10.64 indicating reality or possibility

A number of adjuncts are used to indicate whether a situation actually exists or whether it merely seems to exist, or might exist.

• Even sympathetic observers have said that what he's really doing is protecting his own interests.
• Germs were allegedly scattered from airplanes.
• Extra cash is probably the best present.

The following adjuncts are used like this:

• actually, certainly, conceivably, definitely, doubtless, hopefully, in fact, in practice, in reality, in theory, maybe, no doubt, officially, perhaps, possibly, presumably, probably, really, unofficially, --- , allegedly, apparently, nominally, ostensibly, potentially, seemingly, supposedly, theoretically, undoubtedly

The adverbs in the second group are often used in front of adjectives.

• We drove along apparently empty streets.
• They pointed out that it would be theoretically possible to lay a cable from a satellite to earth.