Introduction
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings loudly), an adjective (very tall), another adverb (ended too quickly), or even a whole sentence (Fortunately, I had brought an umbrella). Adverbs often end in -ly, but some (such as fast) look exactly the same as their adjective counterparts.
- Tom Longboat did not run badly.
- Tom is very tall.
- The race finished too quickly.
- Fortunately, Lucy recorded Tom’s win.
1. Adverbs modify, or tell us more about other words, usually verbs:
One of the things adverbs do is modify verbs. This means that they describe the way an action is happening.
Examples
- The bus moved slowly.
- The bears ate greedily.
However, there is one type of verb that doesn’t mix well with adverbs. Linking verbs, such as feel, smell, sound, seem, and appear, typically need adjectives, not adverbs.
I feel badly about what happened. (Incorrect)- I feel bad about what happened. (correct)
2. Sometimes they tell us more about adjectives:
Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. Often, the purpose of the adverb is to add a degree of intensity to the adjective.
Examples
- You look absolutely fabulous!
- The woman is quite pretty.
- This book is more interesting than the last one.
- The weather report is almost always right.
3. They can also modify other adverbs:
Examples
- She played the violin extremely well.
- You're speaking too quietly.
- My cat is incredibly happy to have his dinner.
- We will be slightly late to the meeting.
- This bridesmaid dress is a very unflattering shade of puce.
4. They can modify entire sentence
Some adverbs can modify entire sentences—unsurprisingly, these are called sentence adverbs. Common ones include generally, fortunately, interestingly, and accordingly. Sentence adverbs don’t describe one particular thing in the sentence—instead, they describe a general feeling about all of the information in the sentence.
- Fortunately, we got there in time.
- Interestingly, no one at the auction seemed interested in bidding on the antique spoon collection.
Placement of Adverbs
Place adverbs as close as possible to the words they are supposed to modify. Putting the adverb in the wrong spot can produce an awkward sentence at best and completely change the meaning at worst. Be especially careful about the word only, which is one of the most often misplaced modifiers. Consider the difference between these two sentences:
- Phillip only fed the cat. (He fed the cat and did not do any thing else)
- Phillip fed only the cat. (He did not feed any other pet)