Question

Pick out the adjunct from the sentence:
While the cops were busy munching on donuts, the thief took the chance and fled.

• A. While the cops were busy munching on donuts
• B. the thief
• C. took
• D. took the chance and fled

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

While the cops were busy munching on donuts

An adjunct is a word, phrase or clause that can be eliminated from the sentence, without affecting it grammatically. The sentence would still make sense without an adjunct. Adjuncts are usually adverbs, adverb phrases or adverb clauses. The clause in option A is an adverb clause of time, without which the sentence is still complete in meaning (being an independent clause). Hence option A is the adjunct. "The thief" is a subject, "took" is a verb and "took the chance and fled" is a compound verb, containing two actions. Without the subject and verb, a sentence is not complete, hence options B, C and D are incorrect.