WHAT IS AN adverb

An adverb is a word that is used to change or qualify the meaning of an adjective,

a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or phrase with the
exception of determiners and adjectives that directly modify nouns.
Traditionally considered to be a single part of speech, adverbs perform a wide
variety of functions, which makes it difficult to treat them as a single, unified
category. Adverbs normally carry out these functions by answering questions such
as:

Examples
When? She always arrives early.
How? He drives carefully.
Where? They go everywhere together.
In what way? She eats slowly.
To what extent? It is terribly hot

This is called adverbial function and may be accomplished by adverbial clauses

and adverbial phrases as well as by adverbs that stand alone.

There are many rules for using adverbs, and these rules often depend upon which
type of adverb you are using. Remember these basics, and using adverbs to make
sentences more meaningful will be easier for you.

Adverbs can always be used to modify verbs. Notice that the second of these two
sentences is much more interesting simply because it contains an adverb:

 The dog ran. (You can picture a dog running, but you don’t really know
much more about the scene.)

 The dog ran excitedly. (You can picture a dog running, wagging its tail,
panting happily, and looking glad to see its owner. You can paint a much
more interesting picture in your head when you know how or why the dog
is running.)

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Adverbs are often formed by adding the letters “-ly” to adjectives. This makes is
very easy to identify adverbs in sentences. There are many exceptions to this rule;
everywhere, nowhere, and upstairs are a few examples.

An adverb can be used to modify an adjective and intensify the meaning it

conveys. For example:
 He plays tennis well. (He knows how to play tennis and sometimes he
wins.)
 He plays tennis extremely well. (He knows how to play tennis so well that
he wins often. )

As you read the following adverb examples, you’ll notice how these useful words
modify other words and phrases by providing information about the place, time,
manner, certainty, frequency, or other circumstances of activity denoted by the
verbs or verb phrases in the sentences.

Examples of Adverbs
As you read each of the following adverb examples, note that the adverbs have
been italicized for easy identification. Consider how replacing the existing adverbs
with different ones would change the meaning of each sentence.
 She was walking rapidly.
 The kids love playing together in the sandbox.
 Please come inside now.
 His jokes are always very funny.
 You don’t really care, do you?

Adverbs Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how
adverbs work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. The driver stopped the bus _______________.

A. Financially
B. Exactly
C. Abruptly
D. Now
Answer: C. The driver stopped the bus abruptly.

2. During autumn, colorful leaves can be seen falling ______________ from trees.
A. Everywhere
B. Very
C. Gently

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 D. Loudly
Answer: C. During autumn, colorful leaves can be seen falling gently from trees.

3. My grandmother always smiled _______________.

A. Cheerfully
B. Sadly
C. Never
D. Yesterday
Answer: A. My grandmother always smiled cheerfully.

4. After the party, confetti was strewn _________________.

A. Blandly
B. Everywhere
C. Later
D. Carefully
Answer: B. After the party, confetti was strewn everywhere.

5. It’s time to go ____________.

A. Before
B. Now
C. Yesterday
D. Lightly
Answer: B. It’s time to go now.

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Adverbs List

There are many different words that function as adverbs. The following list is
broken down into segments which list adverbs by function. After reading, you will
be able to think of additional adverbs to add to your own list – after all, there are
thousands.

Many adverbs end in “-ly”. This makes it very easy to spot the adverbs in most
sentences.
Abruptly Excitedly Naughtily Sadly

Boldly Financially Openly Terribly

Carefully Horribly Poorly Willingly

Deliberately Mildly Quickly Yearly

Some adverbs tell us where the action happened. These are known as adverbs of
place.

Everywhere

Here

Inside

There

Underground

Upstairs

Certain adverbs let us know when or how often the action happened. These are
known as adverbs of time and adverbs of frequency.

After Always Before Later Now Today Yesterday

Many adverbs tell us the extent of the action.

Almost Enough So Too Quite Rather Very

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Some adverbs are used as intensifiers.

Absolutely Certain Completely Heartily Really

Certain adverbs called adverbs of manner tell us about the way in which something

was done.

Briskly Cheerfully Expectantly Randomly Willingly

Some groups of words serve the same functions as adverbs. These are known as adverb
clauses. Be sure to read the adverb clause section to learn new ways to make your
sentences even more interesting.

http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/adverb/

Also take note of the video

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 Comparing adjectives
As well as serving as modifying words like beautiful and big, adjectives are also
used for indicating the position on a scale of comparison. The lowest point on the
scale is known as the absolute form, the middle point is known as the
comparative form, and the highest point is known as the superlative form.
Here are some examples:

Absolute Comparative Superlative

This book This book is longer than that This is the longest book.
is long. book.
The airport The airport is farther than the This is the farthest airport.
is far. train station.
My mom is My mom is a better cook than My mom is the best cook.
a good cook. your mom.

The comparative form

When two objects or persons are being compared, the comparative form of the
adjective is used. The comparative adjective can be formed in two ways:

1. Adding –er to the absolute form of the adjective.

2. Adding the word more before the adjective.

 My essay is longer than yours.

 She is more beautiful than her sister.

Forming and Exceptions

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Words ending with ‘e‘, add ‘r‘ to the end of the word (e.g., lame → lamer).
Words with one vowel and one consonant at the end,
double the consonant and add –er to the end of the word (e.g., big → bigger).
Words with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end,
add –er to the end of the word (e.g., hard → harder).

Words of two syllables ending with ‘y‘

Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and add –er to the end of the word.
This doll is prettier.

The Superlatives form

The superlative is used to say what thing or person has the most of a particular
quality within a group or of its kind. The superlative can be formed in two ways:
1. Adding –est to the absolute form of the adjective.
2. Adding the word most before the adjective.
 This is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.
 The biggest table in the room.

Forming and Exceptions

Words ending with ‘e‘, add ‘st‘ to the end of the word (e.g., large → largest).
Words with one vowel and one consonant at the end,
double the consonant and add –est to the end of the word (e.g., big → biggest).
Words with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end,
add –est to the end of the word (e.g., blue → bluest).

Words of two syllables ending with ‘y‘.

Change ‘y‘ to ‘i‘, and add –est to the end of the word.
This doll is the prettiest.

Words of two syllables not ending with ‘y‘.

Insert most before the adjective.
He is the most charming boy at school.

Positive form
The positive form is used in cases where there are no differences between the two
compared things or persons. To form the positive, we use the word as before and
after the absolute form of the adjective.

1. Danny is as smart as Phillip.

2. She is as beautiful as her older sister.
In a negative context to indicate that the compared objects are not similar:
1. Danny is not as smart as Phillip.
2. She is not as beautiful as her older sister.

Exceptions (irregular forms)

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 Certain adjectives have irregular forms in the comparative and superlative
degrees:
Absolute Comparative Superlative
Good Better Best
Bad Worse Worst
Little Less Least
Much, many, some More Most

Examples of comparing adjectives

1. This house is bigger than that one.

2. This flower is more beautiful than that.
3. He is taller than Mr. Hulas.
4. He is more intelligent than this boy.
5. Jonathan is the most handsome man on campus.
6. This is the prettiest dress in the window.
7. I lost my most comfortable shoes.
8. My job is worse than yours.

 Compound adjectives
A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives are joined together
to modify the same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion
or ambiguity.

Diana submitted a 6-page document.

She adopted a two-year-old cat.

Compound adjectives – Exceptions

Note that combining an adverb and an adjective does not create a compound
adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb
modifies the adjective rather than the subsequent noun.

It was a terribly hot day.

It is an amazingly good idea.
In addition, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the
adjectives are capitalized, such as when they are part of a title.

Examples of compound adjectives

This is a four-foot table.

Daniella is a part-time worker.
This is an all-too-common error.
Beware of the green-eyed monster.
He is a cold-blooded man.
I love this brightly-lit room!
Danny’s dog is well-behaved.

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 You have to be open-minded about things.

Compound adjective exercises

From each group, choose the sentence that contains a compound adjective:

Sheila was horribly moody.

We’d like you to be part of the decision-making process.
The company showed steady improvement in their stock trades.

This is a widely used procedure for finishing wood floors.

Moths ate his woolen socks.
That was really generous of you.

Sharon’s adopted son is five years old today.

My new car has leather upholstery.
She was a well-known actress by the time she reached age five.

Answers: IS IN COLOR WHITE B, A, C

Using hyphens in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

The group was full of rowdy 10 year old schoolboys.
The group was full of rowdy 10-year-old schoolboys.

The actress is well known.

The actress is well-known.

They enjoyed a three-year profit streak.

They enjoyed a three-year-profit streak.

Answers:B, A, A

Using –ly adverbs in compound adjectives: Which sentences are correct?

Along the river, rapidly increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.

Along the river, rapidly-increasing floodwaters caused evacuations.

My neighbor Jim is an internationally recognized author.

My neighbor Jim is an internationally-recognized author.

The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill conceived plan and failed.
The bank robbers tried to hatch their ill-conceived plan and failed.

Answers:A, A, B

Choose the correct compound adjective for each sentence.

1. He is fond of ______________________ Scotch.
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 good 12-year-old 10 year old

2. The weather has been ___________________ lately.

terribly-cold terribly cold too cold

3. Babysitting these kids is like trying to manage a _____________.

three ring circus three-ring-circus three-ring circus

Answers: A – 12-year-old B – terribly cold C – three-ring circus

List of adjective
early important New high
able few large next public
bad First Last old right
big Good little other same
different great Long own small

Appearance adjectives
drab handsome plain unsightly
adorable elegant long quaint wide-eyed
beautiful fancy magnificent sparkling
clean glamorous old-fashioned ugliest

Color adjectives
yellow blue gray white
orange green purple black Red

Condition adjectives
alive dead helpful odd tender
better easy important powerful uninterested
careful famous inexpensive rich vast
clever gifted mushy shy wrong

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Personality adjectives – Positive
agreeable eager jolly obedient thankful
brave faithful kind proud victorious
calm gentle lively relieved witty
delightful happy nice silly zealous
Personality adjectives – Negative
angry embarrassed itchy nervous scary
bewildered fierce jealous obnoxious thoughtless
clumsy grumpy lazy panicky uptight
defeated helpless mysterious repulsive worried

Shape adjectives
crooked high round steep
curved hollow shallow straight
broad deep low skinny wide
chubby flat narrow square

Size adjectives
Big great little petite small
colossal huge mammoth puny tall
fat immense massive scrawny teeny
gigantic large miniature short teeny-tiny

Sound adjectives
cooing deafening melodic raspy whispering
faint noisy screeching
hissing purring thundering
loud quiet voiceless

Time adjectives

ancient fast modern quick slow

brief late old rapid swift
early long old- short young
fashioned

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Taste / Touch adjectives
bitter juicy melted rotten sweet weak
delicious hot nutritious salty tart wet
fresh icy prickly sticky tasteless wooden
greasy loose rainy strong uneven yummy

Quantity adjectives
abundant few heavy many sparse
empty full light numerous substantial

Touch adjectives
boiling chilly crooked damp filthy hot
breeze cold cuddly dirty flaky warm
broken cool curly dry fluffy wet
bumpy creepy damaged dusty freezing

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