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Adverb
Definition: Most adverbs in English are formed by adding -ly to an Adjective. An adverb is a word that modifies
the meaning of a Verb; an Adjective; another adverb; a Noun or Noun Phrase; Determiner; a Numeral; a Pronoun;
or a Prepositional Phrase and can sometimes be used as a Complement of a Preposition.
ADVERB OF MANNER
Adverbs of manner modify a verb to describe the way the action is done.
Example: She did the work carefully.
('Carefully' modifies the verb to describe the way the work was done, as opposed to quickly, carelessly, etc..)
ADVERB OF TIME
Adverbs of time show when an action is done, or the duration or frequency.
Example: He did it yesterday. (When)
They are permanently busy. (Duration)
She never does it. (Frequency)
ADVERB OF DEGREE
Adverbs of degree increase or decrease the effect of the verb.
Example: I completely agree with you. (This increases the effect of the verb, whereas 'partially' would decrease
it.)
adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner are usually formed from adjectives by adding ly:
bad > badly; quiet > quietly; recent > recently; sudden > suddenly
but there are sometimes changes in spelling:
easy > easily; gentle > gently
If an adjective ends in ly we use the phrase in a . way to express manner:
Silly > He behaved in a silly way.
Friendly > She spoke in a friendly way.
A few adverbs of manner have the same form as the adjective:
They all worked hard.
She usually arrives late.
I hate driving fast.
Note: hardly and lately have different meanings:
He could hardly walk = It was difficult for him to walk.
I havent seen John lately = I havent seen John recently.
We often use phrases with like as adverbials of manner:
She slept like a baby.
He ran like a rabbit.
Adverbs of manner and link verbs
We very often use adverbials with like after link verbs:
Her hands felt like ice.
It smells like fresh bread.
But we do not use other adverbials of manner after link verbs. We use adjectives instead:
They looked happily happy.
That bread smells deliciously delicious.
adverbials of place
We use adverbials of place to describe:
Location
Direction
We use adverbials to to talk about the direction where someone or something is moving.
Examples:
Walk past the bank and keep going to the end of the street.
Distance
adverbials of location
Location
We use prepositions to talk about where someone or something is:
above
among
at
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
by
in
in between
inside
near
next to
on
opposite
outside
over
round
through
under
underneath
at the back of
at the top of
at the bottom of
at the end of
on top of
at the front of
in front of
in the middle of
adverbials of direction
Direction
We also use prepositional phrases to talk about direction:
across
along
back
back to
down
into
onto
out of
past
through
to
towards
abroad
away
anywhere
downstairs
downwards
everywhere
here
indoors
inside
nowhere
outdoors
outside
somewhere
there
upstairs
adverbials of distance
Distance
We use adverbials to show how far things are:
Birmingham is 250 kilometres from London.
Birmingham is 250 kilometres away from London.
It is 250 kilometres from Birmingham to London.
Sometimes we use a preposition at the end of a clause:
We were in London. Birmingham was 250 kilometres away.
Birmingham was 250 kilometres off.
adverbials of time
Adverbials of time
We use adverbials of time to say:
when something happened:
I saw Mary yesterday.
She was born in 1978.
I will see you later.
There was a storm during the night.
for how long :
We waited all day.
They have lived here since 2004.
We will be on holiday from July 1st until August 3rd.
how often (frequency):
one day/week/month
last Saturday
next Friday
today
this week/month/year
how long
We use for to say how long:
We have been waiting for twenty minutes.
They lived in Manchester for fifteen years.
We use since with the present perfect or the past perfect to say when something started:
I have worked here since December.
They had been watching since seven oclock in the morning.
We use from to/until to say when something starts and finishes:
They stayed with us from Monday to Friday.
We will be on holiday from the sixteenth until the twentieth.
how often
occasionally
often
rarely
seldom
sometimes
usually
We usually put adverbials of frequency in front of the main verb:
We often spend Christmas with friends.
I have never enjoyed myself so much.
but they usually come after the verb be:
He was always tired in the evening.
We are never late for work.
We use the adverbial a lot to mean often or frequently. It comes at the end of the clause:
We go to the cinema a lot.
but before another time adverbial:
We go to the cinema a lot at the weekend.
We use much with a negative to mean not often:
We dont go out much. (= We dont go out often)
We use how often or ever to ask questions about frequency. How often comes at
the beginning of the clause:
How often do you go to the cinema?
How often have you been here?
ever comes before the main verb:
Do you ever go to the cinema at the weekend?
Have you ever been there?
Longer frequency phrases, like every year or three times a day usually come at the end of the
clause:
I have an English lesson twice a week.
She goes to see her mother every day.
adverbials of probability
Adverbials of probability
We use adverbials of probability to show how certain we are about something. The most frequent
adverbials of probability are:
certainly - definitely - maybe - possibly
clearly - obviously - perhaps - probably
maybe and perhaps usually come at the beginning of the clause:
Perhaps the weather will be fine.
Maybe it wont rain.
Other adverbs of possibility usually come in front of the main verb:
He is certainly coming to the party.
Will they definitely be there?
We will possibly come to England next year.
but in after am, is, are, was, were:
They are definitely at home.
She was obviously very surprised.
comparative adverbs
We can use comparative adverbs to show change or to make comparisons:
I forget things more often nowadays.
She began to speak more quickly.
They are working harder now.
We often use than with comparative adverbs
I forget things more often than I used to.
Girls usually work harder than boys.
Intensifiers:
We use these words and phrases as intensifiers with these patterns:
much - far - a lot - quite a lot - a great deal - a good deal - a good bit - a fair bit
I forget things much more often nowadays.
Mitigators:
We use these words and phrases as mitigators:
a bit - just a bit - a little - a little bit - just a little bit - slightly
She began to speak a bit more quickly
superlative adverbs
We can use superlative adverbs to make comparisons:
His ankles hurt badly, but his knees hurt worst.
It rains most often at the beginning of the year.
Intensifiers:
When we intensify a superlative adverb we often use the in front of the adverb, and we use these
words and phrases as intensifiers:
easily - much - far - by far