Adverbs.

The function of adverb

Adverbs serve two major roles:

• They can be integrated into a element of the clause  Modifier.

They usually modify and adjective or another adverbs.

• They themselves can be an element of the clause  Adverbial.

It is important to note that the same adverbs can function as a modifiers and adverbials.
The formation of adverbs.
 Adverbs: Roles and meanings
A key use of adverbs is to add information about the time, manner or place of an action or
state described in a sentence.
 Adverbs: roles and meanings
Syntactic roles of adverbs.

Adverbs modifying adjectives:

I thought his answers were pretty good on the whole.

Adjective

Adverb

the adverb usually comes before the adjective, except for the adverbs enough and ago, that are placed
after the adjectives.
 Adverbs: roles and meanings

Common adverb + adjective combinations

Degree adverb: real, really, too, pretty, quite, very + bad, well, good, nice, quick.
(Evaluative expressions)

The French team did really well in the first round.

Adverbs modifying other adverbs: describing amounts/intensities, qualifying a

comparison that is being made, or time and place.

Really fast - almost always- pretty much- much better- very well- right here- pretty soon- right now. (Adverb phrases)
 Adverbs: roles and meanings

Adverbs modifying other elements:

-Adverbs can also modify noun phrases, prepositional phrases, particles, numerals or
measurements.

Adverbs as complements of prepositions:

Before long- since then- under there- from above. They usually denote time.

Adverbs as clause elements: adverbials.

Circumstance adverbials - Stance adverbials- Linking adverbials.

 Adverbs: roles and meanings

Adverbs standing alone

They can serve as complete utterances: No, totally I mean it, Totally and utterly.

To express or emphasize agreement: What you could afford you had. Exactly. Exactly.
Definitely. Definitely.

Used as questions: Really ? Seriously ?

Used to answer questions: Probably - Definitely

 Semantic categories of adverbs
Place adverbs: there, far, backward.

Time adverbs: now, always, already.

Manner adverbs: automatically, quickly, fast, well.

Degree adverbs: slightly, almost, thoroughly.

• Amplifiers/intensifiers: more, very, so, extremely, totally, absolutely, completely, quite.

• Diminishers/downtoners: less, slightly, somewhat, rather, quite.

Additive/restrictive adverbs: too, also. especially, only.

Stance adverbs: Epistemic stance adverbs: probably, actually, reportedly,
typically.

Attitude stance adverbs: unfortunately, surprisingly.

Style stance adverbs: Honestly ! - Frankly- Quite simply.

Linking adverbs: thus, however.

Other meanings: angiographically, symbolically, kindly

 Irregular adverbs

• Same adverbs have an irregular form, eg: good  well.

• Adverbs with the same form as adjectives:

• early fast hard high late low right wrong

Hard and hardly are often confused. Hardly means 'almost not'. Hard is an adverb form meaning 'using a
lot of energy'.

I can hardly hear you! Are you working hard?

 Comparative and superlative forms of adverbs

Adverbs: comparative and superlative forms

Adverbs do not normally change in form, but a few have comparative and superlative
forms. These are usually short adverbs and so they normally have comparative and
superlative forms with -er and -est.
 with verbs ending in -ly . more is used to form the
comparative and most to form the superlative.
Adverbs. Comparative. Superlative.

quietly more quietly most quietly

slowly more slowly most slowly

seriously more seriously most seriously.

■ The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.

■ Could you sing more quietly please?
In the case of short adverbs that don’t end in -ly, the comparative and superlative forms are the
same to the adjectives: -er is added to form the comparative and -est to form the superlative. If
the adverb ends in -e, this last vowel is removed before adding the termination.

Hard harder hardest

Fast faster fastest

Late later latest

■ Jim works harder than his brother.
■ Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.
Irregular forms in the superlative and comparative.

badly worse worst

far farther /further farthest/furthest

little less least

well better best

■ The little boy ran farther than his friends.

■ You're driving worse today than yesterday !
■ He played the best of any player.
 Complement of adverbs.
The clauses and phrases which occur as degree complements with adjectives can also
occur with adverbs. the adverb phrase functions as an adverbial in all of the examples
below.

Type 1: Adverb- er + than -phrase/clause OR more/less + adverb + than-

phrase/clause.

Eg. It could happen MORE QUICKLY [than anyone expects]. <clause>

Type 2: as + adverb + as-phrase/clause.

eg. The normal scan must be resumed as quickly [as possible]. <phrase>

Type 3: so + adverb + that clause.

eg. Albert had spoken so calmly [that it made her calm too].

Type 4: so + adverb + as to-clause (this structure occurs most commonly with the
adverb far)

Eg. He went so far as [to write home some vague information of his feelings about
business and its prospects].
Type 5: too + adverb + to-clause.

eg. The situation has deteriorated too far [to repair].

Type 6: adverb + enough + to-clause.

eg. At least four people were bitten seriously enough [to be hospitalized].