Outline of Adverb Concepts
Adverbs, similar to adjectives, are used to modify aspects of a
sentence, but they have a wider range of applications. They can be
likened to adjuvants, capable of modifying not just verbs, but also
adjectives, other adverbs, and even entire sentences.
Adverbs
can denote many things, such as the frequency, intensity, manner,
and sentiment of verbs. There are different types of adverbs,
including 'adverbs of manner', 'adverbs of frequency', 'adverbs of
degree', and 'adverbs of certainty'.
Moreover, adverbs can
signify time and location. Those indicating time are referred to as
'adverbs of time', whereas those indicating location are known as
'adverbs of place'. These classifications of adverbs help to better
understand and categorize their functions within a sentence.
▶️ Adverb of manner
“Adverbs of manner” express the state, method, and mood of action,
usually ending in "ly". Certain adverbs of manner share the same
form as their corresponding adjectives, examples of which include
words like 'hard', 'early', and 'late'.
(1) The adverb of manner can be placed before or after the
"intransitive verb", but most of the time it will be placed
after.
The stock price fell
dramatically.
House prices have risen
substantially over the
last six months.
My piano playing has improved
significantly since I
started with a new teacher.
Employment levels are unlikely to rise
considerably before
the end of next year.
The country's oil reserves declined
rapidly.
The presentation began
promptly after
lunch.
He quickly left. = He
left quickly.
They always work
efficiently.
The medicine works
effectively.
(2) If the verb is followed by an object, the adverb can be placed
after the object or before the verb, but the adverb must not be
placed in front of the object.
She speaks English
fluently.
You play the guitar
well.
You should take this job
seriously.
They
accidentally mixed up
our order with another table's.
The employees were
inadequately
trained.
Please go over the contract
thoroughly.
Many self-employed people are
heavily taxed.
Studies suggest that regular intake of the vitamin
significantly improves
brain function.
Adverbs must not be placed before the object. The following two
sentences are incorrect:
(X) She speakings
fluently English
(X) You play well the
guitar
As mentioned earlier, certain adverbs of manner share the same form
as their corresponding adjectives, examples of which include words
like 'hard', 'early', and 'late'. Hence, these adverbs must be
placed after the verb. Take a look at the following examples.
|
Vocabulary
|
Adverb
|
Adjective
|
|
hard
|
He studies hard.
|
He is a hard worker.
|
|
high
|
The eagle can fly high.
|
This building is high.
|
|
low
|
The plane fly low.
|
The volume is low.
|
|
early
|
She left early.
|
We were early.
|
|
late
|
She came home late.
|
We are late.
|
|
fast
|
You drive too fast.
|
He is a fast learner.
|
|
slow
|
They work slow.
|
She's a slow eater.
|
|
near
|
I'd like to sit near a window, please.
|
He will be retired in the near future.
|
(3) The adverb of manner is placed before the adjective to modify
the adjective
The project is not
financially
feasible.
Organic farming is more
environmentally and
economically
sustainable.
iPads are becoming increasingly commonplace.
Example: Please be sure to ____ review the insurance policy prior
to signing up for the new health insurance.
(A) thorough
(B) through
(C) though
(D) thoroughly
The correct answer is (D) thoroughly.
In this context, "thoroughly" is an adverb that means to do
something carefully, in a detailed or comprehensive way. It's
modifying the verb "review" to indicate the manner in which the
insurance policy should be reviewed.
(A) "thorough" is an adjective, not an adverb, so it cannot
modify the verb "review." It could only modify a noun, which
isn't present in this sentence.
(B) “through” is a preposition, for example, they walked slowly
through the woods.
(C) “though” is a conjunction used to introduce a contrast or
contradiction. It doesn't make sense in this sentence. Let’s
look at an example sentence of “though”: She hasn’t called, even
though she said she would.
▶️ Adverb of frequency
Adverbs of frequency are used to express "how often an action
occurs".
|
Adverb of frequency
|
|
always (100%)
usually (~70%)
frequently (~70%)
often (~70%)
sometimes (~50%)
occasionally (~30%)
seldom (~10%)
rarely (~10%)
hardly ever (~10%)
never (~0%)
|
(1) Adverbs of frequency are placed before common verbs
He always works
overtime.
I sometimes take a
vacation.
I hardly have a
midnight snack.
My dad never goes to
night markets.
(2) Adverbs of frequency are placed after the verbs of “Be” and
auxiliary verbs
She is
often busy.
The bus 10 is
usually crowded.
Example: Ms. Jones is known to be a dedicated worker who is never
late and _____ missed a day of work.
(A) hard
(B) hardly
(C) harden
(D) hardy
The correct answer is (B) hardly. In this sentence, the word
"hardly" is used to mean "rarely" or "almost never." The context
of the sentence implies that Ms. Jones is a very reliable worker
who almost never misses a day of work. So the meaning of
"hardly" fits perfectly in this context.
(A) "hard" is incorrect because it is an adjective often used to
describe something difficult or requiring a lot of effort. Here,
it does not fit grammatically because we need an adverb to modify
the verb "missed."
(C) "harden" is incorrect because it is a verb that means to
become or make something hard. In this context, it does not make
sense because we need an adverb to modify the verb "missed."
(D) "hardy" is incorrect because it is an adjective that means
robust, capable of enduring difficult conditions. Here, it does
not fit grammatically because we need an adverb to modify the verb
"missed."
▶️ Adverb of certainty
Adverbs of certainty indicate the degree of confidence the speaker
has regarding the validity of a statement. Examples of such adverbs
include 'probably', 'undoubtedly', 'especially' (which is equivalent
to 'particularly'), 'absolutely', 'definitely' (which can be
interchanged with 'certainly' or 'surely'), and 'apparently'
(synonymous with 'obviously').
(1) They are placed before general verbs
I absolutely need a
new job.
He definitely said he
would be here.
I didn't
especially/particularly
want to go to the party.
It's a pity you couldn't come—I
especially/particularly
wanted you to meet my friend Jo.
He
apparently/obviously
injured his arm.
She will
certainly/surely win
the election if the opinion polls are accurate.
I'll probably arrive
by midnight.
(2) They are placed after the “Be” verb
She is
especially interested
in sport.
He is
obviously upset.
I was never a
particularly academic
student.
(3) If there is an auxiliary verb, the adverb of certainty will be
placed between the auxiliary verb and the main verb
If we continue to pile up debts, we will definitely be out of
business.
He has probably forgotten the meeting.
(4) They are used to modify sentences
She looks about ten, but
apparently, she's 14.
Undoubtedly, Winston
Churchill was a great politician.
Certainly, I will be
there.
Probably, he had
forgotten the meeting.
Example: If you are booking an international plane ticket, you
should book as far in advance as possible, _______ if your
destination only has one nearby airport.
(A) especial
(B) special
(C) especially
(D) specialty
The correct answer is (C) especially.
In the sentence, the word is used as an adverb to emphasize that
the advice to book in advance is even more important if the
destination only has one nearby airport. 'Especially' is an adverb
that means 'to a great extent; very much; particularly'. This
usage fits the context of the sentence perfectly.
(A) 'especial' is an adjective and it means 'better or greater
than usual; special'. In the sentence, an adverb is needed to
modify the verb 'should book'. Therefore, 'especial' is incorrect
because it is not an adverb.
(B) 'special' is an adjective which means 'better, greater, or
otherwise different from what is usual'. It is not an adverb, so
it cannot be used to modify the verb 'should book'. Therefore,
'special' is incorrect.
(D) 'specialty' is a noun that means 'a pursuit, area of study,
or skill to which someone has devoted much time and effort and in
which they are expert'. It doesn't make sense to use 'specialty'
in the context of the sentence. Therefore, 'specialty' is
incorrect.
▶️ Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time tell when an action happened, how long it lasted,
and how often. Adverbs of time are generally placed at the end of
sentences, and sometimes adverbs of time are placed at the beginning
of sentences to emphasize the tone. Common adverbs of time are
yesterday, today, tomorrow, ago, later = soon, recently =
lately.
My friend will pick me up
in two hours. = Two
hours later, My friend
will pick me up.
My phone is running out of battery
soon.
lately/recently can be placed before the verb, or before and after
the sentence.
Have you seen any good films
recently/lately?
The government
recently nationalized
the railways.
Recently, I've been
feeling a bit depressed.
Example: Dozens of co-working spaces have ______ sprung up in east
London where small businesses and start-up companies are
thriving.
(A) later
(B) late
(C) lately
(D) latest
The correct answer is (C) lately. The adverb lately is used to modify the verb phrase spring up
(to emerge).
In this sentence, we need an adverb that indicates a recent
time period or a happening in the recent past. The word 'lately'
serves this purpose. So, "Dozens of co-working spaces have
lately sprung up in east London where small businesses and
start-up companies are thriving" is the correct sentence.
(A) 'later' implies a future time period, which doesn't fit in
the context of the sentence, which is discussing something that
has happened in the past.
(B) 'late' is an adjective and is usually used to describe
someone or something that is after the expected, scheduled, or
usual time. It doesn't fit in the context of the
sentence.
(D) 'latest' is the superlative form of 'late'. It's used to
refer to the most recent thing or event. But in this sentence,
we need an adverb not an adjective. Hence, 'latest' is
incorrect.
▶️ Adverb of place
.Adverbs of place are utilized to denote locations and are
typically positioned following the verb within a sentence. Numerous
examples of common adverbs of place include: here, there,
everywhere, somewhere, anywhere, nearby, outside, inside, abroad,
upstairs, and downstairs, among others.
I am planning to study
abroad.
They only live
here in summer.
The children are
upstairs.
▶️ Adverb of degree
Adverbs of degree describe the intensity or degree of a verb,
adjective, or another adverb; they are usually placed before the
word they modify. Such adverbs include only, just, almost = nearly,
very = too = quite = so = pretty = extremely = highly, enough, much
= far, even, well.
We'll cover adverbs of degree in Lesson 27.
▶️ Connecting adverb
We'll cover linking adverbs in Lesson 17.
▶️ Numbers are adjectives and numbers are preceded by adverbs
almost, nearly, approximately, roughly, around, about 10 million
people
a maximum of 100 students = up to 100 students
a minimum of 10 kids
only 1 %
more than = over
less than = below
The store offers
up to 40 percent discount
today.
Only 16 employees
participated in the activity.
It took me
approximately six hours
to finish the task.
To everyone's surprise, there were
more than ten thousand
visitors.