Functions of 再 in a sentence

[flautert]

Hi all,

I am studying the Spoonfed Chinese deck with Anki and came accross this sentence:

 
如果他当时再努力一点，他就成功了

If at that time, he had worked a little harder, he would have succeeded

 

I don't undertand the use of 再. Shouldn't there be a verb in its place, like 工作?

Thans a lot!

[Jim]

I'm terrible with formal grammar terms but as I understand it 努力 is the verb there, 再 is modifying it as part of the adverbial phrase 再...一点 which suggests you do the verb action a little bit more, as in 再靠近一点 meaning come a bit closer. The 再 could just be an adverb on its own I believe, e.g. 他再努力也不会成功 which is the opposite of your example - no matter how hard he worked he never would have succeeded.

[Publius]

Jim's explanation is pretty good.

This is the relevant Chinese Grammar Wiki page if you want more examples: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_"again"_in_the_future_with_"zai"#.E5.86.8D_as_.22Another.22_or_.22Some_More.22

[flautert]

I think I get it now.

Thank you both very much!

[iand]

Incidentally, that grammar wiki article has some lapses. Maybe I'm just being a pedant, but saying "The English word "another" is often avoided altogether by using 再" seems like a roundabout way of saying "再 means 'another.'" Of course we're avoiding English words, but we're using a Chinese word that means the same thing. Perhaps they don't see it as meaning "another" because one is an adverb, the other an adjective. Well, then say that explicitly! Also, in one of the examples, the hanzi doesn't match the pinyin or translation:

 

服务员 ，再 来 。

Wǒmen zài zhǎo yī gè rén ba.

Let's find another person.