Learn Adverbs With Fun in Just 15 min

Definition of Adverbs

An adverb is that word in a sentence that modifies the meaning of a verb or adjective or another adverb or phrase or a clause.

An adverb is word that qualifies:

(a) A verb Ex – He speaks softly.

(b)An adjective Ex – He drank very hot tea.

(c) An adverb Ex – He worked quite hard.

(d)A preposition Ex – The helicopter hovered exactly over his house.

(e) A conjunction Ex – He likes her simply because she has a clear conscience.

(f) A complete sentence Ex – Fortunately he did not hurt himself.

Usually, an adjective qualifies a noun or pronoun but a few adverbs for Ex: ‘only’ even at last, almost, can also be used for same purpose. Example.

(1) Only Hari has passed

(2) Only they can save you.

Things you can learn in this blog

1. Classification of Adverbs
2. Degrees Of Comparison
3. Rules of Adverb
4. Some Important Adverbs
5. Practice Exercise of Adverb

Classification of Adverbs

Adverbs are of three types:

1. Simple adverbs
2. Interrogative adverbs
3. Relative adverbs

1. Simple Adverb

It denotes time, place, number, manner, frequency, degree, affirmation, or negation.

Adverb of Manner: An adverb of manner tells how a work is done. The following words express the manner of an action and answer the question ‘how’, boldly, bravely, quickly, slowly, easily, badly, well, etc. Example.

1. He works honestly.
2. He works slowly.
3. Remember: The adverb ending in ‘ly’ generally comes under adverb of manner.

Adjective	Adverb
Slow	Slowly
Glad	Gladly
Honest	Honestly

Miser, niggard, scholar & coward are few nouns in which we often get confused between their adjective and adverb forms.

Noun	Adjective form	Adverb form
Coward	cowardly	In a cowardly manner
Miser	Miserly	In a misery manner
Scholar	Scholarly	In a scholarly

Remember: A few words have the same adverb and adjective forms. Ex –Fast, straight, out right, direct, hard, late high, safe and quiet. Example.

Adverb: He work hard.

Adjective: This is a hard work.

Adverb of time: after, ago, early, late, now, then, soon, today, tomorrow etc. are adverbs of time. It shows when did the action take place. Example.

1. I came late.

Adverb of place: here, there, near, by, up, down, in, out, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere, anywhere, nowhere else etc. are some examples of adverb of place. Example.

1. Where is your match
2. It is here.

Adverbs of manner: boldly, bravely, quickly, slowly, easily, badly, hard, how, fast, well, etc are some example of adverb of manner. Example.

1. How is she typing?
2. She is typing carefully.

Adverb of frequency/number: once, twice, thrice, always, never, seldom, often, frequently etc. are some examples of adverb of frequency/number. It shows how often. Example.

1. He is always punctual.
2. She has always helped me.

Adverbs of Degree: almost, very, very much, too, enough, so much, just, of course, quite rather, rarely, hardly, much, more, most, barely, etc are some examples of adverb of degree. Example.

1. He is too ill to go to work.
2. He is rich enough to maintain a car.

Adverbs of Reason: So, hence, therefore, on account of consequently etc.are some examples of adverb of reason. Example

1. I could not come because I was not well.
2. I do not like him since he has cheated my people.

Adverbs of Affirmation: Surely, certainly, truly, etc. are some examples of adverb of affirmation. Example.

1. She will truly help you.
2. I will surely repay the loan.

Adverbs of Negation: No, not, never etc are some examples of adverb of negation. Example.

1. He did not reply to my letter.
2. I have never cheated anybody.

2. Relative Adverbs:

• When, where, why and how, etc are some examples of relative adverb. Example.
• I do not know where he was gone.
• He will come when I call him.

3. Interrogative Adverbs:

• Why, when, where, now, etc. are some examples of interrogative adverb. Example
• Why are you surprised?
• Where has she seen me?

Degrees Of Comparison

Adverbs has three degree of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative.  

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Fast	faster	fastest
Hard	Harder	Hardest
High	Higher	Highest
Slowly	More slowly	Most slowly
Politely	More politely	Most politely
Wisely	More wisely	Most wisely
Well	Better	Best
Badly	Worse	Worst
Much	More	Most
Little	Less	Least

Rules of Adverbs

Rule 1:

 With the positive degree ‘as + positive degree + as’ is used in the affirmative and ‘not + as + positive degree + as’ is used in the negative. Example

1. Suresh works as hard as Ramesh.
2. He does not sing as melodiously as she does.

Rule 2:

With the comparative degree we use ‘comparative form + than’. For example.

1. Dolly works harder than Daisy.

Rule 3:

With the comparative degree we can use ‘of the two + noun + ….. + the + comparative’ form. Example.

1. Of the two girls Lina behaves the more politely

Rule 4:

The construction ‘the + comparative ….. the + comparative’ is used to express parallel increase or decrease. Example.

1. The higher you go the wider it is.

Rule 5:

‘Else’ is followed by ‘but’ and ‘rather’ is followed by ‘than’. Example.

1. I would rather die than beg.
2. It is nothing else than foolishness. (Use ‘than’ in place of ‘but’)

Rule 6:

Adverbs like seldom, never, nowhere, nothing, hardly, scarcely, neither, barely, rarely are negative in meaning. Example.

1. I rarely went to meet nobody. (Use ‘anybody’ in place of ‘nobody’).
2. I hardly know somebody about you. (Use ‘anybody’ in place of ‘somebody’)

Rule 7:

Negative words like not/never is not used with deny, forbid, both, unless, until, lest, hardly, sacredly, rarely, seldom and too. Example.

1. She denied that she had not done anything wrong. (Delete ‘Not’).
2. Both of us are not going there. (Wrong).

Neither of us is going there. (Right)

Rule 8:

1. Adverb ‘as’ can be used with — regard, describe, define, treat, view, know.
2. Adverb ‘as’ cannot – be used with – Name, elect, think, consider, call, appoint, make, choose. Example.
3. I regard him my brother. (Add ‘as’ after him).
4. She is considered as the best – student of my class (Drop ‘as’ after ‘considered’)

Rule 9:

‘Seldom or never’, ‘seldom, if ever’, ‘little or nothing’, ‘little, if anything’ are correct but it is wrong to say ‘seldom or ever’ or ‘little or anything’. Example.

1. He seldom or never goes to see movies.

Rule 10:

Verbs of sensation (Taste, Smell, feel, Appear, sound and look) should take adjective and not adverb after them. Example.

1. I look honest
2. I work honestly  

Rule 11:

Mainly, masterly, slovenly, friendly, orderly, gentlemanly, sickly, weekly, monthly are adjectives which must not be mistaken as adverbs just because they end in ‘ly’. Example.

1. He behaved friendly. (wrong)

He behaved in a friendly manner. (right)

Rule 12:

To emphasize the adverb, it is used at the beginning of the sentence. Example.

1. Off she goes.
2. Here comes the chief guest.

Rule 13:

Adverb of time (always, never ever, often, seldom, sometimes) is used before the verbs that they modify. But if these adverbs come at the beginning of the sentence, the sentence takes inversion form which means the verb/helping verb at the beginning of the sentence. Example.

1. Seldom he comes to Delhi. (wrong)

Seldom does he come to Delhi (right).

1. Never I’ II go there (wrong)

Never shall I go there (right)

Some Important Adverbs

1. Fairly and Rather.
2. Hard, Hardly, Scarcely, Barely.
3. Yet and Still.
4. Since and Ever Since.
5. Badly and Well
6. Too
7. Too and Too Much.
8. Far, Farther, Farthest, Further, Furthest.
9. Much and Very Much.
10. Much and Very.
11. Quiet.
12.  Somehow, Anyhow.
13. Enough
14. Close and Closely.
15. Dead and Deadly
16. Direct and Directly.
17. Ease and Easily.
18. High and Highly
19. Right and Rightly.
20. Round and Roundly.
21. Late and Lately.
22. Only and Just.

Practice Exercise of Adverb

Correct the following sentences:

1. She takes generally her breakfast at 8 am.
2. Ram only came here last Saturday.
3. Ramesh was too tired when he came here.
4. Sita came quicker than I expected.
5. We wanted a better and efficient office assistant.
6. It was much cold last night.
7. I visited her frequently while in New York.
8. He will be quite sorry to know that.
9. The water of this tank is too cold.
10. He ran very fastly.
11. Hari was fortunately not available in the hostel.
12. It was nothing else than her arrogance.
13. He feels comparatively better today.
14. Come at 7 o’clock to my office.
15. I seldom or ever refused the leave.

Answers of the given Exercise

1. Generally, she takes her breakfast at 8 am.
2. Ram came here only last Saturday.
3. Ramesh was much tired when he came here.
4. Sita came quickly than I expected.
5. We wanted a better and more efficiently office assistant.
6. It was very cold last night.
7. I frequently visited her while in New York.
8. He will be very sorry to know that.
9. The water of this tank is very cold.
10. He ran very fast.
11. Fortunately, Hari was not available in the hostel.
12. It was nothing else but her arrogance.
13. He feels better today.
14. Come to my office at 7 o’clock.
15. I seldom or never refused the leave.

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