Adverbs Help | Education.com

Introduction to Adverbs

Adverbs are also called modifiers. Whereas adjectives modify nouns, adverbs most frequently modify verbs. Adverbs can also modify adjectives and even other adverbs.

An adverb answers four specific questions about the word it modifies: where? (here, inside, there, across, out), when? (never, tomorrow, afterward, before, while), how? (irritatingly, swiftly, suspiciously, fervently), and to what extent? (so, very, too, extremely, really).

Memorizing these questions will help you identify adverbs. You can also look for words that end in -ly, as long as you remember that not all such words are adverbs. For example, friendly, neighborly, costly, ugly, burly, lovely, and cowardly are adjectives, not adverbs.

The table that follows shows examples of how adverbs are used. For clarification, the adverbs are boldfaced, and the words they modify are underlined.

Adverbs

Comparative Adverbs

Just as adjectives can show degrees of comparison, so can adverbs, with the words more, most, less, and least, and the suffixes -er and -est. A comparative adverb contrasts two words; a superlative compares three or more. Follow these rules for making adverbs for comparing:

Rule 1. One-syllable adverbs use the -er and -est endings.

Example:

fast—faster—fastest

Rule 2. Two-syllable adverbs use more and most to enhance the degree, or less and least to decrease the degree.

Examples:

quickly—more quickly—most quickly

often—less often—least often

Rule 3. Irregular adverbs do not follow either form.

Examples:

well—better—best

much—more—most

Tip: Absolute adverbs—words like all, every, completely, and entirely—already refer to everything possible, and therefore cannot be intensified any further. Similarly, never and always, two extremes of when, would be difficult to use in the comparative and superlative.

Distinguishing Between Adverbs and Adjectives

It is not unusual to encounter words that look like they are one part of speech when, in fact, they are playing the role of another.

Examples:

The bird arrived early and caught the worm.

The early bird catches the worm.

In the first sentence, early is an adverb modifying the verb arrived, answering the question when did the bird arrive?—early. In the second sentence, early is an adjective modifying the noun bird, answering the question what kind of bird is it?—an early bird.

The following table gives some examples of adverbs and adjectives that share the same form. The adverbs and adjectives are boldfaced, and the words being modified are underlined.

Some adjectives and adverbs can be a bit troublesome because they appear interchangeable, but are not.

Adverbs and adjectives that share the Same Form

Good and Well

The word good is always an adjective. Good implies satisfactory or commendable.

Examples:

You did a good job as PR rep.

John is such a good map reader.

Well can be an adjective or an adverb. As an adverb, it implies how something is done.

Examples:

The team played well this season.

Katelyn can swim freestyle well.

As an adjective, well is used with a linking verb and usually refers to someone's health.

Examples:

Julia looked well enough to go back to school this morning.

Our cat seems well after the successful surgery.

Bad and Badly

Bad is always an adjective, so it can only modify a noun or a pronoun after a linking verb.

Examples:

That cough of yours sounds pretty bad.

The cream seems bad, so throw it out.

Badly, on the other hand, is an adverb, and can only modify an action verb. It tells how something is done.

Examples:

The clown performs magic badly.

My little brother behaved badly at dinner.

Most and Almost

Most can be an adjective when it refers to an amount of something.

Examples:

Most cars run solely on gasoline.

It seems that most owners agreed.

Or it can be an adverb used to form the superlative degree of an adjective in a sentence.

Examples:

They were the most surprised.

This is the most intelligent dog I've ever seen.

Almost, on the other hand, is an adverb that modifies the adjectives every and all, and the adverbs always and never in a sentence. Almost can also be placed before a main verb as an indication of degree.

Examples:

Adjectives

Amy has almost every album the Beatles ever recorded.
Christian ate almost all the ice cream in one sitting.

Adverbs

They almost always participate in the annual softball game.
He almost never leaves without saying good-bye.

Verbs

She is almost finished with her painting.

Tip: The word not is an adverb that makes a sentence negative. Place the not before an action verb. (He could not paint.) Place the not after a form of be. (We are not lost.)

Tip: When you use adverbs correctly, they enhance your writing. But too many can become annoying. Use them only when they are really needed.

Exercises for this concept can be found at Adverbs Practice.

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Adverbs Help (page 2)

Introduction to Adverbs