Least is the superlative form of little and can be used in the following ways:
as a determiner (followed by an uncountable noun): He generally takes the path of least resistance. (after ‘the’): These farming methods cause the least damage to the environment.
as a pronoun (without a following noun): People will choose the product that costs least. (after ‘the’): Abe works the hardest, yet he earns the least. (followed by ‘of’): That’s the least of my problems.
as an adverb (after ‘the’ and before an adjective): I think you are the least suitable person for the job. (followed by an adverb): Production was slowest where time was least efficiently used. (with a verb): She was kind to me when I least expected it. (after ‘the’ with a verb): The money seems to go to the people who need it the least.
as an adjective: At the least sign of trouble, he gets scared and quits.
Adverbs in English: rules of education and place in a sentence with tables and translation
An adverb is a part of speech that answers the question «How?» and characterizes a verb, adjective or other adverb. There are different types of adverbs — manner of action (how), place (where), time (when), degree (to what extent), frequency (how often), opinions. Consider the rules for using adverbs in English.
Formation of adverbs in English
How are adverbs formed? By structure, adverbs can be divided into the following groups:
Simple | Derivatives | Composite | Composite |
long (long) | slowly | anyhow (in any way) | at once (immediately) |
enough (enough) | wise (similarly) | sometimes (sometimes) | at last (finally) |
then (then) | forward | nowhere (nowhere) | so far (so far) |
The most common way to form adverbs is by adding the -ly suffix to the adjective. Such adverbs usually have a similar meaning to them.
Adjective | Adverb |
bad | badly (poorly) |
Beautiful | beautifully (beautiful) |
carefully | Carefully (attentively) |
quick | quickly (quickly) |
quiet | quietly (quiet) |
soft | gently (soft) |
Consider the spelling change when adding the -ly suffix:
- le changing to ly (gentle — gently)
- y changing to ily (easy — easily)
- ic changing to ically (automatic — automatically)
- ue changing to uly (true — truly)
- ll changing to eye (full — fully)
Other examples of suffixes: -ward (s), -long, -wise
- clockwise
- forward
- headlong
Adverbs are exceptions
Some adverbs can be both adjectives and adverbs in different situations without adding suffixes:
- It was a fast train. The train went fast.
- He returned from a long journey. Will you stay here long?
- The price is very low. The plane flew very low.
- We have very little time. He reads very little.
Other examples of exceptions are hard, high, deep, last, late, near, wide, early, far, straight, right, wrong.
Most common exception: good — well.
Some adverbs have two forms — one without -ly and one with it. These forms have different meanings. Examples: hard / hardly, last / lastly, late / lately, near / nearly, high / highly.
Adjective | Adverb without -ly | Adverb with -ly |
He is a hard worker | He works hard | I could hardly understand him (I could hardly understand him) |
He returned in late autumn (He returned in late autumn) | I went to bed late yesterday (I went to bed late yesterday) | I haven’t seen him lately (I haven’t seen him lately) |
He is studying the history of the Near East | He lives quite near | It is nearly 5 o’clock (Now almost 5 o’clock) |
The house is very high | The plane flew very high | It is a highly developed state |
Place and order of adverbs in a sentence
Where is the adverb in English? The position in the sentence depends on the type of adverb (read below), their number and other factors.
— before adjectives, other adverbs and participles | The task was surprisingly simple.He walked very fast.We are extremely interested in their offer. |
— usually after verbs | He speaks slowly |
— at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis | Slowly, he entered the room. Now I understand what you mean |
— when there are two or more adverbs in a sentence, they go in the following order: manner — place — time | She spoke very well here last time |
— if the sentence contains a verb of movement (go, come, leave etc.), the adverbs go in this order: place — manner — time | She arrived here by train yesterday |
Types of adverbs in English with lists
The following classification of adverbs is distinguished — the adverbs of the mode of action, time, frequency, place and direction, degree and opinion. Let’s consider all these groups in more detail.
Adverbs of manner
Such adverbs tell us how something is happening: well, badly, slowly, and so on.
- How did John behave? He behaved badly.
- Did you sleep well?
- He came very quickly
We do not use adverbs after linking verbs to be, become, feel, get, look, seem. We use adjectives after them.
- Sue felt happy
- Nobody seemed amused
- I am not sure
Mode adverbs appear before the main verb, after auxiliary verbs, or at the end of a sentence
- They quickly returned
- He was anxiously waiting for their reply
- She smiled kindly
Adverbs of time
List of adverbs of the time: When (when), now (now), then (then, then) before (before, before) after (then, after), afterwards (subsequently), once (once), fair (just now, just), still (still), already / yet (already), yet (yet, yet), since (since), early (early), lately / recently (recently), suddenly (suddenly), soon (soon), long (for a long time), August (ago), today (today), Tomorrow (tomorrow), yesterday (yesterday) etc.
Tense adverbs usually appear at the end of a sentence. They can be placed in the first place for emphasis, in other words, to give the desired stylistic coloring:
- I saw her yesterday
- Still I can’t understand what happened then (still ahead for dramatic coloring)
Some monosyllabic adverbs of the tense (soon, now, then) come before the main verbs and after the auxiliary verbs:
- I now understand what he means
- She will soon come back home
Remarks:
- We say tonight (tonight / night), tomorrow night, last night (not “yesterday night”)
- Already and yet can mean already. At the same time, already is used only in statements, and yet in questions and negations.
- The preposition for can mean “during” and is used with adverbs of time: for a long time, for 10 years.
Adverbs of frequency
They answer the question «How often?» The most common ones are: always (always), generally, normally, normally (usually), frequently, frequently (often), seldom, rarely (rarely), Sometimes (sometimes), from time to time, occasionally (occasionally), never (never).
Where to put such adverbs? Frequency adverbs come after auxiliary verbs, but before the main semantic ones:
- He has never visited us.
- Paul is often barks.
- He Sometimes comes here.
Generally, usually, normally, often, frequently, sometimes can be at the beginning of a sentence to give a stylistic coloring:
- I usually go to work by metro. — Usually, I go to work by metro.
Adverbs of place and direction
List of the main adverbs of place and direction: here (here), there (there, there), Where (where, where), somewhere, anywhere (somewhere, somewhere) nowhere (nowhere, nowhere) elsewhere (somewhere else) far away (far), near (close), inside (inside), outside (outside), above (above, above), below (below, below).
Such adverbs are usually placed at the end of a sentence:
- How long are they going to stay here?
Somewhere, anywhere, nowhere
Source: https://dundeeclub.ru/grammar/narechiya-v-anglijskom-yazyke-s-perevodom-tablitsami-i-primerami-adverbs.html
Formation of adverbs in English with examples
Adverbs in English help to make speech brighter, more emotional and colorful. Sometimes one word is enough to convey the meaning of a sentence or to emphasize what has been said.
By studying the formation of adverbs in English by examples, you can more easily understand the peculiarities of the composition of words, as well as learn the exceptions. Remember that English is the language of exceptions to the rules, so be sure to study not only the basic rules, but also examples with exceptions.
A kind of imaginary tables should always be in your memory, then your speech will be competent and correct.
The basics of the basics: what you need to know without fail
Adverbs (adverbs) are used to indicate a sign or course of action and can answer the following questions:
When? | He was absent yesterday => | He was absent yesterday. |
How? (How?) | She will be singing slowly => | She will sing slowly. |
Where? | It is very cozy indoors => | The room is very cozy. |
How often? | He visits us only sometimes => | He visits us only occasionally. |
In what degree? | I saw enough exotic animals so I made some amazing photos => | I’ve seen enough exotic animals, so I took some great photos. |
The adverbs of the English language are also subdivided according to their structure, more precisely, word formation. It is important to remember that an adverb can be:
- Simple (only one root => here, now, well)
- Derivatives (root + suffixes and prefixes => rarely, unfortunately, quickly)
- Complicated (one word has several stems => nowhere, sometimes, downhill)
- A compound (forming an adverb with a phrase that has a single meaning =>see you first/at first, since then/since, so far/while, at least/at least, in wine/ in vain, at length/ detail).
When forming adverbs from adjectives, you need to remember that each type is characterized by its own peculiarities of composition.
Using the suffix -ly
This type of adverb formation occurs most often. Adverbs in English are formed from adjectives as follows: adjective stem (sometimes noun) + -ly =>
Day + ly => daily (daily)
Source: https://speakenglishwell.ru/obrazovanie-narechij-v-anglijskom-yazyke-pravila-i-isklyucheniya/
Adverbs in English
Adverb Is a part of speech that denotes a sign of action.
In other words, an adverb indicates how, where, when, or to what extent something happened:
The guests moved hurriedly into the dining room.
The guests hurriedly went into the dining room.
English adverbs are divided into the following semantic groups:
here — here
there — there
where — where
inside — inside
outside — outside
above — at the top
below — below
somewhere — somewhere, somewhere
anywhere — anywhere, anywhere
nowhere — nowhere, nowhere
and more
now — now
when — when
then — then then
today — today
yesterday — yesterday
tomorrow — tomorrow
before — before, before
lately — recently
recently — recently, recently
once — once, once
and more
much — very
little — little
very — very, very
too — too, very
so — so, to such an extent
enough — enough, enough
hardly — barely, barely
scarcely — barely, with difficulty
nearly — almost
almost — almost, almost
and more
well — good
fast — fast
quickly — quickly, soon
slowly — slowly
quietly — quietly
easily — easy
and more
too — also, too
also — also, besides
either — also, too
else — more, except
only — only, just
even — even
etc.
When are adverbs used in English?
Adverbs can characterize an action:
He is running fast.
He runs fast.
signs:
She is very witty.
She is very witty.
other adverb:
It’s too late.
Too late.
or the whole sentence:
honestlywe did a great job.
Honestly, we did a great job.
In addition, adverbs in English can combine separate sentences (adverbs therefore, then, however, nevertheless, still, yet, besides, moreover, otherwise, else) or a subordinate and main clause as part of a complex (when, where, how, why) :
It was very hard to start my own business. I continued suddenheless and never looked back.
Starting your own business was very difficult. However, I continued and never looked back.
I don’t care why you are late again.
I don’t care why you’re late again.
Adverbs When, Where, why, how can serve as an interrogative word, opening an interrogative sentence:
Where is that boy?
Where is this boy?
When did you come?
When did you come?
In addition, adverbs can reflect the speaker’s personal attitude to the topic of conversation, in which case they are called «viewpoint adverb».
Foolishly, I agreed to help him.
Out of my stupidity, I agreed to help him.
Clearly, he is mistaken.
He’s obviously wrong.
Actually, I share your opinion.
In general, I share your point of view.
Formation of English dialects
Source: https://www.native-english.ru/grammar/english-adverbs
Adverbs in English. Determining the place in sentences
Pre-Intermediate
Setting principle adverbs to a specific place in a sentence is based on two points:
- The adverb is placed either BEFORE or AFTER the verb.
- Adverbs of different categories (mode of action, time, place, etc.) occupy different places in the sentence.
Therefore, there are several possible options for setting each category of adverbs in a sentence.
1. Before the verb
- Adverbs always, often, seldom, ever, never, just, already, yet, usually, generally, sometimes, still, soon, once… But!!! These adverbs are placed AFTER THE VERB TO BE.
- Mode of action adverbs, if the verb is followed by an infinitive.
- All adverbs are placed before have to + infinitive and used to
2. After the verb
- Mode of action adverbs.
- All adverbs are placed after an auxiliary verb, after a modal verb, or after the first verb (if the verb construction is complex).
- The adverb «yet «to mean» yet «.
- The adverb «enough».
3. At the end of the sentence
- The adverb «yet«In the meaning» already «.
- Adverbs before, lately, recently.
- Adverbs too, either.
4. At the beginning or end of a sentence
- Sometimes can stand anywhere.
- Adverbs tomorrow, today, yesterday.
5. additional information
- Adverb enough is placed after an adverb or definition. It can also define a noun and stand both before and after it.
- Adverb too in the meaning «too» is placed before the word that it defines.
- If the adverb of time and the adverb of place are next to each other, then the adverb of place comes first.
- An adverb defining an adjective or other adverb is placed before the word being defined.
Schematically, the principle of the arrangement of adverbs in a sentence can be depicted as follows:
TABLE.
BEFORE VERB | AFTER VERB | AT THE END OF THE OFFER | AT THE BEGINNING OR END OF THE OFFER |
always, often, seldom, ever, never, just, already, yet, usually, generally, sometimes, still, soon, once | Mode of action adverbs | «Yet» means «already» | Sometimes it can stand anywhere |
Everything before have to + infinitive and used to | Everything after an auxiliary verb, after a modal verb, or after the first verb (if the verb construction is complex) | before, lately, recently | tomorrow, today, yesterday |
Mode of action adverbs, if the verb is followed by an infinitive. | «Yet» means «yet»; enough | too, either | tomorrow, today, yesterday |
In conclusion, we recommend taking the test — choose the correct option:
Source: https://www.learnathome.ru/grammar/the-order-of-adverbs.html
Types of adverbs in English, education, use in a sentence
Groups into which English dialects by way of education: simple, compound, derived and composite.
Simple
These adverbs consist of only one word:
foolishly (stupid),
how (how),
even (even)
Complex
It happened as a result of the merger of two words:
everything (everything),
sometimes (sometimes)
Derivatives
Derivative adverb formation often by adding a suffix -glass to an adjective or noun.
Formed from adjectives Formed from nouns
slow — slowly (slowly) | month — monthly (monthly) |
quiet — quietly (calmly) | day — daily (daily) |
nice — nicely (nice) | year — yearly (annually) |
Rule for adding suffix -ly
If the adjective from which the adverb is formed ends in -ythen -y replaced by -i:
busy — busily (busily, fussy),
easy — easily (easily)
With -ly and no suffix
There are a number of adverbs with and without the -ly suffix that have different meanings:
clear — clearly (clear — obvious)
close — closely (close — carefully),
dear — dearly (expensive — strong),
deep — deeply (deep — strong, deep),
hard — hardly (diligently — hardly)
high — highly (high — very strong, high),
late — lately (late — recently)
near — nearly (close — almost),
pretty — pretily (pretty — pretty, as it should),
right — rightly (straight — right),
wide — widely (wide open — wide).
It is very rare that adverbs are formed by adding suffixes. -most (almost — almost), — (a — the same), -fold (threefold — triple), -ward (s) (eastward — to the East), -wise (clockwise — clockwise).
Composite
Composite adverbs are in two words or words with a preposition:
at least (at least),
by the way (by the way),
too seldom (too seldom).
Types of English adverbs
When classifying each other, adverbs are divided into several discharges (see below).
Adverbs of place:
here (here),
out there (there),
inside (inside),
elsewhere (elsewhere),
far away, etc
Mode of action adverbs:
correctly
fast (fast),
slowly (slowly),
quietly (calmly),
easily, etc
Adverbs of measure and degree:
little (little),
very (very),
enough (enough)
scarcely (barely),
too (too),
nearly (close), etc
Adverbs of time:
now (now),
today (today),
yesterday (yesterday),
tomorrow (tomorrow),
lately (late),
recently
once (once),
ever
always (always),
seldom (rare),
sometimes (sometimes),
already (already),
still (bye),
since (for some time now), etc
Let’s single out a number of adverbs that are not separated into a separate row:
too (also),
else (otherwise),
only (only),
even (even), etc
When and how to use adverbs?
Adverbs characterize the action:
They are walking quickly.
They’re walking fast.
Signs:
She is very cute.
It very cute.
Other adverb:
It’s too late to apologize.
Too late apologize.
Total offer:
honestly, we have to do a lot.
Honestly speakingwe have a lot to do.
When, why, Where are the interrogative word, with which the interrogative sentence always begins:
When did you manage to do it all?
When did you manage to do all this?
Also in English there are adverbs that help the speaker to express their point of view. In English they are called viewpoint adverb.
FoolishlyI went to this club.
Foolishly I went to this club. fairly fairly decent.
She completed this task pretty decent.
How many new words have you learned by reading this article?
- Some more useful articles
- Comparison of adverbs in English
Source: https://englishforeducation.ru/types-of-adverbe-in-english.html
An adverb is a word that defines the meaning of a verb, adjective, other adverb, or noun phrase. Most adverbs are formed by adding the suffix –ly to the adjective.
Rules for the formation of adverbs in English
1. To form an adverb in English from an adjective that ends in — l, you need to add the suffix –ly.
Example: careful-carefully.
2.Adjectives ending in — y, when forming an adverb in English, take the suffix — ily.
Will take: lucky-luckily.
3. The suffix Ble is changed to bly.
Example: responsible-responsibly.
Mode of action adverb
The adverb of the mode of action characterizes the verb. It describes the way in which an action is performed.
Example: She did the work carefully. Carefully characterizes the verb to describe the quality of the action.
Adverb of place or location
The adverb of place indicates where the action takes place.
Example: They live locally. (She lives in this area.)
Adverb of time
The adverb of time indicates when an action is performed or its duration, or how often this action is performed.
Example:
— He did it yesterday. (When) — He did it yesterday. (When)
— They are permanently busy. (Duration) — They are constantly busy. (Duration)
— She never does it. (Frequency) — She never does that. (How often)
Adverb of Degree in English
The degree adverb increases or decreases the effect of the verb.
Example: I completely agree with you. (I totally agree with you.) This increases the effect of the verb, while the adverb `partially` decreases it.
Adverbs characterizing adjectives
An adjective can be defined by an adverb. It usually comes before the adjective, with the exception of the adverb enough, which follows it.
Example:
— That`s really good. (This is really good.)
— It was a terribly difficult time for all of us. (It was a terribly difficult time for all of us.)
— It wasn`t good enough. (It wasn’t good enough.) The word enough follows the adjective.
Adverbs characterizing adverbs
An adverb can define another adverb. As with adjectives, the adverb comes before the adverb it defines, while enough is the exception.
Example:
— She did it really well. (She did it very well.)
— He didn`t come last night, funnily enough. (He didn’t show up last night, which is funny enough.)
Noun adverb
An adverb can characterize a noun to indicate a time or place.
Example:
— The concert tomorrow. (Tomorrow’s concert)
Source: http://www.the-world.ru/narechie
Types of adverbs in English. Types of English adverbs
Adverbs in English are divided into several classes.
Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time in English answer the question «when». Examples: today — today, yesterday — yesterday, now — now, before — before, daily — daily, already — already, since — since (any time), ago — (some time) ago, never — never, etc. .NS.
For example:
I met him yesterday.
I met him yesterday.
I have seen him before.
I saw him before.
We will have to start now.
We’ll have to start now.
Frequency adverbs
Frequency adverbs in English answer the question «how often». Examples: often — often, always — always, once — once, never — never, again — again, seldom — rarely, frequently — often, etc.
For example:
I have seen him only once.
I only saw him one day.
He called again this morning.
He again called this morning.
We must always help each other.
Мы always should help each other.
Adverbs of place
Adverbs of Place in English answer the question «where». Examples: here — here, there — there, up — above, down — below, everywhere — everywhere, out — not here, in — here, etc.
For example:
He looked up.
He looked up.
I searched for him everywhere.
I searched for him everywhere.
he is not in right now.
Him now here no.
Mode of action adverbs
Mode of action adverbs in English answer the questions “how”, “how”. Please note that this class of adverbs includes almost all adverbs ending in –Ly… Examples: quickly — quickly, carefully — carefully, sweetly — cute, clearly — distinct, bravely — brave, beautifully — beautiful, well — good, fast — fast, etc.
For example:
The soldiers fought bravely.
Soldiers bravely fought.
This essay is well written.
This composition good it is written.
She walked slowly.
It slow was going.
Adverbs of degree, measure, quantity
Adverbs of degree, measure, quantity in English answer the questions “how much”, “how much”, “how much”, etc. Examples: very — very, too — too, fully — completely, quite — quite, rather — rather, enough — enough, partly — partially, almost — almost, utterly — excessively, entirely — completely, etc.
For example:
He was very busy.
He was very busy.
I have Almost finished.
Я almost finished.
You are partially right.
You partially are right.
Adverbs of reason and purpose
Adverbs of reason and purpose in English answer the questions «why», «why». Examples: therefore — hence, hence — hence, consequently — as a result, etc.
For example:
follow he refused to go.
As a result, he refused to go.
Therefore they decided to go on strike.
therefore they decided to go on strike.
She is hence unable to solve this math problem.
this impliesthat she cannot solve this math problem.
Relative adverbs
Relative adverbs in English Are adverbs Where, When, whythat are used to connect sentences or parts of sentences. They replace a somewhat formal structure. preposition + which.
Source: http://www.correctenglish.ru/theory/grammar/types-of-adverbs/
10 ways to tell an adjective from an adverb in English
An adjective is easy to recognize in a sentence by how it affects the noun, changing its properties. For example:
«He bought a shirt.» The word shirt is a noun, but it is not clear what kind of shirt it is. All we know is that someone bought a shirt.
«He bought a beautiful shirt.» In this example, the adjective beautiful appears, which changes the noun shirt, which makes it clear which shirt the person bought.
It is not difficult to recognize an adjective in a sentence — it, as a rule, answers the questions “Which one?”, “Which one?”, “Which one?”.
For example:
“The kind woman gave us a tasty cake.” What woman? Kind (kind). What kind of cake? Tasty
«The small boy is playing with a new toy.» The adjectives small (small) and new (new) tell us which boy and what kind of toy we are talking about.
So, the main thing to remember is the questions that the adjective answers in English:
- What is it?
- Which the?
- Which one?
Adverb
If adjectives affect nouns, changing their properties, then the adverb affects verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. You can easily find an adverb in a sentence with the -ly suffix, because most adverbs in English are formed just by adding it to an adjective. It is important to remember that the adverb answers the question «how?» or «how much?» Let’s look at some examples:
«The pair danced gracefully.» (The couple danced gracefully.) The adverb gracefully influences the verb to dance, making it clear exactly how the couple danced.
«That man is very strong.» (That man is very strong.) In this sentence, the adverb very affects the adjective strong and shows how and how strong the man is. Let’s check by asking the question “how much?”: “How strong is he? He is very strong. » (How strong is he? He is very strong.)
«It was an extremely important meeting.» (This was an extremely important meeting.) The adverb extremely changes the adjective important. We ask the question “how much”: “How important was it? Extremely important. » (How important was it? Extremely important.) It is now clear that the meeting was extremely important.
«She smiled amazingly.» (She smiled an amazing smile.) Here the adverb amazingly affects the verb smile, and tells us how the girl smiled.
So, remember the main rule — the adverb most often answers the question «how?» At the same time, it can also answer the questions «when?», «Where?» and why?».
Additional rules
In English, adjectives usually precede the nouns they refer to. However, if the sentence contains one of the following verbs, the adjective will appear after its noun.
- to be
- to feel
- great taste
- to smell
- to sound
- to look
- to appear
- to seem
Consider the following examples:
«The sky is blue.» (The sky is blue.) The adjective blue refers to the noun sky, but follows the verb is in the sentence, which is the form of the verb be.
«Diana looks happy.» (Diana looks happy.) The adjective happy also follows the noun Diana.
«The music sounds loud.» (Music sounds loud.) The adjective loud follows the noun music in the sentence.
«The juice smells great.» (The juice smells great.) Again, we see the noun juice first, followed by the dependent adjective great.
Avoiding common mistakes
There are adjectives and adverbs in English that are difficult to distinguish by spelling. It is even more difficult to understand the difference in their use. Let’s clarify these situations.
1. Is the adjective bad or the adverb badly?
When you want to talk about your feelings or feelings, you should use the adjective bad. So when you feel bad or unwell, you say “I feel bad”. However, if you say “I feel badly,” it means that you feel dull, as if your hands are numb. Compare these examples:
«The horse smells badly.» Here the adverb badly means that the horse has a bad scent, a poor ability to smell in principle.
«The cat smells bad.» Thanks to the adjective bad, the sentence is no longer about scent, but about the fact that the cat is dirty, smells bad and needs bathing.
Note: In English there is also an expression “I feel badly”. It is used when you need to apologize, express regret. Imagine visiting a friend and accidentally breaking his favorite vase. Then you say, “I feel really badly about the vase”.
2. Is the adjective good or the adverb well?
It is easy to remember a simple rule that works in the grammar of the English language — the adjective good should be used with the following verbs denoting feelings and states: feel, look, smell, be. While the adverb well combines with live, do. Compare:
«I do well.» Use the adverb well to say that you are doing well and that you are doing well.
«My grandmother looks good.» The adjective good says that the grandmother looks good, not that the grandmother has good eyesight.
«My cat smells pretty good now.» Again, the adjective good does not mean that the cat has a good scent, but that the cat itself smells good, like after bathing.
Note: In English colloquial speech with verbs of feelings and states, it is allowed to use the adverb well in expressions such as “I feel well”. This is due to the fact that many people confuse the adjective good and the adverb well in conversation. However, when talking about action verbs, you should only use the adverb well. For example:
«He plays football well.» (He plays football well.)
«The whole class did well on the exam.» (The whole class did well on the exam.)
3. Adjective sure or adverb surely?
Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/10-sposobov-otlichit-prilagatelnoe-ot-narechiya-v-anglijskom
Formation and classification of adverbs | English via Skype at IEnglish online school
We are used to hearing that the adjective decorates and fills our speech. An artist paints a picture with different colors, and a poet or writer, like a brush, decorates his works with adjectives. Our sentences without adjectives would be dry and defective. But what would a language be without an adverb?
Just imagine a speech without such words as: interesting, wonderful, boring, beautiful, tasty, scary, long time ago, late, tomorrow. Without adverbs, we would not be able to answer the simplest questions starting with the words: How? Where? When? Why? How? Where? When? Why? How are you? — Good. When can we see each other? — Tomorrow. Where have you been? — It’s not far here.
Of course, in many ways, and here is the merit of adjectives, since many adverbs are formed from them. In this article we will look at what an adverb is in English, what adverbs are and how they are formed.
Examples of adverbs My little brother eats noisily (little-adjective, noisily-adverb) The weather forecast is almost always right (almost- adverb, always –adverb, right -adjective) The weather forecast is almost always correct
Adverb (Adverbs, Adverbial Modifiers, Adverbials) Is a part of speech that describes (does not mean!) The action, circumstances, time and place of action. Adverbs can define action, state, quality. The adverb answers the questions: how? how? how much? where? When? In a sentence, an adverb usually performs the function of a circumstance (adverbial modifier) depending on the type of adverb (circumstances of place, time, mode of action, etc.) | |||
yetfortunatelythere | yet, already fortunately | rapidlycertainlyhardly | in a hurry, of course |
Learn to distinguish between Adjectives and Adverbs: An adverb describes an action and refers to a verb. Also, an adverb can refer to an adjective or another adverb. An adjective denotes a feature of an object and describes an object or subject of speech, i.e. refers to a noun. | |||
Formation of adverbs
1. Adverbs can be formed from adjectives using a suffix –Ly: | |||
fitscheapfluentslow | perfect cheap run slow | perfectlycheaplyfluentlyslowly | run slowly |
2. Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives: He drives a solid car (what car?) He drives solid (how?) He drives fast. | |||
earlyhighlowfarsolid | early high low distant fast | earlyhighlowfarsolid | early high low far fast |
Types of adverbs
Adverb Type Question What Describes Example Sentences
Adverbs can be classified according to their meaning and the questions they answer. The main groups of adverbs are presented in the table, and a detailed description of the groups is below. | |||
Adverbs of mannerMode of action adverbs | How? In which manner? | Verb | You should wash your hands carefully before eating. |
Adverbs of frequencyFrequency adverbs | How often? How frequently? | All offer | I never read in bed. |
Adverbs of timeAdverbs of time | When? | Verb |
Source: https://ienglish.ru/articles/grammar/tipy-narechiy
Examples of the most common adverbs in English
Today we will look at the adverb in English:
Adverb (Adverb) Is a part of speech that speaks about a sign or image of an ongoing action
This is essentially the semantic coloring of any language, its life-giving power.
- Speaking about the trait, the adverb works in the same conjunction with the adjective: Robert is quite successful broker. — Robert is a very successful brokerQuite — quite (adverb of measure and degree)
- Expressing the way of action, it is attached to the verb: She walked quickly so tired. — She walked fast, so she was tiredQuickly — fast (adverb mode of action) the importance of adverbs in English speech
The use of adverbs in English
The Adverbs education scheme is varied:
- For most adjectives, it is enough to add the suffix —ly:
- slowly — slowly
- dearly — expensive
- beautifully — wonderful
- lightly — light, etc.
- Some nouns (mostly tense) using —ly form the adverb of the frequency of action:
- day — day
- daily — daily
Features of shaping
Pay attention to these subtleties.
- When converting the noun day to the adverb daily, the letter —y changing to –I
This rule applies to all words ending in -y:- easy — easy
- easily — easy
- If the word ends with –Le, then the letter -E changing to -Y
- terrible — terrible
- terribly — terrible
- simple — simple
- simply — simply
- In some cases, the same word can be both an adjective and an adverb: the adjective does not change its form during transformation, the meaning is either the same or very close:
- bad — bad — bad
- well — good — good
- hard — hard, hard — stubborn, firm
- little — small — little
- long — long — long
- large — large — wide, etc.
- early — early — early
- Some Adverbs have two forms:
- the first — as in p. 3
- the second is obtained by adding –Ly to the original adjective can take on a different meaning:
Adjective | An adverb in an unchanged form | Adverb with the addition —ly |
сlose — close | сlose — close | closely — carefully |
late — late | late — late | lately — recently |
busy — busy | busy — busy | busily — businesslike |
short — short | short — sharply | shortly — soon |
near — close | near — close | nearly — almost |
high high | high high | highly — very |
If an adverb is indistinguishable in form from an adjective, then it is possible to determine which part of speech in front of us by meaning:
- A long way across the desert is laying before us. — The long journey through the desert lay in front of us.
- Scientists have long collected information about the ancient Incas. — Scientists have been collecting information about the ancient Incas for a long time.
In the first sentence, long is an adjective, in the second, an adverb
Division of adverbs into types according to their structure
- There are four types:
- Simple — not divisible into parts:
- above — above
- hear — here
- bad — bad
- far — far
- now — now
- Derivatives — formed by adding suffixes and prefixes:
- warmly — warm
- indeed — indeed
- downward — downward, downward (-ward — direction of travel suffix)
Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/angliyskie-narechiya.html
According to its structure English dialect can be divided into:
- SimpleEnglish dialectwhich consists of one root.
For example:
- Late — late
- Now — now
- Well — good
- He came late. — He came late.
- I am writing now. — I’m writing now.
- He sings well. — He sings well.
- DerivativeEnglish dialectwhich is formed with suffixes and prefixes.
For example:
- Lately — recently.
- Badly awful.
- Quickly is fast.
- He runs quickly. — He runs fast.
- He was badly wounded. “He was terribly wounded.
- I have read it lately. — I recently read it.
- Difficult English dialectwhich consists of several roots.
For example:
- Everywhere — everywhere.
- Sometimes — sometimes.
- There was blood everywhere. “There was blood everywhere.
- Sometimes they drink too much. — Sometimes they drink too much.
- Composite English adverb, which consists of several words.
For example:
- For ever — forever
- All of a sudden — suddenly
- At first — first
- By all means — anyway
- As far as — how much
- All of a sudden he kissed her. — Suddenly he kissed her.
- At first I buy the most necessary things. — First, I buy the most necessary things.
- It must be done by all means. — It should be done anyway.
- As far as I know he is married. — As far as I know, he is married.
In addition, adverbs in English can be divided into the following groups:
- Adverbs to which they belong adverbs of definite and indefinite time.
For example:
- Never — never.
- Already — already.
- Just — just now.
- Yet — yet.
- Soon — coming soon.
- Since — from some moment.
- I have never been to London. — I’ve never been to London.
- I have already read this book. — I have already read this book.
- I have just broken a cup. — I just broke a cup.
- I have not yet read this novel. — I have not read this novel yet.
Source: https://www.lovelylanguage.ru/grammar/rules/348-adverbs
How is the adverb used in English?
The adverb is used:
The main function of an adverb is to clarify the meaning of a verb.
They were talking loudly. — They are loud talked.
I will come back early. — I’ll be back early.
Adjectives “modify” adverbs such as: so — So, very — very, really — really, very much, etc.
The plot of the movie is very predictable. — The plot of the movie very predictable.
The boy is really smart. — Boy really smart.
Adverbs used with adjectives are also used with other adverbs, complementing their meaning.
He was running very fast. — He was running very fast.
He came to work really late. — He came to work really late.
The meanings of adverbs in English
English adverbs can be divided into several groups according to their meaning (in Russian, the division is about the same).
I need your answer now. — I need your answer Now.
Let’s talk about it tomorrow. — Let’s talk about it tomorrow.
You’ve done well. — You did it good.
The plane is flying low. — The plane is flying low.
Please wait for me outside. — Please wait for me outside.
Source: https://langformula.ru/english-grammar/adverb/
Adverb in English (Adverb)
:
Adverb (Adverb) — a part of speech that denotes a sign or image of an ongoing action. Adverbs in English answer the questions:
- How? (How?)
- Where? (Where?)
- Why? (Why?)
- When? (When?)
- In what manner? (How?)
- To what degree? (In what degree?)
Simple and derived adverbs
Adverbs in English can be simple and derivative. Examples of simple adverbs are:
well, hard, much, quite, enough, always, once, very, often.
The usual way to form derivative adverbs in English is by adding a suffix -glass to nouns or adjectives. These derived adverbs fall into two groups:
1) Coinciding in meaning with the nouns or adjectives from which they are derived:
quick — fast | quickly — quickly |
Part — part | partially — partially |
days — day | daily — daily |
slow — slow | slowly — slowly |
easy — light | easily — easily |
2) Not coinciding in meaning with the adjectives from which they are derived:
shorts — short | shortly — recently |
hard — solid | hardly — barely |
near — close | nearly — almost |
scarce — meager | sparsely — barely, barely |
Adverbs that coincide with other parts of speech
Many adverbs in English in their form completely coincide with other parts of speech and can be defined as adverbs only depending on their role in the sentence.
Adverbs that match adjectives
solid — quick; quickly
long — long, long; for a long time
loud — loud; loud
late — late; late
early — early; early
wide — wide; wide
hard — solid; hard, hard
They took a fast train. | He rode fast. |
That was a long way. | She waited long. |
We heard a loud noise. | The teacher always reads loud enough. |
We went there by a late train. | We came home late. |
An early bird catches best worms. | You have come too early. |
It was a wide road. | She opened her eyes wide, but saw nothing in the darkness. |
It was a hard nut to crack. | Martin worked hard at his English. |
Note… There are some adjectives in English that end in the suffix -glasswhich should not be mistaken for adverbs, for example:
lovely — cute, nice
Friendly — friendly
manly — courageous
They are usually part of the circumstances of the course of action:
Source: https://am-en.ru/adverb.html
5 types of English adverbs (adverbs) ⋆ fun with Speakingo
An adverb is one of those words that we have heard somewhere, but often do not really remember what it means. In this text we will learn about 5 English adverbs (adverbs) and how to form them correctly in different degrees of comparison.
Let’s start from the very beginning, that is, from what an adverb is.
What is an adverb (adverb)?
An adverb is a part of speech that describes a verb — a word that describes an action. A verb such as run, learn, and so on, we can refine with the adverb. How can I run or study? Happily, slowly, intensely, persistently. This is the adverb.
Already at first glance, you can see a certain ratio — English adverbs end with the letters -ly. Usually.
In grammar, “adverb” is still a very broad category. These are all words that answer the questions how? (how?), in what way? (how?), when? (when?), how often? (how often), where? (where?), to what extent? (To what extent?)
Thus, we can talk about 5 types of English adverbs (adverbs): adverb of time, adverb of place, adverb of manner, adverb of degree, and adverb of frequency.
5 types of English adverbs (adverbs)
Adverbs are words that describe a verb
What is adverb of time?
As the name itself tells us, the adverb of time supplements information on the topic of time, where the verb described by it happens (verb). For example, these will be:
- never (never)
- lately (recently)
- just (just)
- always
- recently (recently, not long ago)
- during (while)
- yet (not yet)
- soon
- sometimes (sometimes)
- usually (usually)
- so far (so far, bye).
Source: https://speakingo.com/ru/angliyskoye-narechiye-adverb/
Adverbs in English sentences. Where do they belong?
Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or phrases. They often answer the question «How?» (How?). For example:
She sings beautifully.
She sings beautifully. (How does she sing? Beautifully.)
He runs very Fast.
He runs very fast. (How fast does he run? Very fast.)
I occasionally practice speaking English.
From time to time I practice conversational English. (How often do I practice? From time to time.)
The place occupied by an adverb in an English sentence depends on what type this adverb belongs to. It is in this aspect that we will understand in today’s English lesson.
1. Do not put an adverb between the verb and the object of its action
In the next sentence painted is a verb and the house — an object. carefullyas you might have guessed — this is an adverb.
I Carefully painted the house. = Correctly
I painted the house Carefully. = Correctly
I painted Carefully the house. = Wrong
Here’s another example. In this sentence read Is a verb, a book Is the object of action, and Sometimes — adverb.
I Sometimes read a book before bed. = Correctly
Sometimes I read a book before bed. = Correctly
I read a book before bed Sometimes. = Acceptable, but only in informal situations
I read Sometimes a book before bed. = Wrong
Front position: at the beginning of a sentence
suddenly the phone rank.
Suddenly the phone rang.
fortunately, no one was injured.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Maybe I’ll go for a walk.
Maybe I’ll go for a walk.
Mid position: next to the main verb
I always exercise before work.
I always do my exercises before work.
They have Completely forgotten about our appointment.
They completely forgot about our meeting.
He was probably late for the interview.
He was probably late for the interview.
She slowly began to recover from her illness.
She slowly began to recover from her illness.
End position: at the end of a sentence
You speak English well.
You speak English well.
Please sit there.
Please sit here.
They ate dinner quietly.
They dined quietly.
Formation of adverbs in English: rules, exceptions, tables
Adverbs in English are characterized by verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They answer the question «How?» in the overwhelming majority of cases. How to form an adverb from different parts of speech and are there any unusual ways of their formation?
Adverbs are formed from adjectives using a suffix, also by converting and adding roots and several words.
He makes out documents as soon as possible. — He prepares the paperwork as soon as possible.
she sang beautifully… — She sang beautifully.
My wife is extremely nice. “My wife is extremely sweet.
Adverb groups
By the way of education, there are 4 types of adverbs. It is enough to know a few frequent adjectives and simple adverbs to start using the same-root adverbs.
The main types of education of adverbs of the English language will suggest the best use option.
Type of adverb | Simple | Difficult | Derivative | Composite |
Method of education | Without adding the -ly suffix by conversion. | By adding two roots. | By adding the suffix –ly to the adjective. | By composing from words (adverb + adverb or preposition) |
Examples | well where when here how (now) soon after (after) easy late much (a lot) little (a little) why (why) fast
low |
everywhere inside moreover sometimes always already already
somewhat |
honestly pleasantly Friendly easily suddenly suddenly rarely carefully casually cheerfully happily happily slowly
clumsily (clumsily) |
at first as well as in vain so far since that at once by all means
at least (at least) |
Note:
1) Derived adverbs formed from adjectives with an «l» at the end have a doubled «l».
Usual — usually, occasional — occasionally.
2) Adverbs formed from adjectives in –y change “y” to “i”, and after it add the suffix –ly.
Happy — happily, easy — easily.
3) Adverbs formed from adjectives in –ic end in –ically.
Heroic — heroically, realistic — realistically.
4) Adjectives in –le, forming an adverb, change the letter «e» to «y»: probable (possible) — probably (possible).
5) Exceptions. The adverbs late, fast, hard, early are formed from adjectives by conversion and remain unchanged. The adverb well does not have a single root with the adjective good. Bad is an adjective.
The adverb badly means «very, bad, extremely» and is often used incorrectly even by native speakers, especially in oral speech — hence the confusion.
Also in oral speech (Spoken English), native speakers use a simplified version of adverbs that coincide in form with adjectives:
cheap (cheap), quick (fast), slow (slow), loud (loud) and others.
Characterization of adjectives, verbs and other adverbs using adverbs
Using one sentence as an example, it is easy to understand how adverbs can characterize different parts of speech.
We understood the rules surprisingly well in spite of them to be very difficult. — We understood the rules surprisingly well, despite the fact that they were very difficult.
The part of speech to which the adverb belongs | Usage example |
Verb | understood well — understood well |
Adjective | very difficult — very (how, how much?) complex |
Adverb | surprisingly well — surprisingly (how well?) |
Special cases
These are cases involving coincidences, exceptions, and unusual ways of forming adverbs.
Adjectives match adverbs in form. | low friendly daily early early fast straight silly lonely lonely fatherly fatherly)
far (far, far) |
How do native speakers act? Substitution of the word «way» turns the adjective into an adverb. He behaved in a silly way. — He was acting stupid (stupid).
My uncle supports me in a fatherly way. — My uncle supports me in a fatherly way. |
Adverbs that are formed from nouns by adding the suffix -ly. | part — partly light — lightly (light — light, easy) |
Determining the part of speech can easily be helped by its role in the sentence. This is due to the location: an adjective is always associated with a noun. |
Adverbs that are formed from participles. | decided — decidedly | task: not to confuse the participle with the past tense verb. |
A small number of adverbs are formed by the addition of the –ward (s) suffix. | towards (towards, towards) backwards |
This suffix has a limited number of words. Therefore, it is enough to know this small amount and use them. |
Adverbs that match question words in form. | why where how
when (when) |
Used in a sentence in the function of interrogative words. |
Results
So, for word formation of adverbs in English, there are 4 main ways of obtaining them from other parts of speech, as well as several exceptions for a certain number of adverbs.
It happened historically in the language.
To understand the basics and learn the word formation of adverbs, you must first of all know the frequently used adjectives.
Source: https://www.study.ru/courses/pre-intermediate/obrazovanie-narechiy
What is a superlative adverb?
Superlative adverbs, like superlative adjectives, are used to describe differences among three or more people or things. But while superlative adjectives describe the highest (or lowest) degree of an attribute among a multiple nouns (people, places, or objects), superlative adverbs describe the action of a person or thing compared to that of several others—that is, they describe how, when, how often, or to what degree an action is done. For example:
- “John is the fastest runner of the group.” (superlative adjective)
- “John runs the fastest of the group.” (superlative adverb)
- “Out of all the students in the class, Sally is the most careful with her work.” (superlative adjective)
- “Out of all the students in the class, Sally works most carefully.” (superlative adverb)
Superlative adverbs and superlative adjectives sometimes have the same form (as in fastest above); other times, they have different forms (as in careful/carefully above). However, even when the forms are the same, we can tell the difference between the two by looking at what they modify. While the superlative adjectives describe the characteristics of John and Sally, the superlative adverbs describe how they carry out actions (run, work).
Forming Superlative Adverbs
We form superlative adverbs by adding the ending “-est” to the base adverb, or by adding the word most or least before the base adverb. There are simple rules that tell us which is the correct method.
One syllable + “-est”
In general, when the adverb has only one syllable, we add “-est” to the end of it. The table below shows some of the most common one-syllable adverbs and their superlative forms:
Adverb (base form) |
Superlative Adverb |
---|---|
fast |
fastest |
hard |
hardest |
high |
highest |
late |
latest |
long |
longest |
low |
lowest |
wide |
widest* |
(*Spelling note: When the adverb already ends in the letter “e,” just add “-st,” not “-est.”)
“-ly” adverbs
Many adverbs are formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective. If an adverb has been created according to this pattern, we add the word most or least to make the superlative form(s). For example:
Adjective |
Adverb |
Superlative Adverb |
---|---|---|
careful |
carefully |
most/least carefully |
efficient |
efficiently |
most/least efficiently |
happy |
happily |
most/least happily |
horrible |
horribly |
most/least horribly |
recent |
recently |
most/least recently |
sad |
sadly |
most/least sadly |
strange |
strangely |
most/least strangely |
Irregular superlative adverbs
Of course, there are some exceptions to the rules we’ve just looked at. These are some of the most common irregular superlative adverbs:
Irregular Adverb |
Irregular Superlative Adverb |
---|---|
badly |
worst |
early |
earliest |
far |
farthest/furthest* |
little |
least |
well |
best |
(*Although farthest and furthest are often used interchangeably, there are differences between these two forms. In American English, farthest is preferred when comparing physical distances, and furthest is preferred when comparing figurative distances; in British English, furthest is preferred for both.)
Superlative adverbs with two forms
There are a few adverbs that have two generally accepted forms. In these cases, they also have two commonly used superlative forms. Some of the most prevalent of these exceptions are:
Adverb |
Superlative Adverb |
---|---|
cheap or cheaply |
cheapest or most/least cheaply |
loud or loudly |
loudest or most/least loudly |
quick or quickly |
quickest or most/least quickly |
slow or slowly |
slowest or most/least slowly |
Although traditional grammarians often consider these adverb forms without “-ly” to be incorrect, they are commonly used in modern English. However, they are still considered less formal than their “-ly” equivalents.
Using Superlative Adverbs
We usually use superlative adverbs when describing an action of someone or something among a group of several others, either in a collective group or among several individuals.
Superlative adverbs come after the verb in a sentence, and they are almost always preceded by the word the. For example:
- “Cars and motorcycles can go fast, but an airplane moves the fastest.”
- “I eat the most neatly among my siblings.”
- “She works the least carefully in her class.”
Omitting the group of comparison
When we use superlatives, it is very common to omit the group that something or someone is being compared to because that group is implied by a previous sentence. For example:
- “My brothers are all fast swimmers. John swims the fastest, though.”
We can also identify a superlative attribute of a subject’s action compared to itself in other contexts or points in time. In this case, we do not have another group to identify, and we generally do not use the word the. For example:
- “I work best by myself.” (compared to when other people are involved)
- “The engine runs most smoothly after it has warmed up for a while.” (compared to when the engine is cold)
- “Flowers bloom most beautifully in the spring.” (compared to the other seasons)
Expressing the lowest degree
As we’ve seen, “-ly” adverbs can either take most or least to indicate the highest and lowest degrees of comparison. For example:
- “Though he performed the least compellingly among the other actors on stage, he was the most authentically dressed.”
Irregular (non-“ly”) adverbs, on the other hand, have only one superlative form that expresses the highest degree of its characteristic. When we want to express the lowest quality of an irregular adverb, we could technically just use the word least before its basic form, as in:
- “John runs the fastest in his class, but he swims the least fast.”
However, this construction is rather awkward, and it is best just to use another superlative adverb with the opposite meaning, as in:
- “John runs the fastest in his class, but he swims the slowest.”
Most as an intensifier
We often find the adverb most being used as an intensifier of other adverbs, especially in formal speech or writing. Rather than indicating a superlative adverb (i.e., in comparison to others in a group), it simply adds intensity to the word, having approximately the same meaning as the adverb very. For example:
- “You sang most beautifully, Jack.”
- “The play was most tastefully performed.”
We can see in the above examples that most is not identifying the subsequent adverbs as being of the highest degree among other people or things—it simply intensifies their meaning.
Adverbs Modifying Adjectives
Transcript
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Today, we’re going to focus on adverbs that modify adjectives.
A word modifies another word in grammar when it adds meaning or clarification to that word. Modifiers tend to be descriptive words like adjectives or adverbs. We said earlier that an adverb can modify three different things: a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Well, an adjective can only modify nouns. Let’s look at an example:
The silver plane landed softly.
First, let’s identify the noun in this sentence. A noun is a person, place, or thing, so the word plane is the noun in this sentence. Now, we look to see if there are any words in the sentence that tell us more about the plane. The word silver tells us the color of the plane, adding meaning and clarification, so we know that it modifies the word plane. Since plane is a noun, we know that silver must be an adjective, since only adjectives modify nouns.
There’s an adverb in this sentence, too. We see that the plane landed, and we know landed is a verb or action word. The word softly tells us more about how the plane landed, so it is a modifier. Since landed is a verb, we know the modifier has to be an adverb.
Now that we’re comfortable with what an adverb does in a sentence, let’s see what happens when it modifies an adjective instead of a verb.
Take the following sentence:
The blue bird flew.
In this sentence, the noun bird is modified by the adjective blue, which tells us what kind of bird flew—a blue bird! What if we were to add an adverb to this sentence? Often an adverb used to modify an adjective adds a degree of intensity to the adjective:
The very blue bird flew.
The word very in this sentence is an adverb modifying the adjective blue. It’s telling us how blue the blue is. Sometimes, this can get tricky. Imagine the sentence were as follows:
The big blue bird flew.
Big is in the very same place very was in the last sentence, but it’s not an adverb. It’s not telling us anything more about the color blue, but it is telling us something more about the bird. Because it’s telling us something about the noun, we know that big must be an adjective the same way blue is.
A helpful hint to check if a word is modifying the noun in a sentence is to take out the other adjective and see if the sentence makes any sense. If I take out blue in this sentence, it still reads, “The big bird flew”. But if I take out blue in the first sentence we looked at, the sentence changes from “The very blue bird flew” to “The very bird flew.”
That doesn’t make any sense. What is a “very bird?” Very, then, must be a word modifying the color blue, not the bird itself.
In fact, very is a common adverb that you’ll see emphasizing adjective descriptors. Other common adverbs are words like really and slightly. Adverbs often end in -ly, but not always.
If I say that a cat is quite pretty, I’m using the adverb quite to modify the adjective pretty. If I say the book is more interesting, I’m using the adverb more to modify the word interesting.
Adverbs should be as close as possible to the thing they modify in the sentence. If the adverb is too far away from the word it modifies it makes for an awkward sentence and sometimes even changes the meaning.
Review
Let’s look back at what we learned.
If there are two modifying words in front of the noun, one of them could be an adverb modifying the adjective. When an adverb is modifying an adjective it is saying something about the adjective in the sentence, often adding clarification or intensity. The adverb is normally as close as possible to the adjective in a sentence, and often uses intensifying words like more, least, or hardly.
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122570
The
adverb is a notional part of speech denoting, like the adjective,
property; the adjective, as has been outlined in the previous unit,
denotes properties of a substance, and the adverb denotes
non-substantive properties: in most cases the properties of actions
(to walk quickly), or the properties of other properties (very
quick), or the properties of the situations in which the processes
occur (to walk again). In other words, the adverb can be defined as a
qualifying word of the secondary qualifying order, while the
adjective is a primary qualifying word.
The
adverb is the least numerous and the least independent of all the
notional parts of speech; it has a great number of semantically
weakened words intermediary between notional and functional words;
this is why its notional part of speech status was doubted for a long
time: the first grammarians listed adverbs among the particles.
Adverbs
are characterized by their combinability with verbs, adjectives and
other adverbs, which they modify. They perform the functions of
various adverbial modifiers: of time (yesterday), place (there), of
manner (secretly), etc. The adverbs which refer to whole situations
are defined as situation-“determinants”, e.g.: They quarreled
again.
There
are certain contexts in which adverbs combine with nouns and perform
a peculiar function of mixed adverbial-attributive character, e.g.:
the trip abroad, his return home, the then President of the US, etc.
This is the result of the nominalization of syntactic constructions
(see Unit 20) in which the correspondent adverb functions as a
regular adverbial modifier, cf.: his return home ß he returned home;
the then President of the US ß the person who was the president of
the US then.
In
accordance with their form, adverbs are divided into simple and
derived. There are few simple adverbs, most of them are of a
functional or semi-functional character, e.g.: more, very, there,
then, here, etc. The characteristic adverbial word-building affixes
are the following: simply, clockwise, backward, ahead, etc. The most
productive derivational model of adverbs is the one with the suffix
‘-ly’. It is so highly productive that practically every
adjective has its adverbial counterpart, e.g.: simple — simply, soft
– softly, etc.; some linguists, for example, A. I. Smirnitsky,
consider them to be not adverbs but specific forms of adjectives.
The
other structural types are compound adverbs, e.g.: sometimes,
downstairs, etc., and stable adverbial phrases or composite phrasal
adverbs, e.g.: upside down, at least, a great deal of, from time to
time, etc.
There
are certain controversies among linguists about the status of
phrases like from above, before now, until then, etc. They are
sometimes treated as stable adverbial phrases (phrasal adverbs), but
this approach can be challenged, because the members of such word
combinations are not semantically blended into an indivisible
idiomatic unity. More plausible is the following approach: some
adverbs are freely combined with prepositions and, since
combinability with prepositions is characteristic of nouns, they make
a peculiar set of partially substantivized adverbs (“adverbids”),
i.e. their lexico-grammatical status is intermediary between adverbs
and nouns.
There
is a large group of adverbs homonymous with words of other parts of
speech, both notional and functional. Some adverbs are adjective-stem
conversives (zero-derived adverbs), cf.: a hard work – to work
hard, a flat roof – to fall flat into the water, etc. Among the
adjective-stem converted adverbs there are a few words with the
non-specific –ly originally inbuilt in the adjective, cf.: a kindly
man – to talk kindly. Since there are no other differential
features except for their positions, these words can be defined as
“fluctuant conversives”.
Some
of the zero-derived adverbs coexist with the ‘-ly’-derived
adverbs; the two adverbs are in most cases different in meaning, cf.:
to work hard – to work hardly at all. If their meanings are
similar, the two adverbs differ from the point of view of functional
stylistics: adverbs without ‘-ly’ are characteristic for the
American variant of the English language; additionally, there is some
research showing that adverbs without ‘-ly’ are more often used
by men than by women, cf.: He talks real quick — He talks really
quickly.
Some
adverbs of weakened pronominal semantics are connected by fluctuant
(positional) conversion with functional words; for example, some
adverbs are positionally interchangeable with prepositions and
conjunctions, e.g.: before, since, after, besides, instead, etc. Cf.:
We haven’t met since 1996. – We haven’t met since we passed our
final exams. — We met in 1996, and haven’t seen each other ever
since.
Adverbs
should not be confused with adverb-like elements, which are
interchangeable with prepositions (and sometimes prefixes) and when
placed after the verb form a semantic blend with it, e.g.: to give –
to give up, to give in, to give away, etc.; to go down the hill — to
download, to downplay — to sit down, to bring down, to bend down,
etc. These functional words make a special set of particles; they
are intermediary between the word and the morpheme and can be called
“postpositives”.
Traditionally,
adverbs are divided on the basis of their general semantics into
qualitative, quantitative, and circumstantial. The qualitative
adverbs denote the inherent qualities of actions and other qualities;
most of them are derived from qualitative adjectives, e.g.: bitterly,
hard, beautifully, well, etc. The quantitative adverbs show quantity
measure; genuine quantitative adverbs are usually derived from
numerals, e.g.: twice, three times, tenfold, manifold, etc. The
circumstantial adverbs denote mainly the circumstances of time and
place (they can also be defined as “orientative”), e.g.: today,
here, when, far, ashore, abroad, often, etc.
Taking
into consideration various hybrid types of adverbs of weakened
nominative force, it is important to subdivide adverbs on the basis
of their semantic value into the following groups: “genuine”, or
notional (nominal) adverbs of full semantic value and semi-functional
(pronominal) adverbs of partial semantic value. Quantitative adverbs
belong to the group of semi-functional adverbs by their own
pronominal (numerical) semantics. Qualitative adverbs include, on the
one hand, genuine qualitative adverbs, e.g.: bitterly, hard,
beautifully, well, etc. and on the other hand, a group of
semi-functional words of degree, quality evaluators of intermediary
qualitative-quantitative semantics. The latter include adverbs of
high degree (intensifiers), e.g.: very, greatly, absolutely, pretty,
etc.; adverbs of excessive degree, e.g.: too, awfully, tremendously,
etc.; adverbs of unexpected degree, e.g.: surprisingly,
astonishingly, etc.; adverbs of moderate degree, e.g.: fairly,
relatively, rather, etc.; and some other groups. Circumstantial
adverbs are also divided into notional and functional. Notional
(genuine) circumstantial adverbs are self-dependent words denoting
time and space orientation, e.g.: tomorrow, never, recently, late;
homeward, ashore, outside, far, etc. The functional circumstantial
adverbs, besides the quantitative (numerical) adverbs mentioned
above, include pronominal adverbs of time, place, manner, cause,
consequence, e.g.: here, when, where, so, thus, nevertheless,
otherwise, etc. They substitute notional adverbs or other words used
in the function of adverbial modifiers in a sentence, cf.: He stayed
at school. – He stayed there; many of them are used as syntactic
connectives and question-forming functionals, e.g.: Where is he? I do
not know where he is now.
Thus,
the whole class of adverbs can be divided, first, into nominal and
pronominal, then the nominal adverbs can be subdivided into
qualitative and orientative, the former including genuine qualitative
adverbs and degree adverbs, the latter divided into temporal and
local adverbs, with further possible subdivisions of each group.
Like
adjectives, adverbs are also subdivided functionally into evaluative
and specificative. When used in their evaluative function, adverbs
(qualitative adverbs, predominantly) distinguish the category of
comparison and have five morphological forms: one positive, two
comparative (direct and reverse) and two superlative (direct and
reverse), e.g.: bitterly – more bitterly, less bitterly – most
bitterly, least bitterly. Their superlative degree form can also be
used either in the absolute sense (to denote absolute superiority) or
in the elative sense, denoting a high degree of the property, e.g.:
The youngest kid cried most bitterly of all. – The kid cried most
bitterly. When used in the specificative function, adverbs are
unchangeable, e.g.: We meet today; We came ashore.
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