Before looking at examples of these adverbials from Finnish in more detail, I shall briefly point out that most verbs are ambiguous between a stage level reading and an individual level reading. Carlson (1977) argues that this is because all verbs that are originally stage level can be transformed to individual level verbs by means of a special G(eneric)-operator. There also exist verbs that originally only receive an individual level reading, although these verbs can receive stage level readings in some special contexts. (3) is an example of a purely individual level verb.
(3) Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a. Sirkku-nom know-present/3sg Swedish-partitive Sirkku knows Swedish
Carlson proposes that the stage or individual levelness is always a property of the verbal (or adjectival) predicate itself, so it is always contained, or included, in the predicate itself. Diesing (1988) shows, however, that the stage and individual level interpretations can be brought about by other elements as well. So far I have only discussed sentences consisting of the subject and the verbal predicate. I shall now move on to discuss adverbials, examining what happens when stage and individual level predicates are accompanied by adverbials of manner, place, or time. I shall first look at adverbials of manner. The below examples from Finnish suggest that a verb ambiguous between a stage level and an individual level reading remains ambiguous when it is accompanied by an adverbial of manner. Adverbials of manner do not seem to affect the atelic reading of these sentences, as they are all seen as being unbounded, and having no natural beginning or ending:
(4) Sirkku kavele-e ontu-e-n. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg limp-2infinitive-instructive Sirkku walks with a limp
(5) Sirkku kavele-e kuin ankka. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg like duck-nominative Sirkku walks like a duck
The sentences in (4-5) are ambiguous between a stage and an individual level reading. The stage level readings for these sentences are only true of Sirkku at some particular time or place, so that walking with a limp or walking like a duck are Sirkku's stages. Because they are Sirkku's stages, they are regarded as something temporary. The individual level readings for (4-5) express some general fact always holding of Sirkku, irrespective of time and place. Sirkku has the property of walking with a limp, or walking like a duck, and there exists no other types of walking for Sirkku. Whenever Sirkku walks, she walks with a limp, or like a duck. She cannot control the situation, ie she cannot choose not to walk with a limp. In that sense the removal of the ad verbial element from the individual level reading changes Sirkku's essential, permanent characteristics.
In (6-7) an ambiguous verb like 'walk' is accompanied by adverbials of place:
(6) Sirkku kavele-e koulu-un. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg school-illative Sirkku walks to school
(7) Sirkku kavele-e ranna-lla. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg beach-adessive Sirkku walks on the beach
These sentences are again ambiguous between a stage level and an individual level reading. The stage level readings are true of Sirkku only at a some particular time: walking to school or on the beach are Sirkku's temporary stages. The removal of the adverbial does not change any of Sirkku's permanent properties or characteristics. The individual level readings for the same sentences express an essential fact always holding of Sirkku: she is the one who habitually walks to school, or the one who habitually walks on the beach. Just like with adverbials of manner, the removal of the adverbial element seems to change Sirkku's permanent properties or characteristics.
Let's now look at adverbials of time:
(8) Sirkku kavele-e keskiviikko-i-sin. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg Wednesday-pl-adverb Sirkku walks on Wednesdays
(9) Sirkku kavele-e keskiviikko-na. Sirkku-nominative walk-present/3sg Wednesday-essive Sirkku walks on Wednesday
(8) contains the adverbial 'keskiviikkoisin' which, in Finnish, expresses indefinite time. We are not talking about any particular Wednesday, but Wednesdays in general, and the sentence can only receive an individual level reading. We are stating a general fact about Sirkku: she is the one who habitually walks on Wednesdays. In (9) there is the adverbial 'keskiviikkona' which expresses definite time in Finnish. We are talking about some specific Wednesday, and only the stage level reading is available (NB. the plural of 'keskiviikkona' would be 'keskiviikkoina' which, at least to me, would suggest an individual level reading. I shall not discuss the role of the plural here however).
Certain verbs, as already pointed out, can only receive an individual level reading, which can also be accompanied by adverbial elements. The following sentences are examples of a purely individual level verb, accompanied by adverbials of manner, place, and time.
(10) a. Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a huonosti. Sirkku-nom know-present/3sg Swedish-partitive badly Sirkku knows Swedish badlyb. Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a kuin vetta vaan. Sirkku-nom know-present/3sg Swedish-partitive like water only Sirkku knows Swedish fluently
c. Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a Ruotsi-ssa. Sirkku-nom know-present/3sg Swedish-partitive Sweden-inessive Sirkku knows Swedish in Sweden
d. Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a keskiviikko-i-sin. Sirkku-nom know-pres/3sg Swedish-partitive Wednesday-pl-adverb Sirkku knows Swedish on Wednesdays
e. Sirkku osa-a ruotsi-a keskiviikko-na. Sirkku-nom know-pres/3sg Swedish-partitive Wednesday-essive Sirkku knows Swedish on Wednesday
In (10a-b), the adverbials of manner do not seem to change the type of the individual level predicate, and the sentences seem to remain individual level in Finnish, so that it is Sirkku's general property or characteristic that she knows Swedish badly or fluently. (10c) can receive both a stage level and an individual level reading in Finnish. As a stage level verb, we are merely stating what Sirkku is doing right now: she is, right now, knowing Swedish in Sweden. As an individual level verb, we are stating a general fact always holding of Sirkku: she is the one who always knows Swedish in Sweden. However, although the sentence as a whole is individual level, the know Swedish part can only be stage level. If someone knows Swedish only in Sweden, then knowing Swedish cannot be his or her permanent property or characteristic, ie something that is always true of them. (10d) can only receive an individual level reading in Finnish, and (10e) can only receive a stage level reading in Finnish. However, although (10d) as a whole may receive an individual level reading, so that it tells us something about Sirkku's permanent properties or characteristics, the know Swedsh part can only receivea stage level reading. If someone knows Swedish only on Wednesdays, then knowing Swedish cannot be their individual level property, ie it is not always true of that person that he or she knows Swedish.