Lesson 4 - Adverbs

The subsections in this lesson are:

Lesson 4 - Adverbs
1. Types of Adverbs
2. Comparison of Adverbs
3. Forming Adverbs
4. Position of Adverbs

An� adverb can be a word (easily) or a phrase (last night) that describes or modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb, and sometimes a sentence, but not a noun or a� pronoun. We can identify a lot of adverbs by their endings. They end in� -ly but not all, as� some words that end in� -ly are adjectives. �

Examples:

We crawled slowly around on our hands and knees looking for the needle.
(Adverb� slowly modifies verb� crawl .)
I dreamed about you last night.
(Adverb� last night modifies verb� dreamed .)
The monster was incredibly ugly.
(Adverb� incredibly modifies adjective� ugly .)
The heart patient collapsed quite suddenly.
(Adverb� suddenly modifies adverb� quite .)
Fortunately, we were in time to buy the last tickets. (Adverb� fortunately modifies a sentence� we were in time to buy the last tickets .)

Unlike adjectives, adverbs do not modify� nouns .

Examples:

Incorrect : That woman has a� beautifully daughter. ( Adverb )
Correct : That woman has a� beautiful daughter. ( Adjective ) �
Incorrect : He found the exam quite� hardly . ( Adverb )
Correct : He found the exam quite� hard . ( Adjective ) �
Incorrect : We heard a loudly explosion and then saw thickly � smoke. ( Adverb )
Correct : We heard a� loud explosion and then we saw� thick smoke . (Adjective) �

The adverb is an intensifier

Besides being a modifier, the adverb performs another function. As an intensifier, it makes the adjective that they modify stronger by giving it emphasis.

Examples:

The weather is� exceptionally cold at this time of the year.
He is� downright rude to his parents.
The treatment is� extremely � dangerous for an old person like her mother.
The witch appeared� hideously � ugly in his dream.
The substance was found to be a� highly � addictive drug .

Adverb Phrase

The adverb does not come in just one word. It can be a group of two or more words acting as an adverb phrase (or adverbial phrase). The adverb phrase does the work of an adverb in a sentence in modifying a verb, an adjective or another adverb. An adverb phrase may consist of one word or usually more words. The adverb phrases are in bold.�

Examples:

He has been sitting� at the corner for hours.
His father owns a house� by the sea .
I decided to join them� to jog in the park .
We strolled� along the beach after sunset.
A couple of birds were perching� on the gate .