manner adverb(ial)

A common term in GRAMMATICAL description, referring to an ADVERB or ADVERBIAL able to answer the question ‘how?’, e.g. in an imposing manner, in a nice way, quickly, angrily. Certain other SEMANTIC CLASSES of adverbial are closely related (e.g. instrument, means), and sometimes subsumed under the heading of manner. Some GENERATIVE linguists see adverbials of manner as particularly significant, proposing a relationship between them and the PASSIVE construction.