Adverb
What is an
Adverb?
An adverb is a
word that is used to change or qualify the meaning of an adjective, a verb, a
clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or phrase with the exception
of determiners and adjectives that directly modify nouns.
Traditionally
considered to be a single part of speech, adverbs perform a wide variety of
functions, which makes it difficult to treat them as a single, unified
category. Adverbs normally carry out these functions by answering questions
such as:
When? She
always arrives early.
Some Rules
Adverbs can always be used to modify verbs. Notice that the second of
these two sentences is much more interesting simply because it contains an
adverb:
Adverbs are often formed by adding the letters “-ly” to adjectives. This
makes is very easy to identify adverbs in sentences. There are many exceptions
to this rule; everywhere, nowhere, and upstairs are a few examples.
An adverb can be used to modify an adjective and intensify the meaning it
conveys. For example:
He plays tennis well. (He knows how to
play tennis and sometimes he wins.)
He plays tennis extremely well. (He knows
how to play tennis so well that he wins often.)
Types of adverb
Adverbs of
Frequency
What is an
adverb of frequency?
Adverbs that
change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us how often or how
frequently something happens are defined as adverbs of frequency.
An adverb of
frequency is exactly what it sounds like – an adverb of time. Adverbs of
frequency always describe how often something occurs, either in definite or
indefinite terms. An adverb that describes definite frequency is one such as
weekly, daily, or yearly. An adverb describing indefinite frequency doesn’t
specify an exact time frame; examples are sometimes, often, and rarely.
Adverbs of
Manner
What is an
adverb of manner?
Adverbs of
manner describe how something happens. For example, it is possible to walk or
run at different speeds. The words used to describe walking or running at
different speeds (quickly or slowly for example) are excellent examples of
adverbs of manner. They help the reader gain greater insight into the way a written
scene is playing out. Comparing the following sentences will help you to
understand how these adverbs change the overall meaning of the sentences
they’re found in.
Adverbs of
Place
What is an
adverb of place?
Adverbs that
change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us where things happen
are defined as adverbs of place. Some instructors refer to these words or
phrases as spatial adverbs. No matter what they are called, these adverbs
always answer one important question: Where?
Adverbs of Time
What is an
adverb of time?
Adverbs that
change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us when things happen
are defined as adverbs of time.
An adverb of
time is just what you might expect it to be – a word that describes when, for
how long, or how often a certain action happened. You will notice that many
adverbs of time are the same as adverbs of frequency. There is quite a bit of
overlap between these two types of adverbs – so much so that some instructors
choose to mention one or the other but not both.
Adverb of
Degree
What is an
adverb of degree?
An adverb of
degree is used to discuss the degree or intensity of an adjective, an action,
or another adverb. There are so many adverbs of degree that it’s impossible to
list them all in one short guide.
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