What is an adverb?
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence.
Example: He sings loudly. (verb)
She is very tall. (adjective)
The show ended too quickly. (another adverb)
Fortunately I had bought an umbrella. (the whole sentence)
Placement of adverbs:
Place adverbs as close as possible to the words they are supposed to modify. When an adverb is modifying a verb phrase, the most natural place for the adverb is usually the middle of the phrase. Be especially careful about the word only, which is one of the most often misplaced modifiers.
Example: Mark only fed the fish. Mark fed the fish only.
The first sentence means that all Mark did was feed the fish. He didn’t pick it up or anything else.
The second sentence means that Mark fed the fish, but he didn’t feed the dog, the bird, or anyone else.
How to make adverbs:
| ENDING | ADD | WORD | ADVERB |
| Most adjectives | Add –ly. | Quick Nice Sole Careful | Quickly Nicely Solely Carefully |
| -able or –ible | Change to –e to –y | Regrettable Horrible | Regrettably Horribly |
| -y | Change –y to –ily | Happy | Happily |
| -ic | Change –ic to –ically | Economic | Economically |
Some adverbs have no particular from- well, fast, never, very, always, often, still.
Kind of Adverbs:
Adverbs of Manner:
Adverbs of manner tell us the manner in which something happens. They modify Verbs and answer the question “how?”
Example: He speaks slowly.
(How does he speak?)
They helped us cheerfully. (How did they help us?)
Also we use such adverbs with dynamic (action) words, not stative verbs.
Adverbs of Place:
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens.
They answer the question “where?”
Example: Please sit here. (Where should I sit?)
They looked everywhere. (Where did they look?)
Adverbs of Time:
Adverbs tell us about the time when something is happening.
They answer the question “when?”
Example: He came yesterday. (When did he come?)
I want it now! (When do I want it?)
Adverbs of Degree:
Adverbs of degree tells about the extent of something. They answer the question “how much” or “to what degree”. These adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
Example: She agrees entirely with him. (How much does she agree with him?)
Mary is very beautiful. (How beautiful is Mary?)
Adverbs of Frequency:
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. They answer the question “how often?” or “how frequently?”
Adverbs which show a definite period of time are known as Adverbs of definite frequency.
Example: hourly, daily, monthly, weekly, yearly, once, twice…Most companies pay taxes yearly.
Whereas, adverbs which do not show a definite period of time are known as adverbs of indefinite frequency.
Example: We usually talk in English.
| 100% | always, constantly |
| usually, normally | |
| frequently, regularly | |
| often | |
| 50% | sometimes |
| occasionally | |
| rarely, infrequently | |
| seldom | |
| hardly ever | |
| 0% | never |
