What is an Adverb?
An adverb is a word/a set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It tells when, where, and how an action is performed or indicates the quality or degree of the action. Here are its types.
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree tell us more about the intensity of the verb in the sentence, in other words, they describe how much, or to what degree. They can be categorized as low degree (e.g. somewhat), medium degree (e.g. fairly), and high degree (e.g. extremely). Adverbs of degree can also modify adjectives and other adverbs and are placed before the word they modify. Popular adverbs of degree include:
Let’s look at some sample sentences:
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency let us know how often the verb occurs. Therefore, they mostly modify verbs. These adverbs tend to appear right before the main verb in the sentence. Popular adverbs in this category include:
Here they are in action:
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner tell us how, or in what manner, something was carried out. They mostly modify verbs and can often be found at the end of a clause. This category comprises the most common adverbs – the ones that end in -ly. Here are some examples of adverbs of manner:
And here are some example sentences:
Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place tell us more about where the verb took place. These tend to pop up after the main verb or direct object of the sentence. Here are some common adverbs of place:
Let’s take a look at them in action:
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time detail when the verb took place. We usually see these kinds of noun placed at the beginning or end of a sentence. Adverbs of time include:
Here they are at work: