ADVERBS

ADVERBS

Adverbs modify—describe, restrict, or in some way qualify—verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs can also modify clauses, phrases, and entire sentences.

Adverbs indicate the how, when, where, and what (extent) of something.

How: She’ll run there quickly.
When: I’m going to go today.
Where: Bring that book here.
What (extent): She was fully immersed in the water.



Let’s look at some examples:

The ballerina delicately danced across the stage.
Delicately is the adverb here describing the verb danced.

How could the only fourpeople to survive go missing?
Here, the adverb only modifi es the adjective four and the noun people.

He quiteseriouslyquestioned the superintendent’s methods.
In this example, quite is the adverb modifying the adverb and verb seriously and questioned, respectively.

We arrived just after they left for the airport.
Here, just is the adverb modifying the clause after they left.

They walked closely totheedge of the lava flow.
Closely is the adverb here, modifying the phrase to the edge.

Thankfully,he reached them just in the nick of time.
Here, thankfully is the adverb modifying the rest of the sentence.

Most adverbs are formed by adding the suffi x -ly to adjectives, but you can’t count on the -ly alone to identify adverbs. Some adjectives also use -ly (fatherly, lonely, motherly). And while adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, adjectives modify nouns and nouns alone. With that in mind, when you see an -ly modifi er in a sentence, you can identify whether it’s an adjective or an adverb based on what it’s modifying.

Her fatherlyuncle
Her fatherlyold uncle

As with adjectives, the addition of suffi xes helps create and identify adverbs. In
this instance the suffi x added is -ly.