ADVERBS | MEANING, TYPES USAGE AND EXAMPLES

An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause.

An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as “how,” “when,” “where,” “how much“.

KINDS OF ADVERBS

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of Manner tell us the manner or way in which something happens. They answer the question “how?” Adverbs of Manner mainly modify verbs.

These include slowly, quickly, happily, angrily, coldly, gratefully, cheerfully, fast, accidentally, angrily, anxiously, awkwardly, badly, beautifully, blindly, boldly, bravely, brightly, busily, calmly, carefully, carelessly, cautiously, cheerfully, clearly, closely, correctly, courageously, cruelly, daringly, deliberately, doubtfully, eagerly, easily, elegantly, enormously, enthusiastically, equally, eventually, exactly, faithfully, fast, fatally, fiercely, fondly, foolishly, fortunately, frankly, frantically, generously,  gently etc.Eg.

• He speaks slowly.
• They helped us cheerfully.
• James Bond drives his cars fast.
• They welcomed us

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Place tell us the place where something happens. They answer the question “where?” Adverbs of Place mainly modify verbs.

These include here, there, everywhere, outside, library, Paris, Dar es Salaam, home, above, Abroad, anywhere, away, back, backwards (also backward), behind, below, down, downstairs, east, elsewhere, far, here,  in, indoors,  inside, near, nearby, on, out, outside, over, there, towards, under, up, upstairs, where  etc. Eg.

• Please sit here.
• They looked everywhere.
• Two cars were parked outside.
• I am going home.

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Time tell us something about the time that something happens. Adverbs of Time mainly modify verbs. This type of adverbs sometimes referred as adverb of frequency because they tell how often the action happens. They can answer the question “when?”

These include now, yesterday, tomorrow, tonight, last week, 1984,now, then, today, annually, daily, fortnightly, hourly, monthly, nightly, quarterly, weekly, yearly always, constantly,  ever, frequently, generally, infrequently, never, normally occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, seldom, sometimes, regularly, usually, already, before, early, earlier, eventually, finally, first, formerly, just, last, late, later, lately, next, previously, recently, since, soon, still, yet etc E.g.

• He came yesterday.
• I want it now
• I was born in 1884.
• They will perform on the stage tonight.

Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of Degree tell us the degree or extent to which something happens. They answer the question “how much?” or “to what degree?” Adverbs of Degree can modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. T

hese include entirely, very, dangerously, absolutely, obviously, completely, certainly, utterly, rather, quite, fairly, almost, absolutely, barely, completely, decidedly, deeply, enough, enormously, entirely, extremely, fairly, far, fully, greatly, hardly, highly, how, incredibly, indeed, intensely, just, least, less, little, lots, most, much, nearly, perfectly, positively,  practically, purely, quite, rather, really, scarcely,  simply, so, somewhat, strongly, thoroughly, too, totally, utterly, very, virtually, well etc. Eg.

• She entirely agrees with him.
• Mary is very
• He drove quite dangerously.
• He is quite