ADVERBS -- a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb by making its meaning more specific Examples Modifying Verbs Never swim alone. He has seldom complained. Modifying Adjectives The movie was very scary and too long. Modifying Adverbs She almost always waited quite patiently.

Adverbs modify by answering these questions: When? Where? How? To what degree? Examples When? It should arrive Saturday. I changed the schedule again. Where? Leave your coat there. He drove south. How? He stacked the books quickly and neatly. Carefully I counted them. To what We were very sorry. degree? We had arrived quite late.

-- When an adverb modifies a verb or a verb phrase, it may sometimes be placed in various positions relative to the verb or verb phrase. -- When an adverb modifies an adjective or another adverb, it usually comes directly before the modified word. EXAMPLES Modifying A Verb Now the room is ready. The room now is ready. The room is now ready. The room is ready now. Modifying An Adjective The ice is dangerously soft. You look terribly tired. Modifying an Adverb I answered too slowly. It almost never rains this hard.

Negative Words as Adverbs The word not and the contraction n’t (as in don’t and won’t) are adverbs. Other negative words can function as adverbs of time and place. EXAMPLES The bell has not rung. The toy is nowhere to be seen. She is scarcely awake. I have never danced with her.

Practice: Write the sentence Practice: Write the sentence. Circle each adverb and underline the word it modifies. Then write whether the modified word is a verb, an adjective, or another verb. Jessica jumped up and ran from the table. I have never seen a more glorious sunset! To drive from Hartford to New Haven, go south on I-91. Luke is suspiciously sick before a math test. The boys ran down the hill too fast. One of them fell and hurt his ankle badly. Beowulf grasped the monster’s arm, wrenched it mightily, and pulled it out of its socket. Soon afterward, Marcus lay the book on the table again. The cinnamon cat padded quietly into the kitchen and sat down contentedly by the window. Mia’s sculpture is particularly smooth.

Answers up: jumped -- verb never: have seen – verb south: go – verb suspiciously: sick – adjective too: fast – adverb fast : ran – verb badly: hurt – verb 6. mightily: wrenched – verb 7. soon: afterward – adverb afterward: lay –verb again: lay –verb 8. quietly: padded – verb down: sat –verb contentedly: sat – verb 9. particularly: smooth – adjective

Adverbs that Compare Like adjectives, some adverbs have different forms to indicate their degree of comparison. -- The comparative form compares two actions. -- The superlative form compares more than two actions. For most adverbs of only one syllable, add –er to make the comparative form and –est to make the superlative form. Positive Comparative Superlative runs fast runs faster runs fastest pays soon pays sooner pays soonest works hard works harder works hardest

Continued… Most adverbs that end in –ly or have more than one syllable use the word more to form the comparative and most to form the superlative. Positive Comparative Superlative eats healthfully eats more healthfully eats most healthfully checks often checks more often checks most often snores loudly snores more loudly snores most loudly Some adverbs form the comparative and superlative irregularly. swims well swims better swims best drives badly drives worse drives worst sees far sees farther sees farthest researches far researches further researches furthest

Practice: Write the comparative and superlative forms of each adverb. Heartily Soon Sadly Badly Little Clearly Well Quickly Secretly Fast

Answers More heartily; most heartily Sooner; soonest More sadly; most sadly Worse; worst Less; least More clearly; most clearly Better; best More quickly; most quickly More secretly; most secretly Faster; fastest