CHAPTER 5
ADVER BS 5.1 What Is an Adverb? 98 5.2 Five Groups of Adverbs That Modify Verbs
98
5.3 Adverbs Used to Form Questions !! 5.4 "#a$ement of Adverbs !! 5.5 When Ad%e$tives &e$ome Adverbs ! 5.6 When Adverbs Modify 'ther Adverbs
!
Ad%e$tives es !( 5.7 When Adverbs Modify Ad%e$tiv Ad%e$tives s 5.8 )omparison *ith Adverbs and Ad%e$tive Ad%e$tives es and Adverbs as 5.9 'vervie* of Ad%e$tiv
5.1
-evie* ./er$ises
!0
!( !
P#e&os!!o
ns
Conjunc!ons
'ne#jec
!ons
91 Copyright © 2008 by Gabriele Stobbe. Click here for terms of use.
5.1 ()* Ad"e#%+
's
*n
Adverbs act as modifiers. The prefix “ad-” in the word ad ver b means “ to,” “towa rd,” or “in addition to.” An adverb is a word that is used with a verb to expand its mea n ing.
walk
,u!e
write
eat
swim
e##!%
s-o/
,u!c
Adverbs add to or modify the meaning of verbs
and are classified as adverbs of time, location, manner, degree, and f requency.
Adverbs have many jobs to do. This section of the cha pter introduces the main job adverbs perform to modify verbs. !a ter in the chapter, we wi"" cover how adverbs are used to modif y both adverbs and ad jectives.
5.2 !"e #ou&s o Ad"e#%s T)* od! Ve#%s Ad"e#%s o T!e Adverbs of time te"" when an action happened, happens, o r wi"" happen. #ome of the most common"y used adverbs of time inc"ude early, today, now, yesterday, before, soon, a nd tomorrow.
$oo" o pens
today%
()en + 2a##o*een is $omin3 soon4
Tod* te##s you *hen the poo# opens4 5ot %ust opens6 but opens today.
Soon indi$ates *hen the ho#iday is $omin34 5ot %ust $omin36 but $omin3 soon.
98
Ad"e#%s o oc*!on Adverbs of "ocation te"" where an action happened, happens, or wi"" happen. &ere are some examp"es of adverbs of "oca tion above, inside, here, there, and everywhere.
99
()e#e +
dogs so"d
&ot
here%
Andy is *a#7in3 !ns!de4
He#e te##s you *here the
'ns!de te##s you *here he is *a#7in34 5ot %ust *a#7in36 but *a#7in3 inside.
hot do3s are so#d4 5ot %ust so#d6 but so#d here.
Ad"e#%s o *nne# Adverbs of manner te"" how something happened, ha ppens, or wi"" happen. #ome common"y used adverbs of manner a r e loudly, carefully, well, quickly, and slowly.
Ho/+
Wa#7 c*#eu-- around the poo#4 C*#eu-- te##s you ho* to *a#74 5ot %ust *a#76 but *a#7 carefully.
ea t slowly. '
S-o/- te##s you ho* he eats4 5ot %ust eat6 but eat slowly.
Ad"e#%s o De#ee Adverbs of degree te"" to what extent an action ha ppened, happens, or wi"" happen. &ere are some examp"es of this gr ou p of adverbs completely, nearly, too, almost, very, and fu ll y. '
nearly
hit the bottom of the po o"%
To /)*
een+
'
almost
f o
5ot %ust hit6 but nearly hit. for3ot.
rgot my f" ippe r s%
5ot %ust for3ot6 but almost
The examp"es above show the importance of un der st a nding adverbs They te"" you that the action did not happen in the end.
Ad"e#%s o #e,uenc Adverbs of fre(uency te"" how fre(uent"y an action ha ppened, happens, or wi"" happen. #ome common"y used adverbs of fre(uency are always, often, sometimes, seldom, and never.
Ho/ oen+
*immers must *-/*s sho*er before enterin3 the poo#4 5ot %ust sho*er6 but always sho*er4
The friends oen *a#7 to the poo#4 5ot %ust *a#76 but often *a#74
These five groups of adverbs are the most common"y used adverbs that modify verbs.
5.3 Ad"e#%s sed o o# :ues!ons The (uestion words that he"p you to identify the time, "ocation, or manner of an action are ca""ed interrogative ad ver bs. “When,” “where,” and “how” are used to form questions. They help you to identif y the time, location, or manner of an action.
()en does the s*im meet be3in? Adverb identifying
time
()e#e are the ba##s? Adverb identifying location
Ho/ does he *rite? Adverb identifying
manner
5.4 P-*ceen o Ad"e#%s
The p"acement of adverbs can vary great"y. Adverbs are usua ""y p"aced direct"y after the verb. &owever, as the examp"e al most forgot my !ippers shows, adverbs can a"so be p"aced before a verb. 'n the sentence "he walked around the pool caref ull y, the adverb is p"aced after an o b ject noun .
5.5 ()en Adjec!"es Becoe Ad"e#%s )ost adjectives become adverbs by adding the suffix #ly. This #ly suffix is a usefu" indicator to he"p you identify adverbs.
*ven though the majority of adverbs are formed by adding #ly to an adjective, not a"" adverbs have this suffix. #ome exa mp"es of adverbs that cannot be identified as adverbs by "oo+ing a t a suffix are seldom, again, soon, almost, fast, and now.
5.6 ()en Ad"e#%s od! ;)e# Ad"e#%s The meaning of an adverb can be made stronger by adding a second adverb.
'n the examp"es be"ow, the adverbs very and really are used to modify other adverbs. Subject Verb Adverb
Adverb
Maria s*ims "e# /e--4 /e-- modi+es s/!s ho* the a$tion *as done: "e# further modi+es the adverb /e-not %ust *e##6 but very *e##:
Subject Verb
Adverb
Adverb
;a7e *rites #e*-- e##!%-4
e##!%- modi+es the verb /#!es ho* the a$tion *as done: #e*-- further modi+es the adverb e##!%- not %ust terrib#y6 but really terrib#y:
5.7 ()en Ad"e#%s od! Adjec!"es “Too” and “very” are commonly used adverbs of deg ree. They can modify ad$ectives as well as other adverbs .
Adverbs can be used to add more meaning to adjectives that describe a noun. &ere is an examp"e, expanded step by st e p.
&en is a s*immer %*d &en is a &en is a "e# %*d Subject Linking Article Adverb Adjective Verb
Noun
%*d modi+es the noun s/!e# "e# modi+es the ad%e$tive %*d
'n this examp"e, the adverb very modifies the adjective bad. 't exp"ains to what extent en is a bad swimmer . %dverbs of degree can modif y both other adverbs and ad $ecti ves .
5.8 Co&*#!son Adjec!"es
/!)
Ad"e#%s
*nd
The form of an adverb or adjective sometimes changes to show degrees of (ua"ity. 'n grammar, these changed forms showing a difference in degree constitute the comparative f or m .
There are *n g"ish
three
degrees
of
comparison
in
. The positive degree of an adjective or adverb descr i bes a noun without comparing it to anyone or anything e"se. The positive degree of an adverb or adjective does not ma+ e a compa r ison. . The comparative degree shows that the (ua"ity a s expressed by the adjective or adverb exists to a gr ea ter degr ee. /. The superlative degree shows that the (ua"ity as ex pressed by the adjective or adverb exists to the greatest degr ee.
When adverbs or ad$ectives are used to compare, they change form or add new words to indicate degrees of quality.
The fo""owing chart shows two ways in which a d jectives and adverbs form the comparative and super"ative degr ees. 0ou can compare any person, p"ace, thing, or idea to a nother one, or to a group of peop"e, p"aces, things, or idea s.
Adjec!"es
Ad"e#%s
T)e Pos!!"e De#ee
:u*-! .
:u*-! .
od! one noun
od! one Ve#%
a bi3<3ood
*rites fast<*e##
a he#pfu# si3n
*a#7s =uiet#y
T)e Co&*#*!"e De#ee Greater Aoun o
:u*-!.
Greater Aoun o
:u*-!.
Co&*#e /o
Co&*#e /o
Add -er o )e *djec!"e
Add -er o )e *d"e#%
a bi33er
*rites faster
P-*ce more %eo#e )e *djec!"e %eo#e )e noun> a o#e he#pfu# si3n
P-*ce more
%eo#e )e *d"e#%> *a#7s o#e =uiet#y
T)e Su&e#-*!"e De#ee Greatest Aoun o
:u*-!. Co&*#e o#e )*n /o Add
-est
o )e
*djec!"e the bi33est
st hambur3er
Greatest Aoun o
P-*ce most %eo#e )e *djec!"e %eo#e )e noun>
:u*-!.
the os he#pfu# si3n
Co&*#e o#e )*n /o Add
o )e *d"e#% -est
*rites fastest
P-*ce
%eo#e )e *d"e#%>
most
*a#7s os =uiet#y
The previous chart inc"udes adjectives and adverbs of compa r ison that have irregu"ar forms. 'rregu"ar adjectives of comparison inc"ude bad, worse, worst and good, better, bes t. A common irregu"ar adverb of comparison is well, better, bes t. There are many other forms of adjectives and adverbs not mentioned in this summary. Make sure you continue to e xpand this list in order to use comparatives co r rect l y.
5.9 ;"e#"!e/ o Adjec!"es *nd Ad"e#%s *s od!!e#s
()o o# ()*+ ()*+ 3#!end s
dear
N; N
Does
VER B
/*-0
very
AD?ECT'V E
ADVER B
very
my
AD?ECT'VE
4;D'1'E RS
ADVER s#o*#y B
Ad%e$tives never modify verbs> they on#y modify nouns4 Adverbs never modify nouns6 but they $an modify ad%e$tives6 as *e## as verbs and other adverbs4
5.10 Ee#c!ses A
Re"!e/
'dentify the adverb in each sentence and under"ine
it. . . /. 1. 3. 4. 7. 8. 9. :.
They swim s"ow"y. )r. )i""er coo+s the mea" we"". ' a"most fe"" down the st a ir s% 2inner is near"y r eady. Anna rea""y "oves her fami"y. 5hen is the test 6 &e eats brea+fast ea r "y. ' read boo+s (uic+ "y. The sun shines br ight"y. 2o ' write we""6
B
2etermine whether the word in red type is an adverb or an adjective. 5rite adv if it is an adverb or ad$ if it is an a d jective. . . /. 1. 3. 4. 7. 8.
#hadow is a cute dog. #he is very ha ppy. 5e as+ many (uest ions. en rea""y "i+es to su r f % 5here does he st udy6 &e ta"+s more "oud"y. The directions are c"ea r . #usan is swimming now.
C
2etermine whether the adjective in red type is compa r a tive or super"ative. 5rite & for comparative or " for su per "a tive. . . /. 1. 3. 4. 7. 8.
' am the s"owest r unner . This poo" is deeper than that poo". &is dog is sma""er than my dog. #he is the nicest gir" in the schoo". ;a+e is faster than < yan . &e is the most boring te acher % )aria is ta""er than Ann a. #usan is the best swimmer .
