ADVERBS

Adverbs speak something about the verb.

Adverbs usually describe or modify a verb. It provides
further information about a verb, answering questions like
when, where, how and much more. Many of the adverbs end
with ‘ly’, but not always.
E.g.
He ate quickly. (It answers the question ‘how’ he ate.)
She parks her car there. (‘where’ she parks)
You look really beautiful today. (‘how’ you look)
I drink coffee sometimes. (‘how often’ I drink)
We went to the beach yesterday. (‘when’ we went)

He can speak speedily. Please read slowly.

Have you done your work honestly?
 TYPES OF ADVERBS
MANNER DEGREE PLACE TIME FREQUENCY
Loudly Really Here Yesterday Always
Quietly Very There Today Often
Angrily Quite Somewhere Now Usually
Slowly Extremely Nearby Recently Sometimes
Well Absolutely Far away Already Never
badly Completely Tomorrow Frequently
Beautifully Magnificently The other Occasionally
day Seldom
Closely Fantastically The next day rarely

Look at the examples below to understand the above

table better.
-He speaks loudly/quietly/slowly/well. (manner)
-He speaks really/very/quite/absolutely well. (degree)
-He parked here/there/somewhere/nearby/. (place)
 TYPES OF ADVERBS (contd.)

- He cut(s) his hair yesterday/today/recently / the other

day / the next day. (time)
- He cuts his hair always /often / usually / sometimes /
never / frequently / occasionally / rarely . (frequency)
However there are also some adjectives
which end with ‘ly’ .

Comely lady Hilly country Only person Timely article

Costly mistake Holy day Orderly man Unruly word

Jolly party Homely building Unlikely event Ugly animal

Cowardly act Hourly update Nightly sky Unearthly day

Ghostly town Monthly income Pearly sky Unfriendly boy

 More Examples of ADVERBS
The children sat there quietly.
Did you go to school yesterday?
I ran downstairs quickly to see who was coming.
John goes to the gym everyday.
Kamala has improved her English quite a bit these few
weeks.
They speak English frequently now.
It was definitely well played by our national cricket team.
I was surprised to note how rarely they quarrel these
days.

Try if you could identify the adverbs given above.

 ADVERBS – COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES
-Please speak more loudly (not loudlier).
- Adults learn less quickly (not quicklier) than children.
-She writes faster (not more fast) than he does.
-Group 1 sings better (not more well) than Group 2.
Examples of adverbs using ‘er’ form for comparatives:
Adverb Comparative Superlative
Fast Faster Fastest
Late Later Latest
Hard Harder Hardest
High Higher Highest
Long Longer Longest
Low Lower Lowest
Wide Wider Widest
 ADJECTIVES – COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES
•There are irregular adverbs too.
Well Better Best
Much More Most
Little Less Least

•All adverbs ending with ‘ly’ have either ‘more / most’ or

‘less / least’ forms for comparatives and superlatives.
E.g.
-He ate quickly. She ate more quickly than he. John ate most
quickly.
-John sings nicely. Kamala sings more nicely than John. Saman
sings most nicely .
- Amal rides quietly. John rides less quietly than Amal. Sunil
rides least quietly.
 ADJECTIVES – POSITION IN THE SENTENCES

Beginning Hopefully, he will be there on time at the airport to pick me up.

Middle He always laughs when he sees a comedy movie.
End She dances beautifully.

•Look at the following sentences and check if the adverbs are

positioned correctly.
Kamala looks angry extremely.
-Really I like to eat cake.
-John placed carefully the candles on the table.
-The audience loudly laughed at the jokes.
-Never I watch horror movies.
-She sometimes is late for work.
-They go every year to their uncle’s house.
-It has twice eaten already.
 ADJECTIVES – POSITION IN THE SENTENCES

•Look at the following sentences and check if the adverbs are

positioned correctly.

-Kamala looks extremely angry.

-I Reallylike to eat cake.
-John carefully placed the candles on the table.
-The audience laughed loudly at the jokes.
-I never watch horror movies.
-She is sometimes late for work.
-They go to their uncle’s house every year .
-It has eaten twice already.