Can an adverb clause modify an infinitive?

The title is pretty self explanatory, in the sentence:

It is difficult to travel through the huge expanse of parched sands in the Sahara Desert, where oases are plentiful but distant from each other.

I am supposed to find the adverb clause in this sentence, I suspect that it is “Through the huge expanse”, but it modifies the infinitive “to travel”. If this isn’t correct, please tell me where the actual adverb clause is.

Answer

The answer is “yes”: any adverbial (an adverb, an adverbial phrase, or an adverbial clause) can modify an infinitive. The point is that there is no adverbial clause in the sentence you provided but an adverbial phrase containing a non-restrictive or non-definining relative clause that modifies the noun phrase “the Sahara Desert”.

The adverb phrase (not clause) is thus: through the huge expanse of parched sands in the Sahara Desert, where oases are plentiful but distant from each other, with “where oases are plentiful but distant from each other” being a relative (adjective) clause postmodifying “the Sahara Desert”.

Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : George , Answer Author : Gustavson

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