Introduction to the adverb

What is an adverb?

An adverb is a word that describes how, when, where, something is done.

Examples:

She sings beautifully (How?) They arrived yesterday (When?) The children are playing downstairs (Where?)

It is the "how" function that is difficult

The reason is that you often mix up the adverb, e.g. beautifully, with its corresponding adjective beautiful.

Learn to see which words belong together. Draw arrows. "What is she like?" - "How does she sing?"

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When you are quite sure of the "how" function, and start paying attention to adverbs in your exercises and texts, you will also realize that adverbs that are related to "when", "where", etc. are easily learnt just like you learn other words.

The "how" adverbs are generally formed from adjectives:

By adding -ly to an adjective you can usually form an adverb Examples: possible - possibly, nice - nicely, sudden - suddenly

Any spelling rules?

Like adjectives, adverbs are used for comparison:

Kiri Te Kanawa sings more beautifully than me Eric runs faster than his brother Of all the students in our school, Eric runs fastest.

Like with the adjectives, you have to look out for short and long comparison:

Short words - short form (fast - faster - fastest) Long words - long form ( beautifully - more beautifully - most beautifully)

Note that adjectives generally take the definite article (the) in front of the third form ( the superlative), but adverbs don't.

Like adjectives, adverbs also stress (emphasize) adjectives and other adverbs:

"What is she like?" - "She is beautiful." "How beautiful is she?" - "She is extremely beautiful." "How does she sing?" - "She sings beautifully." "How beautifully?" - "Extremely beautifully."

Please note that you will come across a few irregular forms and exceptions. Pay attention when you do the exercises.

There are differences between British and American English:

Many short and common adverbs do not take the -ly ending in American English Examples: Br Eng - John returned really quickly. Am Eng - John returned real quick

(Learn to) use your grammar book

Learn to find things in your grammar book.

Look-up words: adverb, adverbial, adjunct