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Adverb Notes
Definition
•  An adverb is a word that
modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb
Adverbs answer the
following questions:
Where? How often? or how long?
When?
To What extent?
How?
or how much?
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Examples
1.  The sprinter ran swiftly. [The
adverb swiftly modifies the verb
ran and tells how.]
2.  I read the funny pages early on
Sunday morning. [The adverb early
modifies the adjective small and
tells to what extent.]
Examples
3. Jolene was comforting a very small child.
[The adverb very modifies the adjective
small and tells to what extent.]
4. The fire blazed too wildly for anyone to
enter. [The adverb too modifies the adverb
wildly and tells to what extent. The adverb
wildly modifies the verb modifies the verb
blazed and tells how.]
Examples
5. Dad will sometimes quote from Archbishop
Desmond Tutu s speech. [The adverb
sometimes modifies the verb will quote
and tells how often.]
6. Put the apples there, and we will eat them
later. [The adverb there modifies the verb
put and tells where. The adverb later
modifies the verb will eat and tells when.]
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Words Often Used as
Adverbs
Where?
•  Away
•  Here
•  Inside
•  There
•  Up
When?
•  Later
•  Now
•  Soon
•  Then
•  Tomorrow
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How?
•  Clearly
•  Easily
•  Quietly
•  Slowly
How often? or how long?
•  Always
•  Usually
•  Continuously
•  Never
•  Forever
•  Briefly
To what extent? or How
much?
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Almost
So
Too
More
Least
Extremely
Quite
Very
Not
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Take Note
The word not is nearly always
used as an adverb modifying a
verb. When not is part of a
contraction, as in hadn t,
aren t, and didn t, the –n t is
still an adverb and is not part of
the verb.
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