  • Original: The company reassesses its marketing plan whenever there are significant market shifts.
    • Possible revision: The company frequently reassesses its marketing plan in response to significant market shifts.
  • Original: The CEO prioritises regular communication with shareholders.
    • Possible revision: The CEO prioritises daily communication with shareholders.
  • Original: Market research informs strategic decision-making.
    • Possible revision: Market research always informs strategic decision-making.

Manner adverbials - Examples

  • Original: The company responded to the negative feedback by taking corrective action.
    • Possible revision: The company responded to the negative feedback by swiftly taking corrective action.
  • Original: The new product development team collaborated together throughout the project.
    • Possible revision: The new product development team collaborated closely together throughout the project.
  • Original: The company presented a well-developed proposal to potential investors.
    • Possible revision: The company convincingly presented a well-developed proposal to potential investors.

Degree adverbials - Examples

  • Original: Employee feedback has a significant impact on company culture.
    • Possible revision: Employee feedback has an extremely significant impact on company culture.
  • Original: Customer satisfaction is a top priority for the company.
    • Possible revision: Customer satisfaction is absolutely the main priority for the company.
  • Original: Market trends can have a substantial influence on business strategy.
    • Possible revision: Market trends can profoundly influence business strategy.

Focus adverbials - Examples

  • Original: The main challenge the company faces is increasing competition.
    • Possible revision: Clearly, the main challenge the company faces is increasing competition.
  • Original: The sales team set ambitious targets for the quarter.
    • Possible revision: Ambitiously, the sales team set high targets for the quarter.
  • Original: The board of directors expressed concerns about the company’s financial performance.
    • Possible revision: Primarily, the board of directors expressed concerns about the company’s financial performance.

Connective adverbials - Examples

  • Original: The company experienced rapid growth in recent years. They now need to adjust their infrastructure.
    • Possible revision: The company experienced rapid growth in recent years. Consequently, they now need to adjust their infrastructure.
  • Original: The marketing campaign was well-received. Sales figures increased as a direct result.
    • Possible revision: The marketing campaign was well-received. Accordingly, sales figures increased.
  • Original: The product launch was delayed due to supply chain issues. The company released a public statement to address the situation.
    • Possible revision: The product launch was delayed due to supply chain issues. Additionally, the company released a public statement to address the situation.