Adverbs

ADVERBS

An adverb is a word that tells us more about a verb. It qualifies or modifies a verb. An adverb describes verbs, other adverbs, adjectives, and phrases. They are used to describe how, where, when, how often and why something happens.  Adverbs can modify adjectives, but an adjective cannot modify an adverb.

The question words “Where?” “When?” and “How?” and individual words that answer these questions are adverbs.

An adverb modifying a verb

The cat climbed quickly up the tree. – (quickly describes how the cat climbed).

John speaks loudly. – (loudly describes how John speaks).

Mary lives locally.

Christine never smokes.

He drove slowly.

An adverb modifying an adjective

She is nearly ready to go. – (nearly tells to what extent she is ready)

He drove a very fast car. – (very tells how fast his car was)

Fanísia is really beautiful.

An adverb modifying another adverb

Mike worked very carefully on his paper. – (very shows how carefully he worked)

He drives incredibly slowly.

She moved quite slowly down the corridor. 

An adverb modifying the whole sentence

Obviously, he can’t know everything.  – (obviously intensifies how he can’t know everything). 

 Position of an adverb in the sentence

Adverbs have three main positions in the sentence.

1. Front – (before the subject).

Now, we will study adverbs.

1. Middle – (between the subject and the main verb).

We often study adverbs.

1. End – (after the verb or object).

We study adverbs carefully.

Kinds of adverbs

There are several kinds of adverbs, depending on the circumstance we use them, but the common are:

1. Adverbs of manner – describe how something happens. It answers the question “How?” Some commonly used adverbs of manner include: carefully, correctly, eagerly, easily, fast, loudly, patiently, quickly, quietly, well. The adverbs of manner usually come after a direct object, or if there is no direct object, after the verb.

 

Example:

 Christine sings beautifully.

Gildo is extremely clever.

She drives slowly.

My parents speak French perfectly. 

The headmaster moved slowly and spoke quietly.

 

• Most of adverbs of manner are formed by adding – ly to an adjective.

Successfully     quickly   carefully      extremely   actively   faithfully   purposely    nicely   softly    sweetly       loudly       slowly             perfectly     etc.

• When the adjective ends in y, drop the y and add – ily.

Crazy – crazily      noisy – noisily       happy – happily, etc.

• When the adjective ends in le, change the le to – ly.

Responsible – responsibly     capable – capably    comparable – comparably

Note that not all of the words ending in ly are adverbs. There are some adjectives that also end in ly, as you can see: friendly, lonely, lovely, silly, elderly, etc. We can’t transform them in adverbs. In this case we have to change to an adverbial locution. She spoke to me in a friendly way. He sat there looking lonely.

• A few adverbs are same as their corresponding adjective.

Fast – fast           hard – hard         late – late        early – early

She thinks fast. (Fast answers the question how, so it is an adverb).

Why do you work so hard?

The train will leave late.

• The adverb that corresponds to the adjective good is well.

You did a good job. (Good describes the job – adjective).

You did the job well. (Well answers how – adverb).

It works well.

• The adverb that corresponds to the adjective bad is badly.

We dance badly.

We performed badly.

 

2. Adverbs of place/location – describe where something happens. It answers the question “where?” Most adverbs of place are also used as prepositions. Some commonly used examples include the following: abroad, anywhere, downstairs, here, there, home, in, nowhere, out, outside, somewhere, underground, upstairs, etc.

 

Example:

Have you seen my glasses anywhere?

We were sitting up there.

The tragedy happened right here.

The party will be on my house.

Note that certain prepositions functions as adverbs when they are not followed by an object. Here are some of them: in, inside, out, outside, in front, in back, behind, over, up, down, below, under, underneath, close, near, far, across, by, past, though. Example: She doesn’t live far. He is out. I will see you below They went outside. The TV is inside the box.

 

3. Adverbs of time – describe when something happens. It answers the question “when?” Some commonly used examples include: after, already, during, finally, just, last, later, next, now, recently, soon, then, tomorrow, when, while, yesterday, still, afterwards, early, late, momentarily, yet, not anymore, today, tonight, immediately, etc.

Example

She tries to get back before dark.

My brother travelled to Johannesburg in January 2013 and now he is working for gold mining company.

Next month, I will visit the coal mining in Moatize.

I see you tonight.

Mary’s wedding day was last week. 

They moved here two years ago.

I’m still here.

Thomas is already working on his thesis.

 

The preposition before functions as an adverb when it is not followed by an object.

He was here before.

4. Adverbs of frequency – describe how many times something happens. It answers the question “how many times?” Some commonly used examples include: never, hardly ever, rarely, seldom, occasionally, often, frequently, usually, always, daily, monthly, yearly, weekly, etc. These adverbs usually come before the main verb, and after to BE verb.

 

She never arrives late.

My students are sometimes unhappy.

He is always smiling.

She often drinks coffee before she starts working.

They don´t usually sleep early.

 

Note that the adverb “sometimes, once, twice or x times a week, year…” can be placed after the verb or before the subject.  I study sometimes. Sometimes I study. I study twice a week. Twice a week I study

 

5. Adverbs of degree – tell us about the intensity or degree of an action, an adjective or another adverb. Common adverbs of degree: almost, nearly, quite, just, too, enough, hardly, scarcely, completely, very, extremely.

 

Adverbs of degree are usually placed:

      before the adjective or adverb:

The water was extremely cold.

      before the main verb:

He was just leaving.

She has almost finished.

Examples

She doesn't quite know what she'll do after university.

They are completely rejected her proposal.

The milk is too hot for a baby to drink.

I am too tired to go out tonight.

He hardly noticed what she was saying.

Enough, very, too

Enough means a satisfactory amount or degree. It comes after adjectives and adverbs, and before noun.

• This jacket isn't big enough for me.
• We have enough money to buy our own apartment.
• He didn't work hard enough.

Very means something is done to a high degree, it is usually factual and comes before adjectives or other adverbs.

• He finishes his work very quickly.
• He speaks very quickly.

Too means more than enough, an excessive amount or degree. It comes before adjectives and adverbs.

• Our apartment is too small for us.
• He works too hard.
• He speaks too quickly.

Thank you

By, Farai Estevão