一、状语的定义
定义：状语是修饰动词、形容词、副词以及全句的句子成分。
英文定义：Adverbials are sentence elements that modify verbs, adjectives, adverbs and the whole sentence.
二、状语的位置
状语主要有句末、句首、句中三种位置，其中句末是最常见的位置。
1.句末 The woman went weekly to church last year.
2.句首 Despite the difficulties, they finished the job.
3.句中+句末 I have never seen so many people in the streets.
三、作状语的词类
能作状语的词类及典型例句如下：
1. 副词：Naturally we expect hotel guests to lock their doors.
2. 名词：Wait a moment.
3. 代词：We have walked this far without stopping.
4. 数词：Ten to one, he will come tomorrow.
5. 形容词：It is devilish cold today.
6. 不定式：At the top we stopped to look at the view.
7. 分词：I began to get the shakes thinking about the test.
8. 介词短语：At the moment he is out of work.
9. 从句（状语从句）：Even if she laughs at him, he adores her.
四、状语的类别
（一）基础类别（时间、地点、原因）
1.时间状语 ①常置于句末/句首，有时可在句中；②频度副词（always/often等）常置于句中，不可在谓宾之间。
①Shall we do the shopping today or tomorrow? ②I will always remember her.
2.地点状语 ①常置于句末，有时在句首/句中；②表位置、去向、距离；③并列时小地点在前、大地点在后；④与时间并列时，地点在前（强调长地点时时间在前）。
①Signs were everywhere numerous. ②Are you going to the station? ③The books lie on the table in the library. ④At the airport last night two events took place. ⑤Several agreements were signed yesterday in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
3.原因状语 表理由，常置于句末，有时在句首。 She did it out of curiosity.
（二）其他核心类别
1.结果状语 常用不定式、分词、从句表示，位于句末。
She woke suddenly to find someone standing in the doorway.
2.目的状语 常由不定式、介词短语、从句表示，位于句末，强调时可在句首。
In order to survive, he began to eat the root of grass./He ran for shelter.
3.条件状语 常由短语、从句表示，置于句末/句首。
If you work hard, you will succeed.
4.让步状语 常由短语、从句表示，置于句末/句首。
They played the cricket in spite of the rain./Child as he is, he knows a lot.
5.程度状语 常由副词、介词短语、从句表示；单词在修饰成分前/后，短语/从句多在修饰成分后（有时在前）。
The lecture was not very interesting. /To what extent, would you trust them?
6.方式状语 常由副词、短语、从句表示，常位于句末，也可在句首/句中；可表手段、比较、工具等 。
She listened attentively to the lecture./Reluctantly they cleaned the classroom after school.
7.伴随状语 由短语、独立主格表示，常位于句末/句首。
The train starts at six, arriving there at ten./He stood there, book in hand.
