Adverbs

Summary - Adverbs
The comparison of adverbs
The position of adverbs in sentences
Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs and adjectives have the same form
Adverbs, where the basis is not the adjective
Adverbs - two forms
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Adverbs
1.) Adverbs tell us in what way someone does something. Adverbs can modify verbs,
adjectives or other adverbs.
2.) Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing. Adjectives can modify
nouns or pronouns.
Adjective

Adverb

Mandy is a careful girl.

Mandy drives carefully.

Mandy is very careful.

Form
Adjective + - ly

Adjective

Adverb

dangerous

dangerously

careful

carefully

nice

nicely

easy

easily

horrible

horribly

electronic

electronically

irregular forms
good

well

fast

fast

hard

hard

Tip: Not all words ending in - ly are adverbs.

adjectives ending in - ly: friendly, silly, lonely, ugly
nouns, ending in - ly: ally, bully, Italy, melancholy
verbs, ending in - ly: apply, rely, supply
There is no adverb for an adjective ending in - ly.

Types of Adverbs

1.)
Adverbs
of
manner:
quickly
kindly

2.)
Adverbs
of degree:
very
rather

3.)
Adverbs
of
frequency
:
often
sometime
s

4.)
Adverbs
of time:
now
today

5.)
Adverbs
of place:
here
nowhere

Comparison of adverbs
There are three forms:
- positive form
- comparative form
- superlative form
A - Comparison with -er/-est - hard - harder - (the) hardest
We use -er/-est with the following adverbs:
1.) all adverbs with one syllable
fast

faster

fastest

high

higher

highest

2.) The adverb: early

B - Comparison with more - most
carefully - more carefully - (the) most carefully
adverbs ending on -ly (not: early)
C - Irregular adverbs
well

better

best

badly

worse

worst

much

more

most

little

less

least

late

later

last

far

farther
further

farthest
furthest

ATTENTION!
In informal English some adverbs are used without -ly (e.g. cheap, loud, quick). There are two
forms of comparison possible, depending on the form of the adverb:
cheaply - more cheaply - the most cheaply
cheap - cheaper - the cheapest
2

 Position of adverbs
The position of adverbs in sentences
We can put adverbs in different positions in sentences. There are three main positions but
also a lot of exceptions.
In English we never put an adverb between the verb and the object.
We often play handball. - CORRECT

We play often handball. - WRONG

The three main positions of adverbs in English sentences

1.) Adverb at the beginning of a sentence
Unfortunately, we could not see Mount Everest.
2.) Adverb in the middle of a sentence
The children often ride their bikes.
3.) Adverb at the end of a sentence
Andy reads a comic every afternoon.
More than one adverb at the end of a sentence
If there are more adverbs at the end of a sentence, the word order is normally:
Manner - Place - Time
Peter sang the song happily in the bathroom yesterday evening.
Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, regularly, normally, often, sometimes,
occasionally, rarely, seldom, never
The position of these adverbs is:
- before the main verb

Adverb of
frequency

Verb

always

get up

at 6.45.

Peter

can

usually

play

football on Sundays.

Mandy

has

sometimes

got

lots of homework.

Susan

after a form of to be am, are, is (was, were)

Verb

Adverb of frequency

is

never

late.

The adverbs often, usually, sometimes and occasionally can go at the beginning of a
sentence.
Sometimes I go swimming. Often we surf the internet.
Sometimes these adverbs are put at the end of the sentence.
We read books occasionally.
The adverbs rarely and seldom can go at the end of the sentence.
He eats fish very seldom.
3

 Adverbs and adjectives have the same form

The following adjectives and adverbs have the same form:
Adjective

Adverb

close

close

daily

daily

early

early

fair

fair

far

far

fast

fast

free

free

hard

hard

high

high

late

late

lively

lively

long

long

lovely

lovely

low

low

right

right

wide

wide

wrong

wrong

Adverbs, where the basis is not the adjective

The following adverbs are not derived from adjectives:
Adverbs
here
there
today

Comment
adverb of place
adverb of time

now
then
still
soon

yet
often
sometimes

adverb of frequency

never
hard
hardly
Adverbs with two forms
These adverbs have two forms:
without -ly

with -ly

fair

fairly

free

freely

high

highly

late

lately

most

mostly

near

nearly

pretty

prettily

right

rightly

wrong

wrongly