100518
As I understand it, when you make a clause and then put こと at the end of it
everything is transformed into a noun (e.g. 食べましたこと is eaten _thing_.) If it's
a noun, it should be modified by an adjective, but I encountered this sentence

> しかし、スケジュールの都合ですぐに公開することは難しく、断念せざるをえませんでした。

Source:
<https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/international_news_navi/articles/feature/2023/08/01/33180.html>

I'm not sure what to make of the 難しく. It isn't て-form so it must be an adverb,
but wouldn't it be describing the noun スケジュールの都合ですぐに公開すること then? Or should 難しく
be treated like it's part of the phrase before こと even though it's after
everything?

I checked on <https://senseijapanese.com/japanese-
grammar/using-%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8-to-nominalize-a-verb-or-sentence/> and it
gave

> しごとのことがきらいです

as an example, so is it possible to use both adjectives and adverbs with こと?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-02T22:12:33.853
100514
2023-08-03T02:46:27.393
39515
question
adverbs nominalization particle-こと
Use adjective or adverb for clause + こと
こと is a [nominalizer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/29367/5010), and
食べたこと refers to the action of eating itself, not something that was eaten
(food).

> 公開することは難しい。
>
> Releasing (it) is difficult.  
>  It's difficult to release it.

Here, 公開する is a verb ("to release"), and こと turns it into a noun, i.e.,
nominalizes it ("releasing").

Next, 難しく is indeed the ku-form of 難しい, but it's not used as an adverb here.
It's used to join two clauses like a te-form does. This is called 中止法. The
article you've linked has lots of 中止法 for verbs (始まり, 携わり, 退職し...), but the
same happens with the 連用形 of adjectives, too. See: [Use of く-form over くて in
an い-adjective](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/12642/5010)

With these two points in mind, the sentence can be parsed like so:

  * 公開する  
to release it

  * 公開すること  
releasing it

  * 公開することは難しい。  
Releasing it is difficult.

  * すぐに公開することは難しい。  
Releasing it immediately is difficult.

  * すぐに公開することは難しく、...  
Releasing it immediately is difficult, (and...)

  * しかし、スケジュールの都合ですぐに公開することは難しく、断念せざるをえませんでした。  
However, due to scheduling constraints, releasing it immediately was
difficult, and she had no choice but to give up.

連用形 (aka "continuative form", or ku-form in the case of i-adjectives) is more
than "adverbial form". See: [Do I have a good grasp on the basics of what the
continuative form is?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/65936/5010)
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-03T02:46:27.393
100518
2023-08-03T02:46:27.393
5010
100514
answer