What is Adverb
Definition of Adverb
An adverb is a word that modifies or gives more information
about a verb, adjective, adverb, or whole sentence.
- He ate quickly.
- It is very hot today.
- He finished his homework too quickly.
- Unfortunately, I lost my cell phone
yesterday.
Adverbs that Modify Verbs
Adverbs often give more information about verbs. They tell
more about verbs by answering these questions how? When? Where? and how often?
- How does she sing? She sings beautifully.
- When did they arrive? They arrived early.
- Where did you see him? I saw him there at the party.
- How often does John meet you? He usually meets me.
Adverbs that Modify Adjectives
An adverb is a word that also tells more about an adjective or gives
more information about an adjective. It adds a degree of intensity.
- I saw Diya. She is quite pretty.
- It is too hot to go out this time.
- My extremely cute son is ill today.
- I was slightly late for the meeting.
Adverbs that Modify Other Adverbs
Adverbs are also used to tell more about other adverbs. They
both create adverbial phrases.
- Our dog runs very quickly.
- He drives extremely fast and carefully.
- I don’t like this laptop. It works so slowly.
Adverbs that Modify Entire Sentences
Sometimes an adverb describes or modifies a complete
sentence. In this case, it does not tell more about just one word. It tells more
about the entire sentence.
- Unfortunately, he failed his test.
- They were upset at that time, sadly.
- Obviously, I told them about the
demerits.
- Certainly, I did not intend to shoot an arrow.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner
An adverb of manner tells how something happens. It tells the
way how something happens.
- He does his work happily.
- I saw an eagle that swooped furiously.
- Distribute the whole sweets equally.
- I like his driving because he drives carefully.
Adverbs of Time
An adverb of time adds more information about time by answering
the question (when does something happen?).
- Who will get up early?
- I will call you back tomorrow.
- We will go to New York tonight.
- Classes are going to be started soon.
Adverbs of Place
An adverb of place adds more information related to the place where an action takes place.
- Sit here till I return.
- Wherever he goes, he takes his mobile.
- We walked across the river for thirty minutes.
Adverbs of Frequency
An adverb of frequency tells the frequency of an action. It
tells us how often something happens.
- He always studies for five hours.
- John never comes late to class.
- Dresses are usually made of cotton.
- Sometimes, my friend creates tension.
Adverbs of Degree
An adverb of degree tells the degree or level of an action, adjective, or another adverb. The Adverb of degree answers the question (how much does something happen?).
- He works very hard.
- She completely refused to marry.
- Ali was so excited about his new appointment.
Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs are used to connect phrases or
independent clauses. They are used to connect ideas.
- I am ill; therefore, I cannot come to school.
- It was raining cats and dogs; consequently, we did not go to the park.
Position of Adverbs
Adverbs can be placed in different places in a sentence.
They can be placed at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. It is
important to place an adverb near the word or words that the adverb modifies.
- We have arrived recently.
- Sometimes, kids ask awkward questions.
- We always try our best to come on time.
Degrees of Comparison of Adverbs
There are three degrees of comparison. The three degrees of
adverbs are the positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree.
The positive degree describes something in its own right.
- They played well.
- She danced beautifully.
- They got up early in the morning.
- They approached courageously.
Comparative adverb compares actions of two things.
- Ali moves quicker than Diya.
- John played better than Tom.
- She danced more beautifully than Sakela.
- Asif works hard, but Haider works harder.
Superlative adverb compares the action of one thing with the whole group.
- Ali jumped the highest.
- Sam arrived the earliest.
- Toshio played the best out of everyone.
- She danced the most beautifully at the party.
