GRAMMAR I

ADVERBS WITH RELATED MEANINGS

Adverbs with related meanings: an Adverb is a word which functions to modify a verb, an
adjective or another adverb.

Adverbs that limit: almost, practically, virtually, essentially, scarcely, hardly, barely, just, merely,
rather, roughly.

She saved almost / practically no money last year. (a limited amount)

John and Will were doing virtually / essentially the same experiment. (almost
completely, entirely)
The child can scarcely read. (emphasizes a narrow margin, very little ability)
It was snowing so much that we could hardly see the road. (with great effort, little
likelihood)
I have barely any money. (minimum condition, narrow margin)
She just finished the test Don’t come to the review test; just study at home. (immediate
past, only, minimal amount possible)
I didn’t break the glass, I merely dropped it. (limits an extreme condition, and nothing
more, simply).
I am rather broke. She is rather shy. ( somewhat, a little bit).
I have roughly one dollar in coins. (approximately, used with numbers)

Adverbs of speed: quickly, hastily, promptly, slowly, lethargically, tardily.

quickly/slowly (opposite in meaning)

Tom did his work carefully but quickly. She walked slowly back from town.

hastily / lethargically (opposite in meaning)

Martha hastily cleaned the house not bothering to polish the silver.
The children seemed tired and sleepy as they lethargically put their toys away.

promptly / tardily
Elena always tries to be on time for class and arrives promptly at 8.30.
Nelly, however, arrives at about 8.40 and always enters the class tardily.

Adverbs that reflect how often: constantly, steadily, regularly, intermittently, occasionally,
periodically, annually, daily, weekly.

James worked constantly at improving his fluency in English. (continually, without

pause).
The team moved steadily down the field until they approached the goal line. (moving
forward in an even, regular manner).
The dog must be walked regularly. (in evenly spaced intervals)
The rain showers occurred intermittently during the day. (sporadically, irregularly)

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 We didn’t see him often; he only stopped by occasionally. (once in a while, not often)
The captain went on deck periodically to talk to the passengers. (routinely, at fixed
intervals)
The accountant checks the books annually. (once a year)
The doctor ordered the patient to take exercise daily. (once a day)
The programme can be viewed weekly on channel 6. (once a week)

Adverbs that show how well something is done: correctly, effectively, efficiently,
conscientiously, concisely, precisely, deftly, erroneously, sloppily.

You might make a mistake if you don’t read the instructions correctly. (without errors)
This medicine works very effectively, so you should start feeling better soon.(meeting a
need)
The furnace heats efficiently if the damper is properly regulated, you use less fuel.
(without waste)
Every day the manager checks all in-coming mail conscientiously. ((thoughtfully, with
care)
She impressed the audience by concisely stating the problem. (briefly and clearly).
The chef cooks the dishes precisely as the recipes direct, and they are always delicious.
(to the point, accurately)
The young gymnast continued her routine, deftly executing the complicated movements.
(skilfully)
John erroneously turned on the hot water instead of the cold and burnt his hand.
(incorrectly)
Compositions that are sloppily written will always get low grades. (carelessly).

Adverbs of degree and effort: ultimately, urgently, marginally, more and more, enormously,
assuredly, mildly, laconically.

It was his greed that ultimately ended his career as a thief. (finally, in the end)
After the flood, supplies were urgently needed for the villagers. (with great need, very
seriously)
Taking orders in advance didn’t help much; it was only marginally useful in marketing the
product. (barely)
After the selection process, the decision became more and more difficult. (increasingly)
This conversation has been enormously helpful. (immensely, tremendously)
Travelling by air is assuredly the fastest mode of transportation. (certainly, positively)
We took a lot of precautions so the storm only mildly damaged the crops. (somewhat,
moderately)
The newscaster spoke laconically about the subject, even so he gave a lot of useful
information. (briefly, concisely)

Adverbs that show in what way something was done: frankly, explicitly, peculiarly, impartially,
typically, readily, willingly.

People who speak frankly are often criticized for their lack of tact. (directly, in a
straightforward manner)
The photograph depicted the scene explicitly, there was no need for any other
explanation. (In an exact and detailed way).
The peculiarly acrid smell in the basement was getting stronger. (oddly, strangely)
The judge was renowned for making his decisions impartially. (without favour)
The traffic in this area of town is always typically congested. (in the usual manner)
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The information is always readily available for those who need it. (without hesitation)
He willingly lent her the money because he knew it would solve her problem. (with
pleasure)

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