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ADVERBS

ADVERBS
Adverbs are words that modify:

• a verb: He drove slowly. (How did he drive?)

• an adjective: He drove a very fast car. (How fast was


his car?)
• another adverb: She moved quite slowly down the
aisle. (How slowly did she move?)
ADVERBS
Adverbs often tell when, where, why, or under what
conditions something happens or happened. Adverbs
frequently end in -ly; however, many words and phrases
not ending in -ly serve an adverbial function and an -ly
ending is not a guarantee that a word is an adverb. The
words lovely, lonely, motherly, friendly, neighborly, for
instance, are adjectives:

• That lovely woman lives in a friendly neighborhood.


KINDS OF ADVERBS
ADVERBS OF MANNER
She moved slowly and spoke quietly.

ADVERBS OF PLACE
She has lived on the island all her life.
She still lives there now.

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
She takes the boat to the mainland every day.
She often goes by herself.
KINDS OF ADVERBS
ADVERBS OF TIME
She tries to get back before dark.
It's starting to get dark now.
She finished her tea first.
She left early.

ADVERBS OF PURPOSE
She drives her boat slowly to avoid hitting the rocks.
She shops in several stores to get the best buys.
POSITION OF ADVERBS
One of the hallmarks of adverbs is their ability to move
around in a sentence. Adverbs of manner are
particularly flexible in this regard.

• Solemnly the president addressed his audience.


• The president solemnly addressed his audience.
• The president addressed his audience solemnly.
POSITION OF ADVERBS
Adverbs of frequency appear in various points in
these sentences:
• Before the main verb:
I never get up before nine o'clock.

• Between the auxiliary verb and the main verb:


I have rarely written to my brother without a
good reason.

• Before the verb used to:


I always used to see him at his summer home.
POSITION OF ADVERBS
Indefinite adverbs of time can appear either
before the verb or between the auxiliary and the
main verb:

• He finally showed up for soccer practice.

• She has recently retired.


ORDER OF ADVERBS

VERB MANNER PLACE FREQUENCY TIME PURPOSE

Beth before to keep in


enthusiastically in the pool every morning
swims dawn shape.

before to get a
Dad walks impatiently into town every afternoon
supper newspaper.

before
John naps in her room every morning
lunch.
DEGREE OF ADVERBS
Like adjectives, adverbs can have comparative
and superlative forms to show degree:

• Walk faster if you want to keep up with me.

• The student who reads fastest will finish first.


DEGREE OF ADVERBS
We often use more and most, less and least to
show degree with adverbs:
• With sneakers on, she could move more quickly
among the patients.

• The flowers were the most beautifully arranged


creations I've ever seen.
• She worked less confidently after her accident.
• That was the least skillfully done performance I've
seen in years.
16-8 MAKING COMPARISONS WITH ADVERBS
DEGREE OF ADVERBS
COMPARATIVE
(a) Jamie works more quickly than Pat (does).
SUPERLATIVE
(b) Ben works the most quickly of all.
COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
adverbs
adverbs ending
ending in
in -ly
-ly
the more
most carefully
the more
most neatly
the more
most slowly
16-8 MAKING COMPARISONS WITH ADVERBS
DEGREE OF ADVERBS
COMPARATIVE
(c) Angie works faster than Debbie (does).
SUPERLATIVE
(d) Melissa works the fastest of all.

-er and -est with irregular adverbs


hard, fast, early, late
16-8 MAKING COMPARISONS WITH ADVERBS
DEGREE OF ADVERBS
COMPARATIVE
(e) Most people sing better than I (do).
SUPERLATIVE
(f) Steve sings the best of all.

better forms of
best well
DEGREE OF ADVERBS
16-8 Let’s Practice

Sully had a good score on the English


test.
COMPARATIVE English Test
Melvil had a ______
better score. Paula 100%
Melvil 88%
SUPERLATIVE
Sully 75%
the best score
Paula had _______
of all.
16-8 Let’s Practice
DEGREE OF ADVERBS

I have to get up early on Monday.

COMPARATIVE
earlier on Tuesday.
I have to get up _________
SUPERLATIVE
I have to get up ____________
the earliest on Friday.
16-8 Let’s Practice
DEGREE OF ADVERBS

Simone can run quickly.

COMPARATIVE

more quickly
Mary can run ____________.

SUPERLATIVE

the most quickly of all.


Larry can run _______________
EXERCISE ONE – FORM OF ADVERBS
Find the adjective in the first sentence and fill the gap with the adverb:

1. Joanne is happy.
She smiles happily.
2. The boy is loud.
He shouts loudly.
3. Her English is fluent.
She speaks English fluently.
4. Our mum was angry.
She spoke to us angrily.
5. My neighbour is a careless driver.
He drives carelessly.
EXERCISE ONE – FORM OF ADVERBS
Find the adjective in the first sentence and fill the gap with the adverb:

6. The painter is awful.


He paints awfully.
7. Jim is a wonderful piano player.
He plays the piano wonderfully.
8. This girl is very quiet.
She often sneaks out of the house quietly.
9. She is a good dancer.
She dances really well.
10. This exercise is simple.
You simply have to put one word in each space.
EXERCISE TWO – DEGREE OF ADVERBS
Compare the following adverbs.
Example: newly – more newly – most newly

1. fast - faster - fastest


2. well - better - best
3. carefully - more carefully - most carefully
4. often - more often - most often
5. badly - worse - worst
6. hard - harder - hardest
7. clearly - more clearly - most clearly
8. little - less - least
9. much - more - most
10. early - earlier - earliest
EXERCISE THREE - POSITION OF ADVERBS
Rewrite
Rewrite each
each sentence
sentence with
withthe
theadverb
adverb(in
(inbrackets)
brackets)ininits
itscorrect
correctposition.
position.
Example:
Example: II play
playtennis
tennison
onSundays.
Sundays.(often).
(often).
Answer:
Answer: II often
often play
playtennis
tennison
onSundays.
Sundays.

1) Have you been to London? (ever)


Have you ever been to London?
2) Peter doesn't get up before seven. (usually)
Peter doesn't usually get up before seven.
3) Our friends must write tests. (often)
Our friends must often write tests.
4) They go swimming in the lake. (sometimes)
They sometimes go swimming in the lake.
5) The weather is bad in November. (always)
The weather is always bad in November.
EXERCISE THREE - POSITION OF ADVERBS
6) Peggy and Frank are late. (usually)
Peggy and Frank are usually late.
7) I have met him before. (never)
I have never met him before.
8) John watches TV. (seldom)
John seldom watches TV.
9) I was in contact with my sister. (often)
I was often in contact with my sister.
10) She will love him. (always)
She will always love him.
EXERCISE FOUR – ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB
Should we use an adjective or an adverb in these sentences?

1 I am very __ at the moment. May I call you back in an hour?


A busy B busily
2 I am calling because the changes seem very __.
A important B importantly
3 Thank you for returning my call so __.
A quick B quickly
4 There is a lot of __ interference on the line.
A noisy B noisily
5 He answered the phone __.
A sudden B suddenly
EXERCISE FOUR – ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB
6 She sounded very __ on the phone.
A angry B angrily
7 Sorry, but I can't write that __.
A fast B fastly
8 I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again __
please?
A clearer B more clearly
9 I’m sorry, but there seems to be some interference on
the line. Could you speak __?
A louder B more loudly
10 Could you repeat your number __ please?
A slower B more slowly

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