Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs adjectives other adverbs quantifiers and whole sentences

They answer the questions How? When? Where? How often? How sure?

Adverbs that modify verbs can go in several different places in a sentence. At the beginning At the end After the helping verb

An adverb which precedes a verb and modifies the verb

adverb (bold), verb (underlined) It is tiring to run quickly. His brother laughs loudly. The sun shone brightly. The captain went boldly. The farmer worked hard. The minister spoke well.

USE 1 Adverbs can be used to modify verbs. Examples: John walked quickly towards the door. Sally sat silently waiting for somebody else to speak first.

Adverbs that modify adjectives and other adverbs go directly before the words they modify.

She is always late.

USE 2 Adverbs can be used to modify adjectives. Examples: The redwood tree was impressively tall. The blouse was outrageously expensive.

Add ly to adjectives to form many adverbs. Quick quickly careful carefully nice nicely easy - easily

Children learn new languages easily.

He speaks English very well.

 USE 3 Adverbs can be used to modify other adverbs. Examples: She spoke extremely confidently. The cheetah ran incredibly quickly.

Many adverbs do not end in ly.

Fast Here Late Often Now There Sometimes Today Upstairs Downstairs Very Well Yesterday Inside Outside Always

Adverbs of time adverbs of manner adverbs of frequency adverbs of possibility

Adverbs of manner tell how something happens. Fast slowly well badly carefully patiently right

Position of adverbs of manner:

After the main verb when there is no object. After the verb + object

I speak slowly.
I read the article slowly

Many adverbs of manner are formed from adjectives + ly

Adjectives that end in y drop the -y and add ily

Adjectives that end in ic or ical add -ally

Find the adverbs of manner in the following sentences. 1. Jose' reads his book quickly 2. Mariko is studying the words on the board very carefully 3. Vincent is quietly singing the French song he learnt yesterday 4. Mohammed is smiling happily at his friend 5. Lionel is sitting quietly at his desk

6. Adres is trying hard to find a word in his dictionary 7. Yara is speaking clearly to her friend 8. Khaled is trying desperately to fix the air-conditioner 9. Yasin is laughing loudly at the joke. 10. Thayna is looking innocently at the teacher.

quickly, carefully, quietly, happily, quietly, hard, clearly, desperately, loudly innocently

Irregular forms of adverbs and adjectives:

Fast Hard Right Wrong Loud Long Friendly, lively, lovely, lonely Good, well

Adverbs of place tell where something is or where it happens. (location). They also express where something or someone is going (direction). Here, there, up, down, in, out, inside, together, back, away

Position of adverb of place:

After the main verb when there is no object, or after verb + object Direction adverbs always come after a pronoun object

We left her here. We took the children back

We gave back the money. We took it back.

after the main verb

I looked everywhere Jo looked away, up, down, around.. I'm going home, out, back Come in

after the object:

They built a house nearby She took the child outside

 They are followed by the verb if the subject is a noun: Here comes the bus. (followed by the verb) Or by a pronoun if this is the subject (it, she, he etc.): Here it is! (followed by the pronoun) There she goes! (followed by the pronoun)

Adverbs of time tell when something happens.

Yesterday, tomorrow, afterwards, now, early, late, then

Position of adverbs of time.

At the beginning or at the end of the clause Early and late go at the end

Yesterday, I took the children to the movies.

I took the children to the movies yesterday. I went home early. She came late.

Adverbs of frequency tell how often something happens always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, never

Position of adverbs of frequency

After the subject and be. Before other main verbs

She is always hungry. She always comes late.

We usually put these adverbs in the middle of the sentence, between the subject and the verb: I often go to the cinema. She sometimes visits me at home. We usually drink coffee.

We can also put them at the very beginning or end of the sentence. This makes them stronger: Often I go to the cinema. I go to the cinema often.

Here are some other expressions we can use to say 'how often'. All of these longer phrases go at the beginning or the end of the sentence but not in the middle. once in a while: I go to the cinema once in a while. every now and again: She drinks wine every now and again. from time to time: From time to time I visit my mother.

Adverbs of possibility tell how sure we are about something

certainly, definitely, probably, perhaps, maybe, possibly

Position of adverbs of possibility

Perhaps and maybe are at the beginning of the sentence The others go after the subject and be but before other main verbs

adverbs of possibility
Probably, definitely, maybe, perhaps.

 certainly - definitely - maybe - possibly clearly - obviously - perhaps - probably

Perhaps we should eat in the cafeteria today. I certainly want you in the next class.

maybe and perhaps usually come at the beginning of the clause: Perhaps the weather will be fine. Maybe it wont rain. Other adverbs of possibility usually come in front of the main verb: He is certainly coming to the party. Will they definitely be there? We will possibly come to England next year. but in after am, is, are, was, were: They are definitely at home. She was obviously very surprised.

Adverbs of degree make the word they modify stronger or weaker.

Extremely too very so, really, quite, enough, almost, hardly

Position of adverbs of degree

Before the word they modify Enough comes after the word it modifies

They are also called intensifiers. They modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs and quantifiers.

You work too hard. I dont eat very much. You almost failed the exam. You dont sleep enough She doesnt try hard enough.

intensifier
Fairly Quite Rather So Too very

The film was really good The film was quite good You did that rather well Must you leave so soon?

QUANTIFIER
Group of determiners which we use with nouns to describe the amount , extent or intensity of something Many Much Few Little Less Fewer More Some any

Hard and Hardly

He works hard. He is a hard worker. He hardly works.

Enough (quantifier) I have enough money to live comfortably. It comes before the noun
Enough (intensifier) You arent eating enough. It comes after the noun it modifies.

So and Such

She is so nice. She is such a nice girl.

The end!