Questions with HOW; adjectives and adverbs

TERMS

• questions with HOW

They are questions that ask for a description of things, and actions
• nouns
Nouns are people, objects or places.
• adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe or modify a noun.
• adverbs
Adverbs are modifiers: the tell how, when, why, where, or how an action happens. They
modify VERBS, ADJECTIVES or other ADVERBS.

Read the dialog:

Mike and Randy are discussing how to climb a mountain.
Questions with HOW
Questions that start with the pronoun HOW ask for a description of things, people, states
or actions. Look at the questions and their answers:

Questions Meaning Sample answer

How far? Distance (distancia) It is two blocks from here.

How big? Size (tamaño) It is extra-large.

How old? Age (edad) I am 25 years old.

How long? Duration (duración) It takes me an hour to get to work.

How much? Amount (cantidad) - uncountable A lot of water.

How many? Amount (cantidad) - countable A few cars.

How high? Height (altura) 6962 meters above sea level.

How deep? Depth (profundidad) Three meters deep.

How hot? Temperature (temperatura) Warm.

How cold? Temperature (temperatura) Frozen.

Adjectives (adjetivos)

Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns 1

We use adjectives with nouns:
• A high mountain. > high (adjective) / mountain (noun)

1
NOUNS are places, people or things; for example: house, Argentina, the university (places); Mary, we, a
child (people); the dog, a mountain, the time/weather (objects or things).
We write them before the noun:

A nice dress Beautiful children Warm weather

Perfect moment Three cars Quiet town

We also use adjectives with the verb To Be and other state verbs:

• The Aconcagua is high. > The Aconcagua (a mountain) is a noun

> high is an adjective (it describes the mountain).

We write the adjective after the state verb:

I feel fine. They are happy. It seems perfect!

The city looks old. Your idea sounds good. I have become wiser.

State (linking) verbs are: be, become, seem; other verbs that can go with adjectives: look,
appear, smell, sound, taste.

Adverbs (adverbios)
Adverbs modify / describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

• He is walking slowly.
(walking= verb) (slowly= adverb) “slowly” describes the action of walking

• His walking is extremely slow. “extremely” describes the adjective “slow”

(extremely=adverb) (slow=adjective)

• He is walking very slowly. “very” describes the adverb “slowly”

(very=adverb) (slowly=adverb)

NOTE: Adverbs that end in -LY describe manner.

Fortunately (afortunadamente) Lately (recientemente)
Currently (actualemente) Actually (realemente)
Adverbs can be classified into Adverbs of place, time, manner, or frequency:

Used to give
Type information Examples
about:

MANNER Read these examples carefully.

HOW something You’ve all worked hard.
happens He ran quickly.

The instructions are here.

WHERE something I live in Argentina.
PLACE
happens I’ve searched everywhere!

Submit your assignment now.

WHEN something
TIME She arrived late to class today.
happens Tomorrow, I will rest.

Check your e-mails weekly.

We never have exams at the beginning of the
HOW OFTEN
FREQUENCY course.
something happens I sometimes study at night.

Further reading on Adverbs:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/gramatica/gramatica-britanica/about-adjectives-and-
adverbs/adverbs-types