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Monday, March 11, 2013
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions: how? where? when? or how much/to what degree? Look at these examples,
• He runs quickly. [how does he run?]
• I go home. [Where do I go?]
• I get up late. [When do I get up?]
• I am very happy? [How happy am I?]
TYPES OF ADVERBS
[1] Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner tell how or the way in which things happen. They answer the questions: “how…?” or “in what way…?” For examples,
• She ran the race quickly.
• He yelled loudly.
• He completed the task skillfully.
• She answered him courteously.
[2] Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree tell the degree or the extent of how something is; they answer to the question: “to what degree?” or “to what extend?” The common adverbs of degree are: adequately, almost, entirely, extremely, fairly, greatly, highly, hugely, immensely, moderately, partially, perfectly, practically, profoundly, quite, strongly, totally, tremendously, very, virtually, etc. For examples,
• She is entirely correct.
• He was somewhat happy.
• The water was extremely cold.
• I am too tired to go out tonight.
[3] Adverbs of place
Adverbs of place tell the location; they answer the question “where?”. The common adverbs are: abroad, anywhere, here, outside, somewhere, there, underground, upstairs, etc. For examples,
• They drove downtown.
• She climbed upstairs.
• He stayed behind.
• The bird flew here.
[4] Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time indicate time; they answer the question: “when?” The common adverbs are: afterwards, eventually, finally, later, now, soon, still, yesterday, etc. For examples,
• The ship sailed yesterday.
• I expect an answer soon.
• I eventually went to the shops.
• I'm still at the shops.
[5] Adverbs of frequency
Adverb of frequency tell how often things happen. They answer the question "how often…?". Here are the adverbs of frequency listed in order of their frequency; i.e. from most frequent to least frequent: always, constantly, nearly/almost always, usually, generally, normally, regularly, often, frequently, sometimes, periodically, occasionally, now and then, once in a while, rarely, seldom, infrequently, hardly ever, scarcely ever, almost never, and never. For examples,
• I always do my homework on time.
• She goes out occasionally.
• He never goes to school.
[6] Adverbs of probability
Adverbs of probability tell us the likelihood of something happening. The common adverbs are: certainly, definitely, doubtless, maybe, perhaps, possibly, probably, etc. For examples,
• We will definitely win the game.
• We will certainly finish the project on time.
[7] Adverbs of relation (Relative adverbs)
Relative adverbs used in the same way as relative pronouns. They replace the more formal structure of "preposition + which" in a relative clause. They are: where, when, why. For examples,
• That's the restaurant where we met for the first time. (where = at/in which)
• I remember the day when we first met. (when = on which)
• There was a very hot summer the year when he was born. (when = in which)
• Tell me (the reason) why you were late home. (why = for which)
[8] Adverbs of interrogation
Interrogative adverbs are usually placed at the beginning of a question. These are: why, where, how, when. For examples,
• Why are you so late?
• Where is my passport?
• How are you?
• How much is that coat?
• When does the train arrive?
[9] Conjunctive adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs express relationship. They act as a transition between complete ideas. They normally show comparison, contrast, cause-effect, sequence, or other relationships. They usually occur between independent clauses or sentences.
Here is a list of common conjunctive adverbs: accordingly, furthermore, moreover, similarly, also, hence, namely, still, anyway, however, nevertheless, then, besides, incidentally, meanwhile, thereafter, certainly, indeed, nonetheless, therefore, consequently, instead, now, thus, finally, likewise, otherwise, undoubtedly... For examples,
• He is clever; furthermore, he works hard.
• She studies hard; therefore, she passes the exams with flying color.
[10] Adverbs of viewpoints and commenting
These adverbs tell us about the speaker's viewpoint or opinion about an action, or make some comment on the action.
Viewpoint -- These adverbs are placed at the beginning of the sentence and are separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Some common Viewpoint adverbs: confidently, honestly, ideally, seriously, clearly, comically, personally, surprisingly, obviously, officially, undoubtedly, surely... For examples,
• Frankly, I think he is a liar.
• Theoretically, we can increase the price when the demand goes up.
• Personally, I believe you idea was right.
• Surprisingly, this car is cheaper than the smaller model.
• Geographically, the market should be divided into three segments.
Commenting -- These are very similar to viewpoint adverbs, and often the same words, but they go in a different position - after the verb to be and before the main verb. Some common commenting adverbs: definitely, certainly, obviously, simply... For examples,
• She is certainly the best person for the job.
• You obviously enjoyed your meal.
USES OF ADVERBS
We use adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
[1] Used to modify verbs
For examples,
• They did their work quickly.
• He replied angrily.
• The bird flew crazily.
[2] Used to modify adjectives
For examples,
• They were somewhat happy.
• He is so smart.
• The job is quite difficult.
[3] Used to modify adverbs
For examples,
• The bird flew very quietly.
• They come too late.
• We have tried hard enough.
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Parts of speech
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