Adverbs

Introduction

Adverbs are words that describe the verb in a sentence. Adverbs can also modify an adjective, other adverbs, or modify the sentence. When we say a word “modifies” another word, we mean that the word changes the original version of the word and describes it in more depth. We will be able to see this in action with some examples below. Let’s look at some common ways to use adverbs and where to place them in a sentence.

Adverbs answer the following questions in a sentence:

• How?
• When?
• Where?
• To what degree?
• Why?

“The thought came gentlyHow? and stealthilyHow? … but just as my spirit came at length properlyHow? to feel and entertain it, the figures of the judges vanished, as if magicallyHow?, from before me." (Taken from The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe)

Common uses

The most common way to use an adverb is to modify a verb itself. Here are some common examples of this:

• Example → “The child yelled loudly for his parents.”

In this example, the adverb “loudly” gives the reader an idea of how the child yelled and helps paint a more specific image of this action.

• Example → “Sam waited patiently for their friend in the store.”

In this example, the adverb “patiently” helps the reader understand how Sam waited. If a different adverb, such as “impatiently”, was used, the meaning of the sentence would be much different because the reader would assume that Sam is irritated. However, using the adverb “patiently” lets the reader see that Sam was calm and not irritated by waiting for their friend.

Notice how, in each example, the adverb comes after the verb and ends in “-ly”.

Note: Adverbs are not always used this way, but this is one of the most frequently used forms.