Adverbs are words that describe or qualify the meaning of verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Some adverbs are also used to describe clauses or sentences. Some adverbs are usually words that answer questions with how.
Get free English grammar exercises into your email:
Contents
hide
Types of Adverbs
There are eight types of adverbs. Let’s see the following tables.
| Types of Adverbs | Examples |
| manner
place time frequency sentence adverbs degree interrogative relative |
quickly, bravely, fast, happily, hard, well
by, down, there, here, up, near, far, high now, soon, still, then, today, tomorrow, yet always, ever, never, occasionally, often, once, sometimes, twice certainly, definitely, luckily, surely fairly, hardly, rather, quite, too, very when? where? why? how? when, where, why |
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner are usually used to describe in what way something is done. Let’s see the following examples.
- She can sing beautifully.
- The little boy can run fast.
- He studies his lesson lazily.
- My sister said goodbye to me sadly.
- Also, she said goodbye sadly to the whole members of the community.
- She sadly said goodbye to me.
- She sadly goodbye to the whole members of the community.
- All passengers flying to Copenhagen are kindly requested to wait in Gate Number Ten.
- He kindly offered me to take his seat.
- The man generously treated us a drink.
- I’m sorry I have to write my resignation letter before I promote you.
Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place are usually used to describe the location/place. Let’s see the following examples.
- Please sit down here.
- I saw her standing there.
- The birds are flying so high.
- The durians fell down.
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time are usually put at the beginning or at the end of a sentence / a clause. Let’s see the following examples.
- Finally my father gave up smoking.
- My father gave up smoking finally.
- I’ll post it tomorrow.
- We’ll soon deliver your order.
- We have recently received your mail.
- We’ll fix the problem immediately.
- He hasn’t finished reading the book yet.
- I’m still loving you.
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency are usually used to describe how often something is done. Let’s see the following examples.
- The students always come in time for school.
- I’ll never mean to hurt you.
- She is always happy to be with me.
- The 9 year old boy sometimes has to work for food.
- She often calls me when she misses me at night.
- I will always love you.
Sentence Adverbs
These adverbs are usually used to modify the whole sentence/clause. It is also used to express opinion. Let’s see the following examples.
- Actually he doesn’t love her. He just wants her money.
- Perhaps she doesn’t realize it.
- He is possibly cunning.
- Fortunately her father begins to suspect him of it.
- Finally he is sure of it.
- Certainly he is going to let his daughter know about it.
- Honestly he is going to tell her what he is sure of.
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree are used to modify adjectives or other adverbs. They are usually put before the adjectives or adverbs. Let’s see the following examples.
- It’s almost done.
- You’re absolutely right.
- The man drives the car too fast.
- He can speak English far better than me.
Interrogative Adverbs
The followings are interrogative adverbs :
- when : ( at what time? )
- where : ( in what place? )
- why : ( for what reasons? )
- how : ( in what way? )
Examples
Let’s use them in sentences.
- When do you usually go to work? | At 7.30.
- Where were you born? | I was born in Copenhagen.
- why did you that lazy man?
- How did you come here? | By bus.
Relative Adverbs
Let’s see relative adverbs (when, where, why) in sentences.
- The city where we live is beautiful.
- I don’t know why she left me.
- My grandfather forgot when he married my grandmother.
The Order of Adverbs of Manner, Place and Time
When we use three adverbs of manner, place and time in one sentence. We usually follow the following rules.
Manner + Place + Time
Let’s see the following examples.
- We always live happily anywhere any time.
- They were waiting anxiously the whole night.
- I will be home tonight.
The Position of Adverbs In Two or More Word Verbs
We sometimes use two or more verbs in a sentence. In this case we usually put the adverb after the first part of the verb. Let’s see the following examples.
- My father doesn’t always have to work on Saturdays.
- My car has probably been fixed.
- She has never seen her mother.
- After her mother’s death, she has always lived with her grandmother.
Note : The adverbs are printed in green. The verbs are underlined.
The Difference between Adverbs and Adjectives
Adverbs modify verbs. They tell how we do something. Examples:
He walks slowly.
They work carefully.
Adjectives modify nouns. Examples:
a tall boy
a beautiful girl
We can form a lot of adverbs by adding ly to an adjective.
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
|
slow
careful
easy
soft
bad
serious
permanent
quick
rapid
|
slowly
carefully
easily
softly
badly
seriously
permanently
quickly
rapidly
|
We use a few words such as fast, hard, late, and low as either adjectives or adverbs.
He is a fast learner. He learns fast.
She is a hard worker. She works hard.
Good and Well
Good is an adjective. It modifies a noun. Examples:
He is a good student.
Good food makes you look good.
Well is an adverb. It modifies a verb, an adjective or a whole sentence. Examples:
He studies well.
He works well.
We often use well to tell that we are in good health. Examples:
I am very well, thank you.
Ben was sick yesterday but now he is well.
Adverb and Adjective Exercises
Exercise I
Complete the sentences with the words provided.
well fast happily hard tomorrow
- They lived …. ever after.
- Don’t work too ….
- She can speak English ….
- I’m going to post it … morning.
- The little boy can run very ….
Exercise II
Underline the correct word in the brackets to complete the sentence. Examples:
He always drives his car (careful, carefully).
- He is a very (careful, carefully) driver.
- Go there (quick, quickly). They need you.
- He is a (slow, slowly) student.
- Mr. Jaber has got a (permanent, permanently) visa.
- He plans to live in Indonesia (permanent, permanently).
- Please ride your motorbike (slow, slowly). There are many children here.
- Is the test (easy, easily)?
- Yes, I can do it (easy, easily).
- Wait for me. Don’t walk too (fast, fastly).
- He is a (fast, fastly) learner.
- This cloth is very (soft, softly).
- My mother always speaks to me (soft, softly)
- Please do this exercise (serious, seriously).
- They are both (serious, seriously) teachers.
- I never love (beautiful, beautifully) girls anymore.
Exercise III
Choose good or well to make correct sentence.
- My brother always does his work
- He is a very student.
- Jack plays the piano .
- My pen does not work .
- She has a hand writing.
- I’m today.
- It is a very laptop.
- Roger plays tennis very .
- His sister is also a tennis player.
- Do you feel ?
Answers
Exercise I
- happily
- hard
- well
- tomorrow
- fast
Exercise II
- He is a very (careful, carefully) driver.
- Go there (quick, quickly). They need you.
- He is a (slow, slowly) student.
- Mr. Jaber has got a (permanent, permanently) visa.
- He plans to live in Indonesia (permanent, permanently).
- Please ride your motorbike (slow, slowly). There are many children here.
- Is the test (easy, easily)?
- Yes, I can do it (easy, easily).
- Wait for me. Don’t walk too (fast, fastly).
- He is a (fast, fastly) learner.
- This cloth is very (soft, softly).
- My mother always speaks to me (soft, softly)
- Please do this exercise (serious, seriously).
- They are both (serious, seriously) teachers.
- I never love (beautiful, beautifully) girls anymore.
Exercise III
- well
- good
- well
- well
- good
- well
- good
- well
- good
- good
Leave a Reply