<p>If “Also” is an adverb, how come in some instances it modifies a noun?</p>
<p>E.g She is also a songwriter. </p>
<p>“Besides” is also an adverb. How come we can say:
“Besides me, everyone went to the party”.</p>
<p>“Instead” is an adverb, but this is right:
“You can go instead of me.” Isn’t “instead” modifying “me” ?</p>
<p>Today, (also) representing nations (and other) political entities, (flags are used) (to represent) youth groups, athletic competitions, and international bodies.
Answer: “also”.</p>
<p>Silverturtle said: “Also” modifies a verb (“I represent X; I also represent Y”).
But I think he should’ve said it modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb, since that’s the function of an adverb.
If “also” is an adverb, and it can modify an adjective, and “representing nations and other political entities” is a participle acting as an adjective, why isn’t it correct?
It’s like saying: “Besides being cute, she is awesome.” “Being cute” is a participle acting as an adjective; “besides” is an adverb", and modifies the participle.</p>
<p>Ok, so this is what I can answer:</p>
<p>Besides can act as a preposition and a conjunctive adverb.
“Besides me, everyone went to the party”. -Here, it’s used as a preposition, and it means “apart from”.</p>
<p>“You can go instead of me.”
Just like “besides” in the previous example, “instead of” is a preposition that requires a noun after it. Again, here, it’s not a conjunctive adverb.</p>
<p>She is also a songwriter.
I believe that here, “also” modifies “is”, not “songwriter”, because it means that she “is” not just blabla, but even a songwriter. “Also” is an adverb in this case, not a conjunctive adverb.</p>
<p>Today, (also) representing nations (and other) political entities, (flags are used) (to represent) youth groups, athletic competitions, and international bodies.
Answer: “also”. I was wrong; “representing nations…” is a gerund, and “also” is an adverb that can modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, but not nouns/gerunds. </p>
<p>Besides being cute, she is awesome."-- This one is correct because besides is being used as a preposition (same story again) to mean “apart from”.</p>