LESSON 7: ADVERBS
Relevant Review
•
Words can be separated into eight groups called the parts of speech.
•
Verbs tell what the subject is or does.
•
Adjectives are words that modify nouns and pronouns.
Lesson
In the last lesson, you learned about adjectives. Adjectives are a kind of modifier. They
modify nouns and pronouns.
In this lesson, you’ll learn about another kind of modifier: adverbs.
Adverbs are words that describe (or modify) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Examples: gracefully walk, extremely happy, very slowly
Adverbs are one of the parts of speech.
The Parts of Speech
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas. Nouns can be subjects.
Pronouns take the place of nouns. Pronouns can be subjects.
Verbs tell us what the subject is or does.
Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Interjections
These four adverb questions will help you identify adverbs. Words that answer these
questions about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, are adverbs.
All adverbs answer one of these questions.
The Adverb Questions
Memorize these!
1. How?
2. When?
3. Where?
4. To what extent?
5. Why? *
* The adverb question why is answered by more than one word (an adverbial clause or
phrase). Because we are only learning about one-word adverbs right now, we won’t use
this question now, but I still suggest memorizing it.
GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 1 Adverbs are a little more complicated than adjectives. When adverbs modify verbs,
they're easy to spot. But it can be a little more difficult to identify an adverb that is
modifying an adjective or another adverb. Let's look at some examples!
Adverb + Verb/
Verb + Adverb
gracefully walk
Adverb Question
Adverbs
How?
gracefully
walk slowly
Walk how?
slowly
never walk
When?
never
walk tomorrow
Walk when?
tomorrow
walk here
Where?
here
walk everywhere
Walk where?
everywhere
Adverb + Adjective
Adverb Question
Adverbs
extremely cute
How?
extremely
not cute
How cute?
not
Adverb + Adverb
Adverb Question
Adverbs
very slowly
How?
very
rather slowly
How slowly?
rather
Diagramming Adverbs
Diagram adverbs by placing them on slanted lines under the verb, adjective, or adverb
that they modify.
That makes sense because adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Sentence
diagramming really shows us that adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs!
Rover howled rather loudly.
2 GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com Tip: The following sentences that you're about to diagram contain adjectives and
adverbs. Use the adjective and adverb questions to help you figure out what kind
of word you are dealing with.
You may want to write these questions on the board, and you should definitely
quiz your students on both questions!
Adjective Questions
Adverb Questions
1. Which one?
1. How?
2. What kind?
2. When?
3. How many?
3. Where?
4. Whose?
4. To what extent?
5. Why?
Lesson 7 Sentence Diagramming Exercises
1. The boy smiled happily.
Key
The boy smiled happily.
boy
smiled
The
happily
sentence – statement
subject (noun)
verb
adjective modifying boy
answers Which one?
adverb modifying smiled
answers How?
GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 3 2. Maria’s bright blue dress was skillfully made.
Key
Maria’s bright blue dress was
skillfully made.
dress
sentence – statement
subject (noun)
was made
verb phrase
was
helping verb
made
Maria’s
blue
bright
skillfully
main verb
adjective modifying dress
answers Whose?
adjective modifying dress
answers Which one?
adverb modifying blue
answers How?
adverb modifying was made
answers How?
4 GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 3. Where* did she go?
* Where is an adverb question. The adverb questions themselves are adverbs.
Key
Where did she go?
sentence – question
She did go where.
sentence – statement
she
subject (noun)
did go
verb phrase
did
helping verb
go
main verb
Where
adverb modifying did go
answers Where?
Tip
Keep using the adverb and adjective questions with your students.
Quiz them sometime soon!
Adverb Questions
1. How?
2. When? 3. Where? 4. Why? 5. To what extent?
Adjective Questions
1. Which one? 2. What kind? 3. How many? 4. Whose?
GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 5 4. Yesterday, Henry sang very passionately.
Key
Yesterday Henry sang very passionately.
sentence - statement
Henry
subject (noun)
sang
verb
Yesterday
passionately
very
adverb modifying sang
answers When?
adverb modifying sang
answers How?
adverb modifying passionately
answers How?
Adverb & Adjective Question Quiz
Two Choices
1. Call on students randomly and have them tell you the questions.
2. Have all students write the questions on a sheet of paper and hand it in or
correct their papers as a class.
6 GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 5. Five rather sad clowns frowned.
Key
Five rather sad clowns frowned.
sentence - statement
clowns
subject (noun)
frowned
verb
Five
sad
rather
adjective modifying clowns
answers How many?
adjective modifying clowns
answers What kind?
adverb modifying sad
answers How?
Extra Practice: Identifying Adverbs
Don’t worry about diagramming the following sentences. Only focus on finding the
adverbs within the sentences.
Remember, adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
1. Underline the adverbs in the following sentences.
a. He never answers the questions accurately.
b. The doctor very skillfully operated on the sick patient.
c. Suddenly, I realized that I must sleep upstairs.
d. Drive carefully! The road is quite slippery.
e. I always feed the dog daily.
2. Give three examples of adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.
Answers will vary. quickly run, walk here, happily dance, drive very slowly…
GET SMART (INSTRUCTOR) LESSON 7 © www.English-Grammar-Revolution.com 7