Adverbs

Adverbs

An adverb tells us more about a verb. It tells us how, when, where or how often something happens. An adverb can also tell us more about an adjective, like very hot.

Structure

• Most adverbs: adjective + -ly. Example: quick → quickly, slow → slowly.
• Adjective ends in -y: change y to i, then add -ly. Example: happy → happily, easy → easily. A few keep the y: shy → shyly.
• Adjective ends in -le: change -le to -ly. Example: simple → simply, gentle → gently.
• Adjective ends in -ful: add -ly. Example: careful → carefully.
• Same form: fast, hard, late and early are the same as adjective and adverb. Example: It is a fast car. The car goes fast.
• Good → well: good is an adjective. Well is its adverb. Example: She is a good singer. She sings well.

How the Grammar Works

1. Tell more about a verb: She runs quickly.
2. Tell more about an adjective: It is very hot.
3. Tell more about another adverb: He drives very slowly.
4. Put always, never, often and usually before the verb: I always drink coffee in the morning.
5. Put always, never, often and usually after am, is and are: He is never late.
6. Put words like slowly, well, here and today at the end: She speaks English well.

Common Use Cases

• How: slowly, carefully, well. Example: He drives slowly.
• Where: here, there, outside. Example: We play outside.
• When: now, today, soon, later. Example: It is cold today.
• How often: always, usually, often, sometimes, never. Example: They sometimes play football. Sometimes can also start a sentence: Sometimes I walk to work.
• How much: very, too, enough.
  • Very makes an adjective stronger: The bag is very big.
  • Too means more than we want: The bag is too big for me.
  • Enough means as much as we need. It comes after the adjective: The room is big enough.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Wrong: He runs quick. Right: He runs quickly. Use the -ly word to tell more about the verb runs.
• Wrong: She sings good. Right: She sings well. Good describes a noun. Well tells more about a verb.
• Wrong: I go always to the gym. Right: I always go to the gym. Put always before the verb.
• Wrong: She speaks well English. Right: She speaks English well. Do not put well between speaks and English. Put it at the end.
• Wrong: She is a quickly runner. Right: She is a quick runner. Use an adjective before a noun.

Comparison with Related Grammar

An adjective tells us more about a noun. An adverb tells us more about a verb.

• She is a quick runner. Quick is an adjective. It tells us about the noun runner.
• She runs quickly. Quickly is an adverb. It tells us about the verb runs.
• She is a good singer. She sings well. Good is the adjective. Well is the adverb.

Example Sentences

• He drives slowly.
• She sings well.
• She always eats breakfast before work.
• He is never late.
• It is very hot today.
• They are here now.
• Sometimes I walk to work.
• The bag is too big for me.

When to Use This Rule

Use adverbs to say how, where, when or how often something happens. Watch the word order with always, never and often.