ADVERBS
Nguyen Thi Kim Anh
I. Kinds of adverbs
II. Form and use
III. Position
I. Kinds of adverbs
a. Manner: bravely, fast, happily, hard, quickly, well
b. Place: by, down, here, near, there, up
c. Time: now, soon, still, then, today, yet
d. Frequency: always, never, often, twice
e. Sentence: certainly, definitely, luckily, surely
f. Degree: fairly, hardly, rather, quite, too, very
g. Interrogative: when? where? why?
h. Relative: when, where, why
II. Form and use
1. Formation of adverbs
2. Adjectives and adverbs with the same form
3. Comparative and superlative adverb forms
1. Formation of adverbs
Many adverbs of manner and some adverbs of degree are formed by adding
–ly to the corresponding adjectives
E.g. grave-gravely
immediate-immediately
Spelling notes:
- A final y changes to i: happy-happily
- A final e is retained: extreme-extremely (Exception: true, due, whole)
- Adjectives ending in able/ible drop the final e and add y: capable-capably
b. Exceptions
Some adjectives ending in -ly eg. friendly, likely, lonely, etc cannot be used as adverbs and have no adverb form.
To supply this deficiency we use a similar adverb or adverb phrase:
likely (adj) –probably (adv);
friendly (adj)-in a friendly way
c. Some adverbs have a narrower meaning than their corresponding adjectives or differ from them.
coldly, coolly, hotly, warmly are used mainly of feelings:
We received them coldly (in an unfriendly way)
They denied the accusation hotly
She welcomed us warmly.( in a friendly way)
2. Adjectives and adverbs with the same form
The back door Come back soon
The most direct route You can dial Rome direct
A fast train The train went fast
The work is hard They worked hard
You look ill/ well an ill-made road
The right answer Turn right here
A straight line She went straight home
This is the wrong way He led us wrong
Some words have –ly forms.
Deeply is used chiefly of feelings
He was deeply offended.
Highly is used only in an abstract sense
He was a highly-paid official
Lately = recently:
Have you seen him lately?
Mostly = chiefly
Nearly = almost: I’m nearly ready
Prettily corresponds to the adjective pretty (attractive): prettily dressed
Pretty can also be an adverb of degree meaning very: pretty difficult
Shortly= soon, briefly
3. Comparative and superlative adverb forms
With adverbs of two or more syllables, we form
the comparative and superlative by putting more
and most before the positive form
E.g. Quickly- more quickly- most quickly
Fortunately- more fortunately- most fortunately
Single-syllable adverbs, however, and early add –er, est
hard-harder-hardest
fast-faster-fastest;
early-earlier-earliest
Irregular comparisons: well/ badly/ little/ much/ far
III. Position
1. Adverbs of manner
2. Adverbs of place
3. Adverbs of time
4. Adverbs of frequency
5. Orders of adverbs
6. Sentence adverbs
7. Adverbs of degree
8. Inversion of the verb


1. Adverbs of manner
a. Adverbs of manner come
- after the verb: E.g. She danced beautifully
- after the object when there is one:
They speak English well
He gave her the money reluctantly.
Do not put an adverb between verb and object.
b. When we have verb + preposition + object, the adverb can be either before the preposition or after the object:
E.g. He looked at me suspiciously
or He looked suspiciously at me.
But if the object contains a number of words we put the adverb before the preposition.
E.g. He looked suspiciously at everyone who got off the plane.
c. Similarly with verb + object sentences the length of the object affects the position of the adverb.
If the object is short, we have verb + object + adverb, as shown above.
But if the object is long we usually put the adverb before the verb:
E.g.
She carefully picked up all the bits of broken glass.
He angrily denied that he had stolen the documents.
They secretly decided to leave the town.
d. Note that if an adverb is placed after a clause or phrase, it is normally considered to modify the verb in that clause/phrase.
If, therefore, we move secretly to the end of the last example above, we change the meaning.
E.g.
They secretly decided...................
( The decision was secret.)
They decided to leave the town secretly.
(The departure was able to be secret)
Adverbs concerned with character and intelligence, foolishly, generously, kindly, stupidly, etc when placed before a verb, indicate that the action was foolish/kind/ generous, etc.
E.g.
I foolishly forgot my passport.
He generously paid for us all.
2. Adverbs of place
a. If there is no object, these adverbs are usually placed after the verb:
E.g. She went away.
He lives abroad
Bill is upstairs.
But they come after verb +object or verb + preposition + object
E.g. She sent him away.
I looked for it everywhere.
Adverb phrases, formed of preposition + noun/pronoun/adverb, follow the above position rules:
E.g. He stood in the doorway.
He lives near me.
b. somewhere, anywhere follow the same rules as some and any:
E.g. I’ve seen that man somewhere.
Can you see my key anywhere?
No, I can’t see it anywhere.
Nowhere, however, is not normally used in this position
except in the expression to get nowhere (to achieve nothing/ to make no progress)
E.g. Threatening people will get you nowhere. (you will gain no advantage by threatening people.)
c. Here/there can be followed by be/come/ go + noun subject
E.g. Here’s Tom.
There’s Ann.
Here comes the train.
There goes our bus.
Tom is here = He is in this room/ building/ town.
Here’s Tom = He has just appeared or that we have just found it.
Tom comes here = it is his habit to come to this place
Here comes Tom = he is just arriving/has just arrived.
If the subject is a personal pronouns, it precedes the verb in the usual way:
E.g. There he is.
Here I am.
Here it comes.

d. The adverbs away (=off), down, in, off, out, over, round, up etc can be followed by a verb of motion + a noun subject
E.g. Away went the runners.
Down fell a dozen apples
Round and round flew the plane
But if the subject is a pronoun it is placed before the verb:
E.g. Away they went.
Round and round it flew.
3. Adverbs of time
a. afterwards, eventually, lately, now, recently, soon, then, today, tomorrow, etc. and adverb phrases of time: at once, since then, till
These are usually placed at the very beginning or at the very end of the clause, i.e. in front position or end position.
End position is usual with imperatives and phrases with till:
E.g. Eventually he came/ he came eventually
Then we went home/ We went home then.
Write today/ I’ll wait till tomorrow.

With compound tenses: afterwards, eventually, lately, now, recently, soon can come after the auxiliary.
E.g. We will soon be here.
b. Before, early, immediately, and late come at the end of the clause:
E.g. He came late/ I will go immediately.
But before and immediately, used as conjunctions, are placed at the beginning of the clause:
E.g. Immediately the rain stops we’ll set out.
c. Since/ever since are used with perfect tenses.
They are usually in the end position (sometimes since can come after the auxiliary)
E.g. He’s been in bed since his accident/ since he broke his leg.
d. Yet and still
Yet: “up to the time of speaking”.
It is chiefly used with the negative or interrogative
E.g. He hasn’t finished (his breakfast) yet. (After verb/ verb + object)
He hasn’t yet applied for the job we told him about. (long object)
Still: emphasizes that the action continues.
It is chiefly used with the affirmative or interrogative
but can be used with the negative to emphasize the continuance of a negative action:
E.g. She is still in bed.
He still doesn’t understand.
( “not understanding” continues)
He doesn’t understand yet. (“understanding” hasn’t yet started.)

e. Just, as an adverb of time, is used with compound tenses:
E.g. I’m just coming.
We have just arrived.
4. Adverbs of frequency

*always, continually, frequently, occasionally, often, once, twice, sometimes, usually,
* ever, hardly ever, never, rarely, scarcely ever, seldom
a. Adverbs in both the above groups are normally placed:
After the simple tenses of to be:
He is always in time for meals.
Before the simple tenses of all other verbs:
They sometimes stay up all night.
With compound tenses, they are placed after the first auxiliary, or with interrogative verbs, after auxiliary + subject:
E.g. He can never understand.
You have often been told not to do that.
Have you ever ridden a camel?
b. Adverbs in the first group can also be put at the beginning or end of a sentence or clause.
often, if put at the end, normally requires very or quite:
E.g. Often he walked
He walked quite often.
c. Adverbs in the second group (hardly ever, never, rarely) can also be put at the beginning of a sentence,
but inversion of the following main verb then becomes necessary:
E.g. Scarcely ever/ Hardly ever does he come back home before midnight
5. Orders of adverbs
Orders of adverbs and adverb phrases of manner, place and time when they occur in the same sentence
a. expression of manner usually precede expressions of place;
E.g. He climbed awkwardly out of the window.
He’d study happily anywhere.
b. But away, back, down, forward, home, in, off, on, out, round and up usually precede adverbs of manner
E.g. He walked away sadly.
He looked back anxiously
They went home quietly.
They climbed up confidently
b. Here and there do the same except with the adverbs hard, well, badly
E.g. He stood there silently but they worked harder here.
d. Time expressions can follow expressions of manner and place
E.g. They worked hard in the garden today.
He lived there happily for a year.
6. Sentence adverbs
Sentence adverbs: modify the whole sentence/ clause and normally express the speaker’s/ narrator’s opinion.
a. expressing degrees of certainty: actually, certainly, clearly, evidently, obviously, probably,
-after BE:
He is obviously intelligent.
- before simple tenses of other verbs:
They certainly work hard
He actually lives next door.
- after the first auxiliary in a compound verb
Definitely
He will definitely give you a ring.
perhaps, possibly, surely
Perhaps, they are busy.
b. Other sentence adverbs: (un) fortunately, frankly, honestly, (un) luckily, etc. are usually in the front position though the end position is possible.
E.g. Honestly, Tom didn’t get the money.
(The speaker is assuring us that Tom didn’t get the money)
7. Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree: absolutely, almost, barely, completely, enough, entirely, extremely, fairly, far, hardly, just, much, nearly, only, quite, rather, really, scarcely, so, too, very, etc
a. It modifies an adjective or another adverb.
It is placed before the adjective or adverb:
E.g. You are absolutely right.
I’m almost ready.
But enough follows its adjective or adverb:
E.g. The box isn’t big enough.
He didn’t work quickly enough.
b. far requires a comparative, or too+ positive.
Much could replace far or used with a superlative.
E.g. It is far better to say nothing.
He drives far too fast.
This solution is much the best.
8. Inversion of the verb
hardly.............ever hardly..............when
in no circumstances neither/ nor
never no sooner......than
not only not till
nowhere on no account
only by only in this way
only then/ when scarcely ever
scarcely..........when seldom
so
I haven’t got a ticket. Neither/ Nor have I
Never in his life has he betrayed his wife.
Not only do they rob you, they smash everything, too
Not till he got home did he realize that he had lost it.
On no account must this switch be touched.
Only by shouting was he able to make himself heard.


-The end-