Adverbs are words used to describe or modify verbs. Adverbs give more information about a verb. Adverbs can also describe adjectives or other adverbs. They provide more information about that other descriptive word. While some adverbs can be identified by their characteristic "ly" suffix, most of them must be identified by untangling the grammatical relationships within the sentence or clause as a whole. Unlike an adjective, an adverb can be found in various places within the sentence.
Modify an adjective:
- He is really handsome. (How handsome is he?)
- That was extremely kind of you.
Modify another adverb:
- She drives incredibly slowly. (How slowly does she drive?)
- He drives extremely fast.
Types of Adverbs
Adverbs of Time
Press the button now.
('now' - adverb of time)
I have never been.
('never' - adverb of time)
I tell him daily.
('daily' - adverb of time)
Adverbs of Place
Daisies grow everywhere.
('everywhere' - adverb of place)
I did not put it there.
('there' - adverb of place)
Adverbs of Manner
He passed the re-sit easily.
('easily' - adverb of manner)
The lion crawled stealthily.
('stealthily' - adverb of manner)
Adverbs of Degree
it hardly rained at all last summer
('hardly' - adverb of degree)
He boxed more cleverly.
('more cleverly' - adverb of degree and manner.)
Adverb of Frequency
Sometimes, he wakes up late in the morning
You have often been told not to do that
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