Adverbs

ENGLISH

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Adverbs
An adverb is a part of speech. It is any word that modifies any other part of language: verbs, adjectives
(including numbers), clauses, sentences and other adverbs, except for nouns; modifiers of nouns are primarily
determiners and adjectives.

Adverbs typically answer such questions as how? when?, where?, To what extent?, In what kind or how often?
This function is called the adverbial function, and is realized not just by single words (i.e., adverbs) but by
adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses. Adverbs also describe adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs.

Structure of an Adverb
 An adverb as an adverbial may be a sentence element in its own right.

Example: They treated her well. (SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + ADVERBIAL)

 Alternatively, an adverb may be contained within a sentence element.

Example: An extremely small child entered the room. (SUBJECT + ADVERBIAL + OBJECT +VERB)

Structure of an Adverb
Manner Place Frequency Time Degree Purpose

How Where How often At what How much Why

Examples

Silently Outside Always Ago

Calmly Inside Often Before Enough Accidentally
Obediently In Between Usually Soon Hardly However
Swiftly In the garden Occasionally Lately Extremely So that

Hurriedly By the object Seldom Tomorrow Barely Because

Carelessly Below Hardly Tonight Almost Since
Foolishly Off Normally Then Absolutely Because of
Powerfully Towards Sometimes Now

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Points to Remember

 An adverb of manner will explain how an action is carried out. Very often adverbs of manner are
adjectives with -ly added to the end, but this is certainly not always the case.
 Notice how the adjectives are formed by adding -ly to the adjectives bad, correct and quick, although
there is a slight spelling change when forming an adverb with the adjective easy.

 An adverb of place, sometimes called spatial adverbs, will help explain where an action happens.

 Notice that here and there are often used at the beginning of a sentence to express emphasis or in
exclamation.
 Many times, adverbs of place can be used as prepositions as well.

 Adverbs of frequency are used to express time or how often something occurs. Adverbs of frequency
can be split two main groups.

 Adverbs of purpose, sometimes called adverbs of reason, help to describe why something happened.

 Adverbs of purpose are used to connect sentences.

 They can come in the form of individual words – so, since, thus, because – but.

Positioning of Adverbs
The positions of adverbs are not a fixed or set thing. However, there are some rules that help us decide where
an adverb should be positioned. The rules will be different depending on whether the adverb is acting to
modify an adjective or another adverb, a verb or what type of adverb it is.

With Verb
 Front– Before the subject

Example: I will read a book (The action is supposed to happen now)

 Mid—Between the subject and verb

Example: I often read books (The action happens now and then)

 End– After verb/object

Example: I read books (The action happens regularly)

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With Manner or Place

Structure: Subject + Verb + Adverb + Object

 Manner

Example—She spoke gently. (adverb : gently)

 Place

Example—He lived here. (adverb : here)

With Adjective
Structure: Subject + Verb + Adverb+ Adjective + Object

Example— She gave him a really affectionate look. (adv + adj)

Memory Tip
As mentioned, if the adverb is of definite time, it will be placed at the end of the sentence.

Order of Adverbs
Ordering of adverbs becomes necessary when there are many different types of adverbs together in a
sentence.

Consider this sentence:

I run (verb) quickly (manner) down the road (place) every morning (frequency) before school (time) because
(purpose) I might miss the bus.

While it is good to remember the order of adverbs, there is always a flexibility with language, and we have
already mentioned that adverbs of time and frequency can be placed at the start of a sentence to change the
emphasis. So, bottom line: think of the order of adverbs as more of a guideline than a rule that can’t be
broken.

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Rules and usage of adverbs

Rule #1:
Many adverbs take the –ly form, but some of them do not. There are some exceptions.

Example:

1) He speaks slowly.

2) Mohan works out strenuously.

3) She runs fast.

4) She writes quick.

Common Mistake
Avoid the trap of –ly with linking verbs such as taste, smell, look, feel, which pertain to the sense, Adverbs are
often misplaced in such sentences, which require adjectives instead.

Example: Roses smell sweet.

Rule #2:
There are also three degrees of adverbs. In formal usage, do not drop the –ly from an adverb when using the
comparative form.

Example: She spoke quicker than he did. —WRONG

She spoke more quickly than he did. —CORRECT

Rule #3: Too, As well and Also

 Also is commonly used in writing, but Is less common in speaking.

Example: She works very hard but she also goes to the gym every week.

 As well is much common in speaking than In writing, and is more common in speaking than also.

Example: I’ll go for a movie and I’ll go for a trek as well.

 Too: We usually put too in ending position.

Example: She looks really tired and she must be really hungry too.
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Rule #4: Only

 Only can be used in different ways. As an adverb, it is used to qualify the verb.

Example: She only saw my dress.

Practice Questions
Q. Read the sentence below to find out if there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the
sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error the answer is (5). (Ignore errors in
punctuation if any)
A third group of people would probable (A)/ accuse both the power plant (B)/
as well as the research institute of poisoning (C)/ the world by using and storing toxic nuclear waste (D)/
No error €
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
A. The correct answer is option 1.

Key Points
 The error in part A of a sentence, the error is in usage 'Probable'

 Here, we need to use the adverb form of 'Probable'

 Hence we need to replace 'Probable' with 'Probably'
Correct sentence - A third group of people would probably accuse both the power plant as well as the
research institute of poisoning the world by using and storing toxic nuclear waste
Q. Directions: Select the segment of the sentence that contains the grammatical error. If there is no error,
mark 'no error' as your answer. Ignore error of punctuation if any.
Such goods are (A)/ made for export (B)/ and are seldom if never (C) used in the country. (D)
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
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5) No error
A. The erroneous part is C.

Key Points
The error in part C is in the phrase seldom if never.
According to the rule of adverb, we do not use this phrase.
The correct phrase is seldom if ever. The meaning of the phrase is something that hardly happen.
Eg- Seldom if ever I agree with his suggestion.
So, in the given sentence, we need to modify it with seldom if ever to make the sentence correct.
Therefore, the correct sentence is- such goods are made for export and are seldom if ever used in the
country.

Additional Information
Seldom or never can be used in the same situation.
Eg- Seldom or never I agree with his suggestion.
There is no difference in the sense of seldom if ever and seldom or never. Both mean something that
hardly happen.
Q. Read the sentence given below to find out if it contains any error. The error, if any, will be in one part of
the sentence. If the sentence is error free, select No error or option 5. Ignore error of punctuation if any.
The planet’s geographic north and south (A)/ poles are the points when (B)/ its axis of rotation intersects
the (C)/ surface, but they are not fixed. (D)/ No error (E)
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
A. The erroneous part is B i.e. this part of the sentence has an error.

Key Points
The second part (B) of the sentence is erroneous because the word 'when' is grammatically incorrect.
We use 'when' to express 'during the time that' but in the given sentence we need to express 'the point in
which'. Therefore, we should use the adverb 'where' instead of 'when'.
Correct sentence: The planet’s geographic north and south poles are the points where its axis of rotation
intersects the surface, but they are not fixed.
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Q. Read the sentence to find out whether there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the
sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (5). Ignore errors of
punctuation, if any.
I am sure (A)/ this dress will (B)/ look more better (C)/ on my daughter (D)/ No error (E).
1) A
2) B
3) C
4) D
5) E
A. The correct answer is Option (3) i.e Part C.

Key Points
The erroneous Part C should have 'much' instead of 'more'.
The comparative form of the adjective 'good' has been used with the adverb 'more'.
Comparative forms do not need the adverb 'more'. The correct adverb here would be 'much' because
comparative adjectives that end with ''er'' and ''better'' can be followed by much, a lot far, a little, a bit,
slightly.
Correct Sentence: "I am sure this dress will look much better on my daughter."
Q. Directions: In the sentence given below, one/some parts have errors and others are correct. Find out
which part has an error and mark it as your answer. If there is no error, mark 'No error' as your answer.
The share of the rural population in the total migrant population has declined/ (A) over the years
significantly. Thus we find that in the case of migrants who have/ (B) changed location within the last 10
years the/ (C) share of the rural component has come down to 62%./ (D)
1) Only A
2) Only B
3) Only C
4) Only D
5) No error
A. The correct answer is Option B i.e. 'error lies in part B of the sentence.'

Key Points
Reading the above sentence we find that:
In part B of the sentence, the usage of 'over the years significantly.' Instead, use 'significantly over the
years.'
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According to the rule, when we use adverb of manner, adverb of place and adverb of time the sequence
should be:
adverb of Manner (How) + adverb of place (where) + adverb of time (when) i.e. (M+P+T)
In the given question, Significantly is an adverb of manner and over the years is an adverb of time.
So the correct sentence is:
The share of the rural population in the total migrant population has declined significantly over the
years. Thus we find that in the case of migrants who have changed location within the last 10 years the share
of the rural component has come down to 62%.

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