How? When? Where? How often? Adverbs explain:
how, when, where, and how often something happens.
An adverb is used to “add meaning to” a verb, an adverb, or an adjective
Forming adverbs
- We add LY to form many adverbs: QUICK: QUICKLY; BEAUTIFUL: BEAUTIFULLY; SLOW: SLOWLY.
- There are exceptions: FAST never changes. LATE and HARD do not always change.
Examples:
It is terribly HOT!
- HOW hot is it?
- Hot is an adjective.
- Terribly is an adverb that adds meaning to the adjective HOT.
- Hot is an adjective.
We WILL EAT our dinner very quickly tonight.
- HOW and WHEN will we eat?
- Eat is a verb.
- Quickly is an adverb that adds meaning to the verb WILL EAT.
- Very is an adverb that adds meaning to the adverb QUICKLY. (How quickly?)
- Tonight is an adverb that adds meaning to the verb WILL EAT.
- Eat is a verb.
There IS snow everywhere!
- WHERE is the snow?
- Is is a verb.
- Everywhere is an adverb that adds meaning to the verb IS.
- Is is a verb.
I HAD a meeting here this morning, but tomorrow my meeting IS far away.
- WHERE were the meetings? WHEN were the meetings?
- Had is a verb.
- Here and this morning are adverbs that add meaning to the verb HAD.
- Is is a verb.
- Tomorrow and far away are adverbs that add meaning to the verb IS.
- Had is a verb.
They DROVE their car very carefully today.
- HOW and WHEN did they drive?
- Drove is the verb to drive in the simple past.
- Carefully and today are adverbs that add meaning to the verb DROVE.
- Drove is the verb to drive in the simple past.
Adverbs of time
answer the question WHEN?
- He is early and they are late. (Late is an exception. In this sentence, we do not say lately.)
Adverbs of manner
answer the question HOW?
- He is driving carefully.
- She is walking fast. (Fast is an exception. We never say fastly.)
- We work hard. (Hard is an exception. In this sentence, we do not say hardly.)
- The children spoke politely.
Adverbs of place
answer the question WHERE?
- There is snow everywhere.
- We took the dog outside.
Adverbs of frequency
answer the question HOW OFTEN?
- It is time for our daily meeting. Daily is an adverb of definite frequency.
- We often go on vacation. Often is an adverb of indefinite frequency.
Try the adverbs quiz!