Types of Adverbs: An adverb is one of the important parts of speech. You can consider it one of the four essential parts of speech with verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Adverb has a wide range of functions, but the major function is, it adds more information and detail to the sentence. It will help the readers get a more understanding of the writer’s perspective when they read a sentence.
An adverb is a word that modifies another adverb, an adjective, or a verb. Certain Adverbs can even modify a whole sentence, a clause, or a phrase. You can describe Adverbs easily as those words which modify other different parts of speech, telling you more information about an idea or an action. Their ability to describe how things happen makes the sentence interesting, thus expanding your vocabulary, which will seem unique to others.
To know more about Adverbs, you have to see the different types of Adverbs:
Types of Adverbs
Along with the types of Adverbs, we want you to know what adverb does, how to identify Adverbs, and also, the position of Adverbs in a sentence.
What does an adverb do?
Adverbs often modify other Adverbs, adjectives, sentences, and verbs.
Adverb and another adverb:
When an adverb modifies another adverb, it will create an adverbial phrase.
Example:
- The shy girl plays rather happily in the ground – Here rather is an adverb that modifies happily.
- The pretty rabbit jumps very quickly – Here very is an adverb that modifies quickly.
- Her grandmother walks so slowly – Here so is an adverb that modifies slowly.
Adverb and Verb
Let us see an adverb modifying a verb, here it will describe the way in which action is happening.
Example:
- The dog is waiting impatiently for the ball – Here impatiently is an adverb explaining how waiting is happening.
- Rosy sings loudly at the concert. Here loudly is an adverb about how singing is performed.
- She will seriously look into the suggestion – Here seriously is an adverb that explains how consideration of suggestion is happening.
In all these sentences Adverbs is explaining in what manner the action is being performed
Adverbs and Adjectives
An adverb can modify an adjective, it will add a degree of intensity to the adjective in the sentence.
Example:
- The extremely cute cat runs quickly. – Here extremely is an adverb that modifies cute.
- She is really beautiful – Here really is an adverb that modifies beautiful.
Adverb and Sentence
Adverbs that modify sentences are known as sentence Adverbs. These Adverbs describe a feeling about the total information of a sentence. They do not talk about a particular word in the sentence. Some of these Adverbs are accordingly, interestingly, fortunately, and generally.
Example:
- Fortunately, I reached the exam hall in time.
- Interestingly, the teacher did not seem to bother about the low marks in the recent examination.
Types of Adverbs
While talking about types of Adverbs, before that there are three kinds of Adverbs which are divided into types. They are:
Simple Adverbs
These are most used and contain only one word. They are further divided into six types:
Adverb of time: When you want to talk about when did something happen. It indicates the time of an action. You can see this adverb mostly at the start or end of a sentence. Some of them are now, yesterday, tomorrow, soon, immediately, earlier and more.
Example:
You have to leave now.
I went there yesterday.
Adverb of place: It talks about where the action is happening These Adverbs answer the question where. Some of them are anywhere, back, there, here, everywhere, and more.
Example:
I searched here and there for the book.
The cars were parked inside.
Adverb of frequency: It talks about how often an action takes place. It discusses the frequency of a particular action. Some of them are never, seldom, always, sometimes, every and more.
Example:
She will always love her dog.
My father goes to walk daily.
Adverbs of manner: It talks about in what manner or how something has taken place. They mainly modify verbs. Some of them are softly, quickly, beautifully, happily, neatly, and more.
Example:
She answered the viva happily.
He finished his meal quickly.
Adverbs of degree: It talks about the extent or how much something has happened. Some of them are so, too, nearly, very, quite, almost, enough, and more.
Example:
She drove quite rashly.
I am very excited about the trip.
Adverb of reason: It talks about the reason why something or action has taken place. Some of them are because, hence, therefore, since, and more.
Example:
She was absent because she had a fever.
It was very hot, therefore she stayed indoors.
Interrogative Adverbs
These are those Adverbs that ask a question about the reason, manner, time, or place. You can find them mostly at the beginning of a sentence.
Example:
Why are you talking to him?
When are you going home?
Relative Adverbs
These Adverbs are used to relate, connect or join two sentences. There are only three relative Adverbs which are why, when, and where.
Example:
I met her when she was alone.
I have no idea why she left.
She went to her town where she has finished her schooling.
How to identify an adverb in a sentence?
Most of the Adverbs used in a sentence end with ly, which makes it easy to identify them in the sentence. This may not apply to all cases.
Position of Adverbs in a sentence:
You can find Adverbs in three positions in a sentence.
- At the beginning of a sentence.
- In the middle of a sentence.
- At the end of a sentence.
When Adverbs have been used to modify adjectives or verbs they are generally found before the verbs and adjectives.
But when an adverb is modifying the verb some conditions apply.
- If they are Adverbs of place or manner then they are at the end of the sentence.
- If they are Adverbs of time they will be at the end of the sentence.
- But if it is about an indefinite period of time, then adverb is between subject and verb in the sentence.
Now that you have seen types of Adverbs, ways to identify them and their positions, let us see other Adverbs you may come across in the sentence.
Adverb Clause
These are a group of words that will function as an adverb in the sentence. They will help modify adjectives, Adverbs, and verbs in the sentence. The clauses will add information that will elaborate on under what condition, how much, how, why, where, and when the action has taken place in the sentence.
The clause will contain verb and subject to be complete. These clauses will start with conjunctions like although, because, if, and after. These clauses will add descriptive information, detail, and importance to your writing. These are flexible enough to be placed at the end, middle, or beginning of a sentence.
Let us see some examples of adverb clauses:
At the beginning of the sentence:
- Whether you like it or not, you will have to finish the work.
- Unless you write fast, you will finish the exam.
- Once they saw the teacher coming, the students stayed quiet in the class,
When Adverb clauses are at the beginning of the sentence, they will be followed by a comma.
Middle of a sentence
- My brother, when he is angry, will turn red.
- Chocolate, because it has a low melting point, is difficult to bake.
- He remembered after leaving the house, that he needs to mail cards.
At the End of a Sentence
- You must practice the problem until you get it right.
- I can get clothes as long as the store remains open.
- Give us a call when you reach home.
Note:
If you doubt if the group of words is adverb clause or not, then check for verb and subject if they are both present in the sentence and answer where, when, why, or how then it is an adverb clause.
Adverb Phrases
In a sentence, when a group of words will not contain a verb and subject but still act as Adverbs, they are considered an adverb phrases.
Example:
I went there yesterday.
The boy was shouting very loudly.
The woman seldom goes there.
Let us see some common errors one may commit while identifying Adverbs:
You know that even adjectives modify other words so that one may mistake adjectives for an adverb or vice-versa.
Example:
She behaved very bad in the class.
She behaved very badly in the class.
Out of these two sentences, the first is incorrect because bad is the adjective describing the word behaved, which is a verb here. Once, you change bad into badly describes the verb correctly, and badly is an adverb here. Below is another example:
She felt badly for canceling the trip.
She felt bad for canceling the trip.
Out of these two sentences, the first is incorrect because linking verbs like felt must be followed by adjectives like bad here and not Adverbs like badly here. This is because linking verbs do not show any action as they link the sentence’s subject.
Another error which one commits is between words well and good. Well is the adverb and good is the adjective.
Example:
She is good at painting.
Here, good modifies she.
She paints really well.
Here, well modifies the paint.
Conclusion on Types of Adverbs
The article will help you understand the different types of Adverbs and the importance of Adverbs in English vocabulary. Adverbs add seasoning to a sentence; they describe how things will happen and appear in a given sentence. They will help express the writer’s perspective, thus helping those who read visualize the action happening. So, add Adverbs to your writings to make them pleasing and easy for the readers while they read the sentences. Happ