Adverbs

1.0Definition

An Adverb is a word that modifies the meaning of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a pronoun, a preposition, a conjunction, a phrase or even a sentence.

2.0Examples

1. An adverb modifies the verb in a sentence: She sang sweetly.

The peasant walked fast.

1. An adverb can modify an adjective or another adverb: She sang a very sweet song. (very modifying sweet - an adjective) She sang very sweetly. (very modifying sweetly - an adverb)
2. An adverb can modify a pronoun, preposition and conjunction as well:

Almost everybody in the office believed her story. (adv.) (pronoun) Giving higher education to my son is well within my means. (adv.) (prep.)

Nobody cared for me just because I did not complain. (adv.) (conj.)

1. Sometimes an adverb can modify a complete sentence also: Fortunately, we had a spare wheel.

3.0Types of Adverbs

Simple Adverbs

Simple Adverbs may be further sub-divided into the following classes according to their different functions:

1. Adverbs of Time: early, soon, late, yet, still, lately, already, then, recently, today, ago, etc. These adverbs indicate the time of an action and answer the question: When? Examples: We bought this house recently. We reached early.
2. Adverbs of Place/Position: here, there, near, up, down, in, out, everywhere, somewhere, nowhere, etc. These adverbs indicate the place of an action and answer the question: Where? Examples: The meeting will be held here. Shweta is sleeping upstairs.
3. Adverbs of Manner: fast, slowly, politely, boldly, easily, well, etc. These adverbs express the manner of an action and answer the question: How? Examples: I could easily answer all the questions. She talked politely.
4. Adverbs of Frequency: always, never, seldom, often, daily, sometimes, rarely, frequently, etc. These adverbs express the frequency of an action and answer the question: How often? They are also called Adverbs of Number. Examples: I always try to be punctual. They rarely go for an outing.
5. Adverbs of Degree: very, too, enough, just, quite, almost, (intensifiers) fairly, rather, much, nearly, etc. They lend strength or weakness to the adverb or adjective which they modify. These adverbs express the degree or intensity of an action. They answer the question: How much? To what extent? Examples: The auditorium was nearly packed. This tea is too sweet.

Interrogative Adverbs

when, since when, why, how, how much, how often, etc. These adverbs are used to ask questions: e.g. when, where, how etc. When did the match start? How deep is this lake?

Relative Adverbs

1. I know the house where he lives.
2. I don't know the time when he comes.
3. There must be some reason why he wept.
4. Can you tell me the manner how it is done?

The word where, when, why and how refer back or are related to their antecedents house, time, reason and manner respectively. Thus they help to join two clauses. In sentence 1, the clause, 'I know the house' is joined with the clause 'he lives' with the help of where; in sentence 2 , the clause, 'I don't know the time' is joined with the clause 'he comes' with the help of when. The Adverbs 'why' 'and' 'how' in sentences 3 and 4 do the same work of joining two clauses. These Adverbs (where, when, why how) which look like Interrogative Adverbs but do the work of joining or relating two clauses are called Relative Adverbs.

• Not all words that end in -ly are adverbs. Some adjectives end in -ly too. For Examples: a costly diamond, elderly folks, lively children, a lovely dress, a lonely boy, friendly neighbours
• Words formed by adding-ly to a noun can be used both as an adjective and an adverb. Examples: How much is your daily consumption of petrol? (adjective) He goes for a walk daily in the morning. (adverb)
• Friendly, lovely, lonely are adjectives, not adverbs. Examples: Most of the teachers are friendly with the students. He bought a lovely doll for his sister.

4.0Comparison of Adverbs

1. Like adjectives, some adverbs can have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative.
2. It is not possible to compare all adverbs. Adverbs like now, then, here, there, where, once, never, always, today, out cannot be compared. But it is possible to compare adverbs of manner and some adverbs of time and degree. Sushmita sang sweetly. Manyata sang more sweetly than Sushmita. The guests arrived soon. The guests arrived sooner than we had expected.
3. Adverbs of one syllable take '--er' in the comparative and '--est' in the superlative:

1. Adverbs of two or more syllables (that would include adverbs ending in-ly) form their comparative by putting more and their superlative by putting most before them:

1. In an irregular way:

5.0Position of Adverbs

1. The Adverb should be placed as near as possible to the word it modifies to avoid ambiguity; as,

• Only Tendulkar plays cricket = Tendulkar and nobody else plays cricket.
• Tendulkar only plays cricket = Tendulkar plays cricket and does nothing else.
• Tendulkar plays cricket only = Tendulkar plays cricket and no other game.

1. Adverbs of manner are generally placed after the verb or after the object if there is one; as,

• She sang well.
• She walks slowly.
• She does her work nicely.

1. Adverbs of place are placed after the verb or after the object (if there is one); as,

• Air is found everywhere.
• Please put this table here.

1. Adverbs of time that tell us 'when' are usually placed at the end of the sentence; as, I am going to tidy my room tomorrow. He is going to gym now.
2. When there are two or more Adverbs after a verb (with its object), the normal order is: Adverb of Manner, Adverb of Place, Adverb of Time; as,

• Raghav worked hard here yesterday.
• The choir sang beautifully everywhere then.

1. The Adverbs of Frequency are normally put between the Subject and the verb if the verb consists of only one word; as,

• She never makes mistakes.
• The head clerk always leave early.

1. If the verb is: am, is, are, then adverbs are placed after the verb; as, He is never sad. The head clerk is always at his desk.
2. The Adverb 'enough' is always placed after the word it modifies; as,

• He knows well enough what I mean.
• They are rich enough to buy a big car.

6.0Special Uses of Some Adverbs

Much, Very

1. Much is used with Adjectives or Adverbs in the Comparative Degree; as,

• I am much pleased at his success.
• She feels much better today. Very is used in the Positive Degree; as,
• He walked very slowly.

1. Much is used before Past Participles, very is used before Present Participles; as,

• He was much disturbed by her behaviour.
• Your behaviour is very annoying.

1. Sometimes both much and very are used to lay stress on Adjectives in the Superlative as,

• Madhuri is the very best dancer.
• Raghav is much the best cricketer in the country.

1. Much is used to modify a verb and Adverb Too; very is used to modify much; as,

• She talks much. This sum is much too difficult for the students.
• I am very much pleased to help you.

Note: The precedes very but follows much.

Very never qualifies a verb. Sometimes very is used as an Adjective; as, This is the very novel I am looking for.

Too, Very

The adverb too means excess of some kind or more than enough; as,

• This news is too good to be true.
• I think we shall be too late for the show.

Very means much; as, It is very cold today. She is very nice.

Fairly, Rather

Both mean moderately. Fairly is mainly used with favourable slant of meaning with such Adjectives and Adverbs as go well, nice, bravely etc.

• He did fairly well in his examination.
• She is fairly rich to buy a big house.

Rather is used before unfavourable Adjectives and Adverbs such as bad, tough, hard, ugly, stupid etc.; as,

• This room is rather small.
• She is rather poor to pay her fee.

Before, Ago, Since

Before as an Adverb means formerly or on a former occasion.

• He met her once before.
• I had never been to Dalhousie before.

Ago means from the present time dating backwards; as,

• They migrated to the states two years ago.
• Her father died three years ago.

Since reckons from a point of time in the past upto the present; as,

• I have not met her since last Christmas.
• He had been absent from school since Monday.
• 'Too' is always used with negative sense. The sense of 'too' will also be negative if it comes with an infinitive. Example: She is too poor to buy the books. (means she cannot buy the books).
• 'Very' is used before the positive degree. Example: She is very good in dancing.
• 'Much' is used before the comparative degree. Example: You can get much better opportunity than this.

7.0Recall

1. Adverbs are words used to modify verbs.
2. Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
3. Adverbs of Time answer the question 'when'. Examples: before, now, already, then, late, early, yesterday, tomorrow, etc.
4. Adverbs of Manner answer the question 'how'. Most adverbs ending in -ly are examples of adverbs of manner. Examples: kindly, cruelly, pleasantly, softly, cleverly, bravely, slowly, sadly, well, hard, etc.
5. Adverbs of Frequency answer the question 'how often'. Examples: twice, once, always, often, seldom, again, frequently, etc.
6. Adverbs of Place answer the question 'where'. Examples: here, there, up, down, in, out, etc.
7. Adverbs of Degree answer the question 'to what extent' or 'in which degree'. Examples: too, very, almost, any, quite, enough, pretty, etc.
8. Adverbs have three degrees of comparison - the Positive, the Comparative and the Superlative. Example: loudly - more loudly - most loudly
9. Adverbs of manner, place and time are placed after the verb if the verb does not have an object after it. They are placed after the object if the verb has it. Examples: The girls laughed happily. (Adverb 'happily' is placed after the verb 'laughed'.) The child was given a book yesterday. (Adverb 'yesterday' is placed after the object 'a book'.)