ADVERBS
ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings loudly), an adjective (very tall), another adverb (ended too quickly), or even a whole sentence (Fortunately, I had brought an umbrella). Adverbs often end in -ly, but some (such as fast) look exactly the same as their adjective counter. Adverbs are words that describe verbs. In these two examples, the adverbs tell us how the verb is performed:
EXAMPLE: He walked
quickly.
(In this example, "walked" is
the verb, and the adverb "quickly" describes how the verb was done.)
She talks
loudly.
(Here, "talks" is the verb,
and the adverb "loudly" describes how the verb is done.)
Did you notice that both adverbs ended
"-ly"? Lots of adverbs that tell us how the verb is performed end
with "-ly."
Understanding adverbs is a little more
complicated than that though. Not all adverbs tell us how a verb is done.
Adverbs can also tell us when, where, how often, and how much a verb is done.
Adverbs can also be used with adjectives and even other adverbs.
In the examples above, every adverb is a
single word, but an adverb can be made up of more than one word. For example:
How: He ran at 10 miles per hour.
(The bold text is an adverbial phrase.)
When: He ran when the police arrived.
(The bold text is an adverbial clause.)
Where: He ran to the shops.
(adverbial phrase)
Why: He ran to fetch some water.
(This is an adverbial phrase. Look at
the list above. There are no single-word adverbs that tell us why.)
How often: He ran every day.
(adverbial phrase)
How much: He ran quicker than me.
(adverbial phrase)
ADVERBS OF MANNER:
He swims well.
He ran quickly.
She spoke softly.
James coughed loudly to attract her
attention.
He plays the flute beautifully. ( after
the direct object)
He ate the chocolate cake greedily. (
after the direct object)
ADVERBS OF PLACE
John looked around but he couldn't see
the monkey.
I searched everywhere I could think of.
I'm going back to school.
Come in!
They built a house nearby.
She took the child outside.
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
Most Common Adverbs of Frequency
always - He always does his homework.
usually - They usually complete the work
on time.
often - I often watch movies online.
sometimes - Jack sometimes comes over
for dinner.
occasionally - She occasionally asks a
question.
rarely - They rarely have any homework
ADVERBS OF CERTAINTY
Adverbs of certainty
He definitely left the house this
morning.
He surely won't forget.
He is probably in the park.
He is certainly a smart man.
ADVERBS OF DEGREE
An adverb of degree modifies a sentence to tell us the intensity of
something. They're normally placed before the adjective, adverb or verb that
they modify, but there are some exceptions.
Adverbs of degree
allow you to be very specific when writing, no matter what the purpose. In the
following examples, the adverbs of degree have been italicized for ease of
identification.
They were almost finished.
This cake is absolutely wonderful.
The temperature was barely above freezing.
Our driveway is completely frozen.
We felt incredibly lucky after winning
tickets to the World Series.
My teacher is terribly grumpy today.
INTERROGATIVE ADVERBS
The interrogative adverbs are
"why,""where,""when," and "how." They
are used to asking questions.
What Are Interrogative Adverbs? (with
Examples)
Why is the garden such a mess?
Where is your sister?
When are you going to grow up?
How can you eat a freezer full of pizzas
in one evening?
RELATIVE ADVERBS
More Examples of Relative Adverbs
The seat where we sat last Saturday is
still free.
I can remember a time when I could eat
four hamburgers.
We do not know the reason why he left.
We do not know why he left.
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