ADVERBS

Adverbs are a very broad collection of words that may describe how, where, or when an action took
place. They may also express the viewpoint of the speaker about the action, the intensity of an adjective
or another adverb, or several other functions. Use these pages about the grammar of adverbs in English to
become more precise and more descriptive in your speaking and writing.

What adverbs are and what they are for

Adverbs modify, or tell us more about, other words. Usually adverbs modify verbs, telling us how, how
often, when, or where something was done. The adverb is placed after the verb it modifies.
EXAMPLES
 The bus moved slowly.  The car drove fast.
 The bears ate greedily.

Sometimes adverbs modify adjectives, making them stronger or weaker.

EXAMPLES

 You look absolutely fabulous!  You are very persistent.

 He is slightly overweight.

Some types of adverbs can modify other adverbs, changing their degree or precision.

EXAMPLES

 She played the violin extremely well.

 You're speaking too quietly.

Forming adverbs from adjectives

In most cases, an adverb is formed by adding -ly to an adjective

Adjecti Adve
ve rb

cheapl
cheap
y

quickl
quick
y

slowl
slow
y

If the adjective ends in -y, replace the y with i and add -ly

Adjecti Adve
 ve rb

easy easily

angril
angry
y

happil
happy
y

luckil
lucky
y

If the adjective ends in -able, -ible, or -le, replace the -e with -y.

Adjecti Adver
ve b

probabl probab
e ly

terrible terribly

gentle gently

If the adjective ends in -ic, add -ally. Exception: public -> publicly

Adjectiv
Adverb
e

basic basically

tragic tragically

economi economicall
c y

Some adverbs have the same form as the adjective: early, fast, hard, high, late, near, straight, & wrong

EXAMPLES

 It is a fast car.  He works hard.
 He drives very fast.  We saw many high buildings.
 This is a hard exercise.  The bird flew high in the sky.

Well is the adverb that corresponds to the adjective good.

EXAMPLES

 He is a good student.  She plays the piano well.

 He studies well.  They are good swimmers.
 She is a good pianist.  They swim well.

Forming the comparative and the superlative of adverbs

With adverbs ending in -ly, you must use more to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative.
Adverb Comparative Superlative
quietly more quietly most quietly
slowly more slowly most slowly
seriousl more most
y seriously seriously

EXAMPLES
 The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.
 Could you sing more quietly please?

With short adverbs that do not end in -ly comparative and superlative forms are identical to adjectives:
add -er to form the comparative and -est to form the superlative. If the adverb ends in e, remove it before
adding the ending.
Adver
Comparative Superlative
b
hard harder hardest
fast faster fastest
late later latest

EXAMPLES
 Jim works harder than his brother.
 Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.
Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Adver
Comparative Superlative
b
badly worse worst
far farther/further farthest/furthest
little less least
well better best

EXAMPLES
 The little boy ran farther than his friends.
 You're driving worse today than yesterday!
 He played the best of any player.

Adverbs of place
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. They are usually placed after the main verb or after
the clause that they modify. Adverbs of place do not modify adjectives or other adverbs.
EXAMPLES
 John looked around but he couldn't see the monkey.
 I searched everywhere I could think of.
 I'm going back to school.
 Come in!
 They built a house nearby.
 She took the child outside.

HERE AND THERE

Here and there are common adverbs of place. They give a location relative to the speaker. With verbs of
movement, here means "towards or with the speaker" and there means "away from, or not with the
speaker".
Sentence Meaning
Come here! Come towards me.
Come with me; we will go see it
The table is in here.
together.
Put it there. Put it in a place away from me.
The table is in there. Go in; you can see it by yourself.

Here and there are combined with prepositions to make many common adverbial phrases.

EXAMPLES
 What are you doing up there?
 Come over here and look at what I found!
 The baby is hiding down there under the table.
 I wonder how my driver's license got stuck under here.

Here and there are placed at the beginning of the sentence in exclamations or when emphasis is needed.
They are followed by the verb if the subject is a noun or by a pronoun if the subject is a pronoun.
EXAMPLES
 Here comes the bus!  There it is!
 There goes the bell!  Here they are!
ADVERBS OF PLACE THAT ARE ALSO PREPOSITIONS
Many adverbs of place can also be used as prepositions. When used as prepositions, they must be
followed by a noun.
Used as an adverb of place, modifying a
Word Used as a preposition
verb
around The marble rolled around in my hand. I am wearing a necklace around my neck.
behind Hurry! You are getting behind. Let's hide behind the shed.
John made his way carefully down the
down Mary fell down.
cliff.
in We decided to drop in on Jake. I dropped the letter in the mailbox.
off Let's get off at the next stop. The wind blew the flowers off the tree.
on We rode on for several more hours. Please put the books on the table.
I think I will hang the picture over my
over He turned over and went back to sleep.
bed.

ADVERBS OF PLACE ENDING IN -WHERE

Adverbs of place that end in -where express the idea of location without specifying a specific location or
direction.
EXAMPLES
 I would like to go somewhere warm for my vacation.
 Is there anywhere I can find a perfect plate of spaghetti around here?
 I have nowhere to go.
 I keep running in to Sally everywhere!

ADVERBS OF PLACE ENDING IN -WARDS

Adverbs of place that end in -wards express movement in a particular direction.
EXAMPLES
 Cats don't usually walk backwards.
 The ship sailed westwards.
 The balloon drifted upwards.
 We will keep walking homewards until we arrive.

Be careful: Towards is a preposition, not an adverb, so it is always followed by a noun or a pronoun.

EXAMPLES
 He walked towards the car.
 She ran towards me.

ADVERBS OF PLACE EXPRESSING BOTH MOVEMENT & LOCATION

Some adverbs of place express both movement & location at the same time.
EXAMPLES
 The child went indoors.  Water always flows downhill.
 He lived and worked abroad.  The wind pushed us sideways.
Adverbs of time
Adverbs of time tell us when an action happened, but also for how long, and how often.

ADVERBS THAT TELL US WHEN

Adverbs that tell us when are usually placed at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
 Goldilocks went to the Bears' house yesterday.
 I'm going to tidy my room tomorrow.
 I saw Sally today.
 I will call you later.
 I have to leave now.
 I saw that movie last year.

Putting an adverb that tells us when at the end of a sentence is a neutral position, but these adverbs can be
put in other positions to give a different emphasis. All adverbs that tell us when can be placed at the
beginning of the sentence to emphasize the time element. Some can also be put before the main verb in
formal writing, while others cannot occupy that position.
EXAMPLES
 Later Goldilocks ate some porridge. (the time is important)
 Goldilocks later ate some porridge. (this is more formal, like a policeman's report)
 Goldilocks ate some porridge later. (this is neutral, no particular emphasis)

ADVERBS THAT TELL US FOR HOW LONG

Adverbs that tell us for how long are also usually placed at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
 She stayed in the Bears' house all day.
 My mother lived in France for a year.
 I have been going to this school since 1996.

In these adverbial phrases that tell us for how long, for is always followed by an expression of duration,
while since is always followed by an expression of a point in time.
EXAMPLES
 I stayed in Switzerland for three days.
 I am going on vacation for a week.
 I have been riding horses for several years.
 The French monarchy lasted for several centuries.
 I have not seen you since Monday.
 Jim has been working here since 1997.
 There has not been a more exciting discovery since last century.
ADVERBS THAT TELL US HOW OFTEN
Adverbs that tell us how often express the frequency of an action. They are usually placed before the
main verb but after auxiliary verbs (such as be, have, may, & must). The only exception is when the main
verb is "to be", in which case the adverb goes after the main verb.
EXAMPLES
 I often eat vegetarian food.
 He never drinks milk.
 You must always fasten your seat belt.
 I am seldom late.
 He rarely lies.

Many adverbs that express frequency can also be placed at either the beginning or the end of the sentence,
although some cannot be. When they are placed in these alternate positions, the meaning of the adverb is
much stronger.
Adverb that can
be used in two Stronger position Weaker position
positions
frequently I visit France frequently. I frequently visit France.
Generally, I don't like spicy
generally I generally don't like spicy foods.
foods.
I listen to classical I normally listen to classical
normally
music normally. music.
occasionally I go to the opera occasionally. I occasionally go to the opera.
often Often, I jog in the morning. I often jog in the morning.
regularly I come to this museum regularly. I regularly come to this museum.
sometimes I get up very early sometimes. I sometimes get up very early.
I enjoy being with I usually enjoy being with
usually
children usually. children.

Some other adverbs that tell us how often express the exact number of times an action happens or
happened. These adverbs are usually placed at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
 This magazine is published monthly.
 He visits his mother once a week.
 I work five days a week.
 I saw the movie seven times.

USING YET
Yet is used in questions and in negative sentences to indicate that something that has not happened or may
not have happened but is expected to happen. It is placed at the end of the sentence or after not.
EXAMPLES
 Have you finished your work yet? (= simple request for information)
 No, not yet. (= simple negative answer)
 They haven't met him yet. (= simple negative statement)
 Haven't you finished yet? (= expressing surprise)
USING STILL
Still expresses continuity. In positive sentences it is placed before the main verb and after auxiliary verbs
such as be, have, might, will. If the main verb is to be, then place still after it rather than before. In
questions, still goes before the main verb.
EXAMPLES
 She is still waiting for you.
 Jim might still want some.
 Do you still work for the BBC?
 Are you still here?
 I am still hungry.

ORDER OF ADVERBS OF TIME

If you need to use more than one adverb of time in a sentence, use them in this order:
1: how long 2: how often 3: when
EXAMPLES
 1 + 2 : I work (1) for five hours (2) every day
 2 + 3 : The magazine was published (2) weekly (3) last year.
 1 + 3 : I was abroad (1) for two months (3) last year.
 1 + 2 + 3 : She worked in a hospital (1) for two days (2) every week (3) last year.

Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They are usually placed either after the main verb or
after the object.
EXAMPLES
 He swims well.
 He ran quickly.
 She spoke softly.
 James coughed loudly to attract her attention.
 He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object)
 He ate the chocolate cake greedily. (after the direct object)

An adverb of manner cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. The adverb must be placed either
before the verb or at the end of the clause.
EXAMPLES
 He ate greedily the chocolate cake. [incorrect]
 He ate the chocolate cake greedily. [correct]
 He greedily ate the chocolate cake. [correct]
 He gave us generously the money. [incorrect]
 He gave us the money generously. [correct]
 He generously gave us the money. [correct]

If there is a preposition before the verb's object, you can place the adverb of manner either before the
preposition or after the object.
EXAMPLES
 The child ran happily towards his mother.
 The child ran towards his mother happily.
Adverbs of manner should always come immediately after verbs which have no object (intransitive
verbs).
EXAMPLES
 The town grew quickly after 1997.
 He waited patiently for his mother to arrive.

These common adverbs of manner are almost always placed directly after the verb:  well, badly, hard, &
fast
EXAMPLES
 He swam well despite being tired.  The rain fell hard during the storm.

The position of the adverb is important when there is more than one verb in a sentence. If the adverb is
placed before or after the main verb, it modifies only that verb. If the adverb is placed after a clause, then
it modifies the whole action described by the clause. Notice the difference in meaning between the
following sentences.

Example Meaning

She quickly agreed to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick

She agreed quickly to re-type the letter. the agreement is quick

She agreed to re-type the letter quickly. the re-typing is quick

He quietly asked me to leave the

the request is quiet
house.

He asked me quietly to leave the

the request is quiet
house.

He asked me to leave the

the leaving is quiet
house quietly.

LITERARY USAGE
Sometimes an adverb of manner is placed before a verb + object to add emphasis.

EXAMPLES

 He gently woke the sleeping woman.  She angrily slammed the door.

Some writers put an adverb of manner at the beginning of the sentence to catch our attention and make us
curious.

EXAMPLES

 Slowly she picked up the knife.  Roughly he grabbed her arm.

Adverbs of degree
Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity or degree of an action, an adjective or another adverb.
Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb they are modifying, although
there are some exceptions discussed below.
Adverb of Modifyin
Example
degree g
The water was extremely
extremely adjective
cold.
quite adjective The movie is quite interesting.
just verb He was just leaving.
almost verb She has almost finished.
very adverb She is running very fast.
too adverb You are walking too slowly.
enough adverb You are running fast enough.

USAGE OF "ENOUGH"
Enough can be used as both an adverb and as a determiner.

ENOUGH AS AN ADVERB
Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after the adjective or adverb that it is
modifying, and not before it as other adverbs do. It can be used both in positive and negative sentences.
EXAMPLES
 Is your coffee hot enough?
 This box isn't big enough.
 He didn't work hard enough.
 I got here early enough.

Enough is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

EXAMPLES
 He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
 Is your coffee hot enough to drink?
 She's not old enough to get married.
 I got here early enough to sign up.

Enough can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

EXAMPLES
 The dress was big enough for me.
 She's not experienced enough for this job.
 Is the coffee hot enough for you?
 He didn't work hard enough for a promotion.

ENOUGH AS A DETERMINER
Enough as a determiner meaning 'as much/many as necessary' goes before the noun it modifies. It is used
with countable nouns in the plural and with uncountable nouns.
EXAMPLES
 We have enough bread.
 You have enough children.
 They don't have enough food.
  I don't have enough apples.

USAGE OF "TOO"
"Too" is always an adverb, but it has two distinct meanings, each with its own usage patterns.

TOO MEANING "ALSO"

Too as an adverb meaning "also" goes at the end of the phrase it modifies.
EXAMPLES
 I would like to go swimming too, if you will let me come.
 Can I go to the zoo too?
 Is this gift for me too?
 I'm not going to clean your room too!
TOO MEANING "EXCESSIVELY"
Too as an adverb meaning "excessively" goes before the adjective or adverb it modifies. It can be used in
both affirmative and negative sentences.
EXAMPLES
 This coffee is too hot.
 He works too hard.
 Isn't she too young?
 I am not too short!

Too is often followed by "to" + the infinitive.

EXAMPLES
 The coffee was too hot to drink.
 You're too young to have grandchildren!
 I am not too tired to go out tonight.
 Don't you work too hard to have any free time?

Too can also be followed by "for someone" or "for something".

EXAMPLES
 The coffee was too hot for me.
 The dress was too small for her.
 He's not too old for this job.
 Sally's not too slow for our team.

USAGE OF "VERY"
Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
EXAMPLES
 The girl was very beautiful.
 The house is very expensive.
 He worked very quickly.
 She runs very fast.

If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can add "not" to the verb, we can use an
adjective or adverb of opposite meaning, or we can use "not very" with the original adjective or adverb.
The meanings of the phrases are not identical. Usually the phrase using "not very" is less direct, and thus
more polite, than the other phrases.
EXAMPLES
Original phrase The girl was beautiful. He worked quickly.
Opposite meaning w/ "not" The girl wasn’t beautiful. He didn’t work quickly.
The girl wasn’t very He didn’t work very
Opposite meaning w/ "not very"
beautiful. quickly.
Opposite meaning w/ an opposite
The girl was ugly. He worked slowly.
word
DIFFERENCE IN MEANING BETWEEN "VERY" AND "TOO"
There is a big difference in meaning between "too" and "very". "Very" expresses a fact while "too"
suggests there is a problem.
EXAMPLES
 He speaks very quickly.
 He speaks too quickly for me to understand.
 It is very hot outside.
 It is too hot outside to go for a walk.

OTHER ADVERBS USED LIKE "VERY"

Some common adverbs are used in the same way as "very" to heighten the degree of adjectives and
adverbs.
Expressing very strong Expressing somewhat
Expressing strong feelings
feelings doubtful feelings
extremely, terribly, amazingly, especially, particularly, uncommonly, pretty, rather, fairly, not
wonderfully, insanely unusually, remarkably, quite especially, not particularly
The movie was amazingly The movie was particularly The movie was fairly
interesting. interesting. interesting.
She sang wonderfully well. She sang unusually well. She sang pretty well.
The lecture was terribly The lecture was rather
The lecture was quite boring.
boring. boring.

INVERSION WITH NEGATIVE ADVERBS

Normally the subject goes before the verb, however, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion when
placed at the beginning of the clause. The order is reversed and the verb goes before the subject. This
inversion is only used in writing, not in speaking.
Adverb Normal word order Inversion
Never I have never seen such courage. Never have I seen such courage.
Rarely She rarely left the house. Rarely did she leave the house.
Not She did not only the cooking but the Not only did she do the cooking, but the
only cleaning as well. cleaning as well.
Scarcel I scarcely closed the door before he started Scarcely did I close the door before he started
y talking. talking.
Seldom We seldom cross the river after sunset. Seldom do we cross the river sunset.

Adverbs of certainty
Adverbs of certainty express how certain we feel about an action or event. Adverbs of certainty go before
the main verb unless the main verb is 'to be', in which case the adverb of certainty goes after. Certainly,
definitely, probably, undoubtedly, surely
EXAMPLES
 He definitely left the house this morning.
 He surely won't forget.
 He is probably in the park.
 He is certainly a smart man.
If there is an auxiliary verb, the adverb of certainty goes between the auxiliary and the main verb.
EXAMPLES
 He has certainly forgotten the meeting.
 He will probably remember tomorrow.
 He is definitely running late.

Sometimes these adverbs of certainty can be placed at the beginning of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
 Undoubtedly, Winston Churchill was a great politician.
 Certainly, I will be there.
 Probably, he has forgotten the meeting.

When the adverb of certainty surely is placed at the beginning of the sentence, it means the speaker thinks
something is true, but is looking for confirmation.
EXAMPLES
 Surely you've got a bicycle.
 Surely you're not going to wear that to the party.

Viewpoint and commenting adverbs

There are some adverbs and adverbial expressions which tell us about the speaker's viewpoint or opinion
about an action, or make some comment on the action. These adverbs are different from other adverbs
because they do not tell us how an action occurred. Commenting and viewpoint adverbs modify entire
clauses rather than single verbs, adverbs, or adjectives. There is no real distinction between commenting
adverbs and viewpoint adverbs, except in their sentence placement. Many adverbs that can be used as
viewpoint adverbs can also be used as commenting adverbs. However, in some cases, an adverb is far
more common as one or the other.

SENTENCE PLACEMENT
Viewpoint adverbs are placed at the beginning, or more rarely, at the end of the sentence. They are
usually separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. Commenting adverbs are placed before the
main verb unless the verb "to be" is used, in which case placement can be either before or after the verb.
In some cases, commenting adverbs placed before the main verb will also be separated from the rest of
the sentence by commas, although in most cases they will not be. In the examples below, viewpoint and
commenting adverbs are shown in the correct sentence placements. When a sentence placement is
unusual, stilted, or too formal for spoken language, it is marked with an asterisk.
Viewpoint or
At the start of a
Before the main verb At the end of a sentence
commenting sentence
adverb
Clearly, he doesn't
He clearly doesn't know what He doesn't know what he is
clearly know what he is
he is doing. doing, clearly.
doing.
Obviously, you are You are acting
obviously You are obviously acting silly
acting silly. silly, obviously.
Personally, I'd rather I'd personally rather go by I'd rather go by train,
personally
go by train. train. personally.
Presumably, he He didn't have time to go
He presumably didn't have
presumably didn't have time to go to the post
time to go to the post office.
to the post office. office, presumably.
Seriously, I can't give I seriously can't give this I can't give this speech,
seriously
this speech. speech. seriously.
Surely you tried to You surely tried to get here on You tried to get here on
surely
get here on time. time. time, surely.
Technically, we
We technically cannot fly to We cannot fly to Mars and
technically cannot fly to Mars
Mars and back. back, technically.
and back.
Undoubtedly, he has
He undoubtedly has a good He has a good reason not
undoubtedly a good reason not to
reason not to come. to come, undoubtedly.
come.
Bravely, I kept on *I kept on
bravely I bravely kept on walking.
walking. walking, bravely.
Carelessly, she threw
She carelessly threw her book *She threw her book into
carelessly her book into the
into the pond. the pond, carelessly.
pond.
You certainly should be
Certainly you should You should be
certainly there. / You should certainly
be there. there, certainly.
be there.
Cleverly, Sally hid Sally cleverly hid the *Sally hid the jellybeans,
cleverly
the jellybeans. jellybeans. cleverly.
*Definitely, you are You definitely are smart. / You
definitely *You are smart, definitely.
smart. are definitely smart.
Foolishly, they cried
foolishly They foolishly cried out. They cried out, foolishly.
out.
Generously, he He generously donated the *He donated the money,
generously
donated the money. money. generously.
Stupidly, they played They stupidly played in the *They played in the street,
stupidly
in the street. street. stupidly.
Obviously, we are We are obviously lost. /
obviously We are lost, obviously.
lost. *We obviously are lost.
Kindly, she fed the She fed the cat
kindly She kindly fed the cat first.
cat first. first, kindly.
Luckily, you got here You got here on
luckily You luckily got here on time.
on time. time, luckily.
 Viewpoint or
At the start of a At the end of a
commenting Before the main verb
sentence sentence
adverb
Fortunately, we We found the boat,
fortunately We fortunately found the boat.
found the boat. fortunately.
Naturally, you cannot You naturally cannot be in the You cannot be in the
naturally
be in the circus now. circus now. circus now, naturally.
Wisely, she stayed She wisely stayed home to take She stayed home to take
wisely
home to take a nap. a nap. a nap, wisely.
Confidentially, I I never gave him the
confidentially never gave him the   envelope,
envelope. confidentially.
We could theoretically send
Theoretically, we We could send
astronauts to Mars. /
theoretically could send astronauts astronauts to
We theoretically could send
to Mars. Mars, theoretically.
astronauts to Mars.
Truthfully, I don't I truthfully don't like chocolate I don't like chocolate
truthfully
like chocolate much. much. much, truthfully.
Disappointingly, she She disappointingly got fourth She got fourth place,
disappointingly
got fourth place. place. disappointingly.
Thoughtfully, I I turned
thoughtfully I thoughtfully turned away.
turned away. away, thoughtfully.
*Simply, I don't want
simply I simply don't want to come.  
to come.
Unbelievably, she She unbelievably showed up She showed up late
unbelievably
showed up late again. late again. again, unbelievably.
There is unfortunately no
Unfortunately, there more room. / There is no more room,
unfortunately
is no more room. There unfortunately is no unfortunately.
more room.

Relative adverbs
The relative adverbs where, when & why can be used to join sentences or clauses. They replace the more
formal structure of preposition + which used to introduce a relative clause.
More common structure using a relative
Formal structure, preposition + which
adverb
That's the restaurant in which we met for the first That's the restaurant where we met for the first
time. time.
That picture was taken in the park at which I used That picture was taken in the park where I used to
to play. play.
I remember the day on which we first met. I remember the day when we first met.
There was a very hot summer the year in There was a very hot summer the year when he
which he was born. was born.
Tell me the reason for which you came home
Tell me (the reason) why you came home late.
late.
Do you want to know the reason for which he is Do you want to know (the reason) why he is
angry with Sally? angry with Sally?
Interrogative adverbs
The interrogative adverbs why, where, how, & when are placed at the beginning of a question. These
questions can be answered with a sentence or a prepositional phrase. After an interrogative adverb in a
question, you must invert the subject and verb so that the verb comes first.
EXAMPLES
 Why are you so late? There was a lot of traffic.
 Where is my passport? In the drawer.
 How are you? I'm fine.
 When does the train arrive? At 11:15.

USES OF HOW
How can be used to form questions in four different ways. How can be used by itself to mean "in what
way".
EXAMPLES
 How did you make this sauce?
 How do you start the car?
 How can I get to your house?

How can be used with adjectives to ask about the degree of an attribute.
EXAMPLES
 How tall are you?
 How old is your house?
 How angry is mother?

How can be used with much and many to ask about quantity. Much is used with uncountable nouns
and many is used with countable nouns.
EXAMPLES
 How many people are coming to the party?
 How much flour do I need?
 How much are these tomatoes?

How can be used with other adverbs to ask about the frequency or degree of an action.
EXAMPLES
 How quickly can you read this?
 How often do you go to London?
 How loudly does your brother scream?