What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that tells us more about a verb. It "qualifies" or "modifies" a verb (The man ran quickly).

John speaks loudly. (How does John speak?) Afterwards she smoked a ci arette. (!hen did she smoke?) "ar# lives locally. (!here does "ar# li$e?)

%ut ad$erbs can also modif# adjectives (Tara is really beautiful)& or e$en other adverbs (It works very well). 'ook at these e(amples)

"odif# an adjective) * He is really handsome. (How handsome is he?) "odif# another adverb) * +he dri$es incredibly slowly. (How slowl# does she dri$e?)

Adverb Form
!e make man# ad$erbs b# addin

-ly to an ad,ecti$e& for e(ample)

quick (ad,ecti$e) - quickly (ad$erb) careful (ad,ecti$e) - carefully (ad$erb) beautiful (ad,ecti$e) - beautifully (ad$erb)

.ules about spellin for *l# ad$erbs. +ee the table below) Adjective ending most adjectives do this add *l# adjective quick nice sole careful re rettable horrible happ# economic adverb quickl# nicel# solel# carefull# re rettabl# horribl# happil# economicall#

-able or -ible -y -ic

chan e *e to *# chan e *# to *il# chan e *ic to *icall#

!!! %ut not all words that end in *l# are ad$erbs. The words friendly& lovely& lonely and neighbourly& for e(ample& are all ad,ecti$es. And some ad$erbs ha$e no particular form. 'ook at these e(amples)

well& fast& $er#& ne$er& alwa#s& often& still

Kinds of Adverbs
Adverbs of anner
Ad$erbs of "anner tell us the manner or wa# in which somethin happens. The# answer the question "how?". Ad$erbs of "anner mainl# modif# verbs.

He speaks slowly. (How does he speak?) The# helped us cheerfully. (How did the# help us?) James %ond drives his cars fast. (How does James %ond dri$e his cars?)

!e normall# use Ad$erbs of "anner with dynamic !action" $erbs& not with stati$e or state $erbs. He ran fast. +he came quickl#. The# worked happil#. +he looked beautifull#. It seems stran el#. The# are happil#.

Adverbs of #lace
Ad$erbs of /lace tell us the place where somethin happens. The# answer the question "where?". Ad$erbs of /lace mainl# modif# verbs.

/lease sit here. (!here should I sit?) The# looked everywhere. (!here did the# look?) Two cars were parked outside. (!here were two cars parked?)

Adverbs of $ime
Ad$erbs of Time tell us somethin about the time that somethin happens. Ad$erbs of Time mainl# modif# verbs. The# can answer the question "when?")

He came yesterday. (!hen did he come?) I want it now. (!hen do I want it?)

0r the# can answer the question "how often?")

The# deliver the newspaper daily. (How often do the# deli$er the newspaper?) !e sometimes watch a mo$ie. (How often do we watch a mo$ie?)

Adverbs of %egree
Ad$erbs of 1e ree tell us the de ree or e(tent to which somethin happens. The# answer the question "how much?" or "to what degree?". Ad$erbs of 1e ree can modif# verbs& adjectives and other adverbs.

+he entirely agrees with him. (How much does she a ree with him?) "ar# is very beautiful. (To what de ree is "ar# beautiful? How beautiful is "ar#?) He dro$e quite dangerously. (To what de ree did he dri$e dan erousl#? How dan erousl# did he dri$e?)

Adverb #osition
!hen an ad$erb modifies a verb& there are usuall# 2 possible positions within the sentence or clause) 3. 4.05T * before sub,ect 6. "I1 * between sub,ect 7 $erb 2. 851 * after $erb9ob,ect &ow I will read a book. I often I read books carefully. read books.

!hen an ad$erb modifies an adjective or another adverb& it usuall# oes in front of the word that it modifies& for e(ample) adverb adjective +he a$e him a really dirty look.

adverb adverb

!e quite

often

stud# 8n lish.

The position of an ad$erb often depends on the kind of ad$erb (manner& place& time& de ree). The followin table i$es #ou some uidelines for placement based on the kind of ad$erb. !arnin ) these are uidelines onl#& and not complete. There are man# e(ceptions. kind of adverb mainl y modifi es $erbs $erbs $erbs sentence adverb +he stroked hi gently. s hair He here. was working He finished th yesterd e ,ob ay. !e often $erbs& ad,ecti $es and ad$erb s I nearly It was terribly He works really usual 'osition

manner 'lace tim definit e e freque nc# degree

851 851 851 go to /a "I1 ris. died. funny. fast. "I1 before ad,e cti$e before ad$erb