ADVERBS

Identifying adverbs

We’ve saved adverbs for last because they can be a bit tricky. Adverbs do lots of different things and can be in lots of different places in a sentence. In fact, the chances are, if you don’t know what else a word is, it’s probably an adverb.

The adverbs are underlined in the sentences below:

1. I live here. (information about location)

2.My brother is arriving today. (information about time)

3. She dances gracefully. (information about manner)

4.That child is very sweet. (degree information about an adjective, in this case, about sweet)

5. She works extremely efficiently. (degree information about another adverb, in this case, about efficiently)

Quick tip

Adverbs generally indicate information about location, time, degree, and manner. They provide extra information about the action in a sentence, about adjectives and about other adverbs.

Quick tip

If you don’t know what else a word is (and you’ve eliminated the other parts of speech), it’s probably an adverb.

While unfortunately, we can’t give you a simple rule that will help you identify adverbs 100 percent of the time, the tips below will help you correctly identify adverbs in many cases.

Quick tip

Can the word go in the followings lot? Mary slept ______. If so, it’s probably an adverb. For example, Mary slept peacefully. Peacefully is an adverb.

Quick tip

Can the word go in the following slot?, I gave/will give my speech. If so, it’s probably an adverb. For example, Yesterday, I gave my speech. Yesterday is an adverb. Or: Tomorrow, I will give my speech. Tomorrow is an adverb

Quick tip

Can the word go in the following slot? He is ______ happy. If so, it’s probably an adverb. For example, He is very happy. Very is an adverb.

Quick tip

Does the word end in the suffix -ly? Is it an adjective? If it ends in -ly and it’s not an adjective, it’s probably an adverb (e.g. hopefully, happily, unusually).

Answers

Many, though not all, adverbs end in-ly (rapidly, innocently, sweetly, etc.). However, some adjectives also end in-ly, for example lovely, friendly. It’s easy to distinguish them. Just remember that the adjectives can go in the slot the _____ boy: the lovely boy, the friendly boy.

While adverbs can go before the adjective, for example the extremely friendly boy (extremely is an adverb), adverbs cannot occupy the slot directly before the noun. That is, one cannot say, *the extremely boy or *the innocently boy, so extremely and innocently are not adjectives; they must be adverbs.

Note that some nouns, for example the flower lily, end in-ly as well. And just to add a little more spice to the recipe, there are some words that can be used either as adverbs or as adjectives:

6a. That is a pretty easy book. (Pretty is similar to the word very here, and is an adverb of degree.)

6b. That is a pretty child. (Pretty is an adjective.)

7a. You drive too fast. (Fast tells us more about the verb drive, so it is an adverb.)

7b. This actor’s delivery was too fast. (Fast tells us more about the noun delivery, so it is an adjective.)

Answers

Answers

Answers

Answers

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

جامعة الكفيل تقيم مجلس عزاء بذكرى شهادة السيدة فاطمة الزهراء (عليها السلام)

قسم المعارف ينجز نحو 240 إصدارًا علميًّا في مختلف التخصصات

لتعزيز الذاكرة الوطنية قسم الشؤون الفكرية يقيم معرضًا لجرائم البعث والإرهاب في جامعة دهوك

المجمع العلمي يواصل جلساته الحوارية ضمن المشروع القرآني لطلبة الجامعات العراقية في النجف

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

دراسة تكشف تأثيرا مذهلا لـ"أوميغا 3"

دراسة تكشف تأثير المشي في الوقاية من الزهايمر

العصير ليس دائما الخيار الصحي.. حقائق يجب أن تعرفها

دراسة حديثة تعيد الجدل حول بدائل السكر

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

"سيري".. نسخة جديدة تعتمد على الذكاء الاصطناعي من "غوغل"

ظاهرة نادرة.. "قمر القندس العملاق" الأقرب للأرض في 2025

بعثة صينية تمدد إقامتها في الفضاء.. وتواجه "المجهول"

أبوظبي تجمع رواد تكنولوجيا الذكاء والتنقل الذكي والروبوتات

المزيد