ADVERB

DID YOU KNOW?

When you learn the Scandinavian languages, you find that an adverb is formed by adding
suffix -t. If you learn the Romance languages, you can create an adverb from an adjective. You just
have to add -ment in Catalan or French languages. In Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Galician
language, you have to add -mente.

YOUR GOALS
In this lesson students are expected to be able to:

 differentiate adverbs from adjectives,

 correctly classify the adverbs,
 and be able to properly use adverbs.

INITIAL TASK
PRE-TEST

I. Choose the correct answer.

1. Which statement is TRUE?

A.) An adverb adds more information about the verb.

B.) An adverb adds more information about the noun.
C.) An adverb adds more information about the punctuation in a sentence.
D.) An adverb adds more information about the pronoun.

2. Which word in the following sentence is an adverb?

Edward plays the piano beautifully.

A.) Plays
B.) Violin
C.) Beautifully
D.) Edward

3. Which adverb completes this sentence? The sun shone __________.

A.) Loudly
B.) Brightly
C.) Awkwardly
D.) Luckily
 4. Which adverb completes this sentence? The rain fell __________ against the window pane.

A.) Awkwardly
B.) Wickedly
C.) Smugly
D.) Heavily

5. Which of the following sentences does not contain an adverb?

A.) The child ran happily towards his mother.

B.) Hailey walked to the shops.
C.) Brendon gently woke the sleeping baby.
D.) I visited my brother yesterday.

II. The following words are adjectives. On the blanks provided write the correct spelling of the
word when it becomes an adverb.

6. Heavy __________________
7. Pleasant __________________
8. Gentle __________________
9. Angry __________________
10. Shy __________________
11. Sleepy __________________
12. Flirtatious __________________
13. Filthy __________________
14. Primary __________________
15. Anomalous __________________

INFORMATION
Adverb

An adverb is a word that modifies, or adds to the meaning of a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb. Adverbs often end in the suffix -ly and answers the questions: When? Where? In What manner?
and To What extent? Adverbs also often functions as intensifiers, conveying a greater or lesser emphasis
to something.

ADVERBS MODIFYING VERBS

An adverb modifying a verb answers the question Where? When? In What manner? Or To what
extent?

They can come after or before a verb or verb phrase or even between the words in a verb phrase.
 Where?
Fell below Move aside
Went there Climbs down
When?
Arrived today Left early
Spoken before Begins then
In What Manner?
Happily ran Ended abruptly
Danced awkwardly Sung loudly
To What Extent?
Partly understands Wash completely
Not completed Hardly would have known

ADVERBS MODIFYING ADJECTIVES

An adverb modifying an adjective answers only one question: To what extent?

When an adverb modifies an adjective, it usually comes before the adjective.

To What Extent?
Very glad Almost ready
Absolutely wrong Entirely grateful

ADVERBS MODIFYING ANOTHER ADVERB

An adverb modifying another adverb answers only one question: To what extent?

An adverb that modifies another adverb generally comes directly before the adverb it modifies.

To What Extent?

Moved very quickly Not completely wrong

Climbed almost over Only just recognized

Classifications of Adverbs
According to Meaning

Adverbs of Manner: answers the question how or In what manner.

He moved quickly but spoke loudly.

Adverbs of Place: answers the questions where.

She had lived on the island since she was five.

She still lives there.

Adverbs of Frequency: answers the question how often.

 Mary Ann takes the school bus every day.
Hank often visits his grandma on his own.

Adverbs of Degree: answers the question how much and how little.

He’s half finished with his homework.

I’m much oblige.

Adverbs of Time: answers the question when.

Hope left at dawn.

It’s starting to get dark now.
Scott finished the test first.
Nathan left for school early.

Adverbs of Purpose: answers the question why or for what purpose.

Lorna drives slowly to avoid hitting other cars.

Alex submitted his project early to receive additional points.

According to Use

Simple Adverbs – is an adverb used merely as a modifier.

Logan doesn’t think about it much.

Interrogative Adverbs – is an adverb used in asking questions. The interrogative adverbs are
how, when, where and why.

Conjunctive Adverbs – is an adverb that does the work of an adverb and a conjunction. The
principle conjunctive adverbs are after, until, as, when, before, where, since and while.

Remmy and Victor played cards while they waited.

While tells when the action happened and is therefore an adverb. However, it also connects the clause
while we waited with the verb played and is therefore a conjunction.

Relative Adverbs – is a word that does the work of an adverb and a relative pronoun. The
principle relative adverbs are when, where and why.

A home where prayers are observed is a spiritually-content one.

Since where tells a place of an action, it is an adverb. However, as it joins he subordinate clause where
prayers are observed to the noun home which is an antecedent of where, it is also a relative pronoun.

Adverbial Objects – is a noun that expresses time, distance, measure, weight, value or direction,
and performs the function of adverbs.

The rain poured on the city all day.

Day is a noun that tells how long the rain poured on the city. The noun day modifies the verb poured and
performs the function of an adverb.

YOUR GUIDE
Book

Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar Connection: Chapter 16, Section 2, page 482

Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar 1: Chapter 1, Unit 3.3, page 56-62

Grammar, Usage and Mechanics Handbook: R32

Links

10 facts about adverbs Retrieved from factfile.org/10-facts-about-adverbs

English Trivia – 7 (adverbs) Retrieved from weareghaint.blogspot.com/2016/01/English-trivia-7-

adverbs.ntml? m=1

Grammar and Spelling (adverbs) Retrieved from

https://www.factmonster.com/features/grammar-and-spelling/adverbs

Guide to Grammar and Writing. Capital Community College – Retrieved from

www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Academic-clinic.com Retrieved from http://www.academic-clinic.com

HAVE A BREAK
“My steering wheel won’t turn.” Tom said straightforwardly.

“You call this a musical!?” asked Les miserably.

“We don’t have a homerun hitter.” Babe said ruthlessly.

WRITING TIP
CORRECT USE OF ADVERBS

Distinguishing Between Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Sometimes,
however, the function of a word, in the sentence is not so very obvious and one gets confused as to
whether a word is a predicate adjective (when it modifies the subject) or an adverb that modifies a verb,
an adjective or another verb.

Rule of thumb

Predicate adjectives are used only with linking verbs (be and its forms, appear, become, continue,
feel, look, remain, seem, smell, sound and taste).

Gretchen looked happy. (equivalent to Gretchen was happy, and is thus an adjective.)

Gretchen looked closely at the book. (tells how Gretchen looked at the book and is thus an
adverb.)

Gretchen looked radiantly lovely. (tells how lovely and is thus an adverb.)

“Farther” and “Further”

“Farther” denotes distance. “Further” denotes addition. Both words may be used either as adjectives or
adverbs.

Uses of “There”

“There” may be an adverb denoting place, or it may be an expletive used to introduce a sentence.

The gift is there. (as an adverb)

There is something missing. (as an expletive)

CORRECT POSITION OF ADVERBS

Adverbs are highly flexible and can move around in a sentence, adverbs of manner in particular is the
most flexible in this regard.

Solemnly, the President addressed his congregation.

The President solemnly addressed his congregation.

The President addressed his congregation solemnly.

Adverbs of Frequency may appear

 Before the main verb: Roy never get up before nine o’clock.
 Between the auxiliary verb and the main verb: Oliver have rarely written to his mother without a
good reason.
 Before the verb used to: Caitlin always used to see him at the hallway.

Indefinite adverbs of time may appear either

 Before the verb: Kara finally showed up for practice.

 Or between the auxiliary verb and the main verb: Detective West has recently retired.
The Order of Multiple Adverbs

The basic order in which adverbs will appear when there is more than one.

THE ROYAL ORDER OF ADVERBS

Verb Manner Place Frequency Time Purpose
Beth swims enthusiastically in the pool every morning before dawn to keep in
shape.
Dad walks impatiently into town every before supper to get a
afternoon newspaper.
Veronica naps in her room every morning before lunch.
*Note* in actual practice, it would be highly unusual to have a string of adverb modifiers beyond two
or three (at the most). Because the placement of adverbs is flexible, one or two of the modifiers would
probably move to the beginning of the sentence: “Every afternoon before supper, Dad impatiently walks
into town to get a newspaper.” When this happens, the introductory adverbial modifiers are followed
by a comma.

As a general principle: shorter adverbial phrases precede longer adverbial phrases, regardless of content.

Dad takes a brisk walk before breakfast every day of his life.

The adverb of time precedes over the adverb of frequency because it is much shorter.

A second principle: among the adverbial phrases of the same kind, the more specific adverbial phrase
comes first.

My father was born in a sod house on the plains of northern Nebraska

She promised to meet him for lunch next week.

A third principle: Placing an adverbial modifier to the beginning of a sentence can place special emphasis
on that modifier, particularly with the adverbs of manner.

Slowly, ever so carefully, Jesse filled the coffee cup to the brim.

Occasionally, but only occasionally, one of the merchandise will by the inspectors.

Special Cases on Positioning Adverbs

1. “Enough”

The adverbs enough and not enough are usually placed on postmodifiers position.

Is that music loud enough?

This shoes are not big enough.
You must remember to speak loudly enough.

2. “Too”

Comes before the adjectives and other adverbs.

 Bart ran too fast.
Ramon speaks too quickly.

The adverb too is also often followed by an infinitive: He runs too slowly to enter this race.

Another construction for too is too followed by a prepositional phrase – for + the object of the
preposition + infinitive.

The milk is too hot for a baby to drink.

Remember!

Not all words ending in -ly are adverbs. Some are adjectives formed by adding -ly to a noun.

ACTIVITIES
Exercise 1

Tom Swifty jokes use adverbs to create puns related to the action of the sentence. For example, if a dog
is chasing a ball, you could use the adverb "fetchingly" to create a pun or when you send a message, you
could use “remorsefully”.
EXAMPLE:

"Rover went to get the ball." Tom said fetchingly.

“I’ll have to telegraph him again.” Tom said remorsefully.

Create your own pun using the following adverbs below.

hotly
lightly
brightly
chivalrously
detestably
handily
straightforwardly
notably
sorely
sweetly
Exercise 2

Choose the correct adverb that fits the sentence.

1. Logan (too, masterfully) upholstered that furniture.

2. Professor Summers taught his students (tirelessly, quickly).
3. The father spoke (solemnly, loudly) over his wife’s funeral.
4. Dr. Essex (sorely, grandly) revealed his world-changing discovery over the press.
5. Bucky (freely, fearfully) expressed his thoughts on the civil war.
6. Jean, an honor student, goes to school (often, infrequently).
7. It’s starting to get dark (now, later).
8. Grandpa still lives (there, slowly).
9. Mom (quietly, absolutely) sang my favorite lullaby.
10. My house is (farther, further) up the hill.

Exercise 3

Each of the following sentences contains an adverb in italics, underline the word it modifies. On the line
provided, tell whether the modified word is a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

____________ 1. Steven seldom loses his temper.

____________ 2. Should I serve the cake now?

____________ 3. Clinton rarely drinks alcohol.

____________ 4. Virginia is usually early on meetings.

____________ 5. Bruce occasionally eats take out.

____________ 6. The play was extremely boring.

____________ 7. Rhodey came too late.

____________ 8. Can Quill really dance?

____________ 9. Peter often complains about his teacher.

____________ 10. Sam wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings.

____________ 11. Lila gracefully danced on stage.

____________ 12. Cooper clumsily toppled over.

____________ 13. Anthony distractedly doodled on his notebook.

____________ 14. Natasha felt something was very wrong.

____________ 15. Nick furiously denied all accusations.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED
PART 1
Using the venn diagram, compare and contrast adverbs and adjectives.

Adverb Adjective

PART 2

In the table provided, write the function of the following adverbs classified according to meaning.

MANNER PLACE FREQUENCY DEGREE TIME PURPOSE

FUNCTION

POST TEST
I. Underline each adverb in the following sentences. Underline twice the word or words the
adverb modifies. On the line provided, write whether the adverb answers the questions how,
when, where, or to what extent.

EXAMPLE: When 1. Shall we leave now?

___________ 1. Pietro arrived early.

___________ 2. Barry can run faster than me.

___________ 3. Amanda Walker seems very sure of herself.

___________ 4. Did you know that your new books are here?

___________ 5. This math problem is really hard.

___________ 6. Pamela carefully sprinkled the seeds over the soil.

___________ 7. Soon, Jason will realize he was wrong.

___________ 8. Wally is always the fastest runner on the track team.

___________ 9. The band came onstage and began to play loudly.

___________ 10. The fence between their yards did not divide the land equally.

II. Write T if the sentence is True and F if the sentence is false.

_____1. An adverb is a word that only modifies, or adds to the meaning of a noun and a pronoun.

_____2. An adverb is a word that modifies, or adds to the meaning of a verb, an adjective, or another
adverb.

_____3. All words ending in -ly are adverbs.

_____4. A noun can sometimes perform a function of an adverb.

_____5. Adverbs of Degree answers the question how often.

_____6. Adverbs of Manner answers the question how or in what manner.

_____7. Adverbs of Place answers the question where.

_____8. Adverbs of Purpose answers the question how much or how little.

_____9. Adverbs doesn’t function as intensifiers.

_____10. Adverbs are highly flexible and can move around in a sentence.

_____11. An adverb modifying an adjective answers the question Where? When? and In What
manner?

_____12. An adverb modifying another adverb answers the question To what extent?

_____13. An adverb modifying an adjective does not answer the question To what extent?

_____14. Simple Adverbs are used in asking questions.

_____15. Conjunctive Adverbs are adverbs that does the work of an adverb and a conjunction.

FINAL DESTINATION