English (Basic) - Lesson - four

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It tells us more about how, when, where, why, or to what extent something happens. Adverbs make sentences more descriptive and precise.

1. Adverbs Modifying Verbs

Adverbs often describe how an action is done.
They can also show when, where, or how often it happens.

Examples:

• She speaks softly. → (softly tells how she speaks.)

• He came early. → (early tells when he came.)

• The children played outside. → (outside tells where they played.)

• They visit us often. → (often tells how frequently they visit.)

2. Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

An adverb can strengthen or weaken the meaning of an adjective.
It usually comes before the adjective.

Examples:

• The movie was very interesting. → (very modifies the adjective interesting.)

• She is extremely tall. → (extremely modifies tall.)

• It’s quite cold today. → (quite modifies cold.)

These adverbs are often called degree adverbs, because they show the extent or degree of a quality.

3. Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs

An adverb can also modify another adverb, making its meaning stronger or weaker.

Examples:

• He runs very quickly. → (very modifies the adverb quickly.)

• She answered too sharply. → (too modifies sharply.)

• The train moved almost slowly through the fog. → (almost modifies slowly.)

4. Types of Adverbs

Adverbs are often grouped by what they describe:

a) Adverbs of Manner – tell how something happens

Examples: slowly, quickly, neatly, badly
Sentence: She writes neatly.

b) Adverbs of Time – tell when something happens

Examples: today, yesterday, soon, later, now
Sentence: We will meet tomorrow.

c) Adverbs of Place – tell where something happens

Examples: here, there, everywhere, outside, nearby
Sentence: The kids are playing outside.

d) Adverbs of Frequency – tell how often something happens

Examples: always, usually, often, rarely, never
Sentence: He always wakes up early.

e) Adverbs of Degree – tell to what extent or how much

Examples: very, almost, too, enough, quite, extremely
Sentence: She is quite confident.

f) Adverbs of Reason – tell why something happens

Examples: therefore, thus, hence, because
Sentence: He was tired; therefore, he went to bed early.

5. Position of Adverbs in Sentences

The position of an adverb can change the emphasis or meaning.

a. Beginning:

• Yesterday, I met an old friend.

b. Middle (usually before the main verb):

• She always helps others.

• They never lie.

c. End:

• He works hard.

• She spoke politely.

Note:
Adverbs like never, often, usually, always come before the main verb but after be verbs.
Example:

• She is always cheerful.

• He often eats breakfast late.

6. Formation of Adverbs

Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to adjectives.

Exceptions:
Some words don’t follow this rule.

• good → well (She sings well.)

• fast → fast (He runs fast.)

• hard → hard (They work hard.)

7. Common Errors with Adverbs

1. Don’t confuse adjective and adverb forms.
   ❌ He runs quick.
   ✅ He runs quickly.

2. Some adverbs don’t take -ly.
   ✅ He came late. (not lately, which means “recently”)

3. Avoid double negatives with adverbs like hardly or scarcely.
   ❌ I didn’t see hardly anyone.
   ✅ I hardly saw anyone.

8. Examples in Context

Here’s a short paragraph showing different adverbs in action:

Riya woke up early and quickly got ready for school. She walked briskly to the bus stop, where she waited patiently. The bus arrived on time, and she greeted her friends cheerfully. Riya always enjoys school because she studies seriously and listens attentively in class.