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The characteristic function of AdvPs is to modify the verb. In general they are adjuncts, but we have noted that they qualify as complements with the few verbs like treat where they are obligatory. AdvPs also occur as complement to the verb be in its specifying sense (§5.5.1):

  1. She writes exceptionally clearly. [adjunct]
  2. They treat us quite abominably. [complement of treat]
  3. The only way to do it is very, very slowly. [complement of specifying be]

Why 'slowly' is used, not 'slow'? Is it because 'the way' is a kind of manner? Accordingly, in 'Tomorrow is too early' 'early' may have the part of speech of 'adverb' : 'Tomorrow'is a kind of time.

So,are the limitations 'manner' or 'time'? If not, we could also say 'You are so beautifully'.

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  • Slowly" is a manner adverb; it describes the nature of the action. Adjectives don't do that; instead they describe nouns not verbs, so "slow" would be quite wrong here. "Tomorrow" is not an adverb but an NP with the deictic pronoun "tomorrow" as head functioning as an adjunct of temporal location. No: you can't say *You are so beautifully" "Beautifully" is an adverb, so it cannot be a subject complement of "be" describing "you" (I've reposted this comment because it contained a typo)
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 2 at 9:29
  • @BillJ If 'to do it' is omitted, 'slowly' can still be ok? I do not know why 'early' is not an adverb, since they both seem to have a similar structure.
    – Mr. Wang
    Commented Feb 2 at 9:30
  • Yes, it would still be OK. The meaning of "way" would be defined earlier in the discourse. It would still be complement of "be". "Early" has dual classification: it's an adjective in "an early start", and an adverb in "They arrived early".
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 2 at 9:39
  • @BillJ Is it the only case where be is followed by the adverb?
    – Mr. Wang
    Commented Feb 2 at 9:44
  • There are constraints on manner adverbs but there are one or two, such as "It was only very reluctantly that she agreed”.
    – BillJ
    Commented Feb 2 at 9:55

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[1] The only way to do it is very, very slowly. [complement of specifying be]

There are constraints on manner adverbs as complement of "be", but there are one or two, such as your example above, and

[2] It was only very reluctantly that she agreed.

Slowly" is a manner adverb; it describes how, in what way, the process in the verb phrase is performed. Adjectives don't do that; essentially, they describe nouns not verbs, so the adjective "slow" would be quite wrong in [1].

"Tomorrow" is not an adverb but an NP with the deictic pronoun "tomorrow" as head functioning as an adjunct of temporal location. No: you can't say *You are so beautifully" "Beautifully" is an adverb, so it cannot be a subject complement of "be" describing "you".

Note that there is an adverb "slow" that is formed from the adjective "slow" by conversion (as opposed to by -ly suffixation), as in "He was walking quite slow because of his injury", but this use is condemned by prescriptivists

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