Adverbs

What Are Adverbs?

Adverbs are words that describe verbs. For example:
 He left quickly.
(In this example, "left" is the verb, and the adverb "quickly" describes how the verb was
done.)
 She talks loudly.
(Here, "talks" is the verb, and the adverb "loudly" describes how the verb is done.)
Lots of adverbs end "-ly."
Understanding adverbs is a little more complicated than that though. Not all adverbs
tell us how a verb is done. Adverbs can also tell us when, where, how often, and how
much a verb is done. Adverbs can also be used with adjectives and even other
adverbs.

The Quick Answer

What is an adverb?

An adverb is a word that can modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Lots of
adverbs end "-ly." For example:

 She swims quickly.
(Here, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "swims.")
 She is an extremely quick swimmer.
(The adverb "extremely" modifies the adjective "quick.")
 She swims extremely quickly.
(The adverb "extremely" modifies the adverb "quickly.")

What do adverbs do?

When an adverb modifies a verb, it tells us how, when, where, why, how often, or
how much the action is performed. Here are some examples of adverbs modifying
verbs:

 How: He ran quickly.
 When: He ran yesterday.
 Where: He ran here.
 How often: He ran daily.
 How much: He ran fastest.

Not all adverbs are one word.

In the examples above, every adverb is a single word, but an adverb can be made up
of more than one word. For example:

 How: He ran at 10 miles per hour.

(The bold text is an adverbial phrase.)
 When: He ran when the police arrived.
(The bold text is an adverbial clause.)
 Where: He ran to the shops.
(adverbial phrase)
 Why: He ran to fetch some water.
(This is an adverbial phrase. Look at the list above. There are no single-word adverbs that
tell us why.)
 How often: He ran every day.
(adverbial phrase)
 How much: He ran quicker than me.
(adverbial phrase)
Read more about adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses.
Got it? Take a quick test.

Interactive Examples of Adverbs

Here are some interactive examples to help explain the difference between single-word
adverbs, adverbial phrases, and adverbial clauses. (In these examples, the subjects are blue, and
the verbs are green. Note that only the adverbial clauses have a subject and a verb.)
 Show Simon your project

tomorrow

.
 He lost his double chin

thereafter

.
 Anne waited

apprehensively

.
 Mark will sit

there

More about Adverbs

When beginners first learn about adverbs, they are often told that adverbs end "-ly" and modify
verbs. That is, of course, true, but adverbs do far more than that description suggests. Here are
three key points about adverbs:
 (Point 1) Adverbs modify verbs, but they can also modify adjectives and other
adverbs.

For example:

o She sang an insanely sad song extremely well.

(In this example, "insanely" modifies the adjective "sad," "extremely" modifies
the adverb "well," and "well" modifies the verb "sang.")
 (Point 2) Although many adverbs end "-ly," lots do not.

For example:

o fast, never, well, very, most, least, more, less, now, far, there

 (Point 3) In real-life sentences, lots of adverbs are phrases or clauses (i.e., not
single words).

For example:

Single-Word Adverb Adverbial Phrase Adverbial Clause

Sell it as soon as

Sell it quickly. possible. Sell it before the market closes.

A Video Summary

Here is a short video summarizing this lesson on adverbs.

Adverbs Modifying Verbs

An adverb that modifies a verb usually tells you how, when, where, why, how
often, or how much the action is performed. (NB: The ones that end "ly" are
usually the ones that tell us how the action is performed, e.g., "quickly,"
"slowly," "carefully," "quietly.")

Here are some examples of adverbs modifying verbs:

o Anita placed the vase carefully on the shelf.

(The word "carefully" is an adverb. It shows how the vase was placed.)
o Tara walks gracefully.
(The word "gracefully" is an adverb. It modifies the verb "to walk.")
o He runs fast.
(The word "fast" is an adverb. It modifies the verb "to run.")
o You can set your watch by him. He always leaves at 5 o'clock.
(The word "always" is an adverb. It modifies the verb "to leave.")
o The dinner guests arrived early.
(Here, "early" modifies "to arrive.")
o She sometimes helps us.
(Here, "sometimes" modifies "to help.")
o Will you come quietly, or do I have to use earplugs? (Comedian Spike
Milligan)
(Here, "quietly" modifies "to come.")
o I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly.
(Playwright Oscar Wilde)
(Here, "thoroughly" modifies "to know.")
Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

If you examine the word "adverb," you could be forgiven for thinking adverbs
only modify verbs (i.e., "add" to "verbs"), but adverbs can also modify
adjectives and other adverbs. Here are some examples of adverbs modifying
adjectives:
o The horridly grotesque gargoyle was undamaged by the debris.
(The adverb "horridly" modifies the adjective "grotesque.")
o Peter had an extremely ashen face.
(The adverb "extremely" modifies the adjective "ashen.")
o Badly trained dogs that fail the test will become pets.
(The adverb "badly" modifies the adjective "trained.")
(Note: The adjective "trained" is an adjective formed from the verb "to
train." It is called a participle.)
o She wore a beautifully designed dress.
(The adverb "beautifully" modifies the adjective "designed.")

Adverbs Modifying Adverbs

Here are some examples of adverbs modifying adverbs:

o Peter Jackson finished his assignment remarkably quickly.
(Here, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "to finish." The adverb
"remarkably" modifies the adverb "quickly.")
o We're showing kids a world that is very scantily populated with women
and female characters. They should see female characters taking up half
the planet, which we do. (Actress Geena Davis)
(In this example, the adverb "scantily" modifies the adjective
"populated." The adverb "very" modifies the adverb "scantily.")

More about Adverbs

Types of Adverb

When an adverb modifies a verb, it can often be categorized as one of the

following:
 Type Examples

An adverb of manner tells us how an action occurs.

o The lion crawled stealthily.
o Will you come quietly, or do I have to use
Adverb of Manner earplugs? (Comedian Spike Milligan)
(how) (NB: Lots of adverbs of manner end "-ly.")

An adverb of time tells us when an action occurs or how often.

o I tell him daily.
o What you plant now, you will harvest later.
(Author Og Mandino)
Adverb of Time (NB: Adverbs of time that tell us how often something occurs
(when and how (e.g., "always," "often," "sometimes") are also known as
often) "adverbs of frequency.")

An adverb of place tells us where an action occurs.

o I did not put it there.
o Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on
Adverb of Place paper is, alas, not so easy as looking at it. (Artist
(where) Vincent Van Gogh)

Adverb of Degree An adverb of degree tells us to what degree an action occurs.

(aka Adverb of o He works smarter.
Comparison) o Doubters make me work harder to prove them
(how much) wrong. (Businessman Derek Jeter)

These are the main four categories. We'll discuss the others shortly. Don't
forget that adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
o To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.
(Playwright Oscar Wilde)
(The adverb "thoroughly" modifies the adjective "modern.")
o If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing very slowly. (Burlesque
entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee)
(The adverb "very" modifies the adverb "slowly.")

Even More about Adverbs

Adverbial Phrases and Clauses

In all the examples above, the adverbs have been single words, but multi-word
adverbs are common too. Adverbs commonly come as phrases (i.e., two or
more words) or clauses (i.e., two or more words containing a subject and a
verb). Below are some examples of multi-word adverbs. This list also includes
adverbs of condition, adverbs of concession, and adverbs of reason.
Type Examples

An adverb of manner often starts with a preposition (e.g., "in,"

"with") or one of the following: "as," "like," or "the way."
(These are called subordinating conjunctions.)
o Money speaks, but it speaks with a male voice.
(Author Andrea Dworkin)
(This is called a prepositional phrase. It's also an
adverbial phrase.)
o People who say they sleep like a baby
does usually don't have one. (Psychologist Leo J.
Adverb of Manner Burke)

An adverb of time often starts with a preposition or one of the

following subordinating conjunctions: "after," "as," "as long as,"
"as soon as," "before," "no sooner than," "since," "until,"
"when," or "while."
o A company like Gucci can lose millions in a
second. (Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri)
o After the game has finished, the king and pawn
Adverb of Time go into the same box. (Italian proverb)

An adverb of place often starts with a preposition or one of the

following subordinating conjunctions: "anywhere,"
"everywhere," "where," or "wherever."
o Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the
back and, instead of bleeding, he sings. (Ed
Gardner)
o Some cause happiness wherever they go;
others whenever they go. (Playwright Oscar
Adverb of Place Wilde)
 An adverb of degree often starts with one of the following
subordinating conjunctions: "than," "as...as," "so...as," or
"the...the."
o Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm. (Poet
Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
o Be what you are. This is the first step toward
becoming better than you are. (Writer Julius
Adverb of Degree Charles Hare)
(aka Adverb of Read more about comparatives of adverbs (like "more
Comparison) cleverly").

An adverb of condition tells us the condition needed before the

main idea comes into effect. An adverb of condition often starts
with "if" or "unless."
o If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.
(Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein)
Adverbs of o Age doesn't matter, unless you're a cheese.
Condition (Filmmaker Luis Bunuel)

An adverb of concession contrasts with the main idea. An

adverb of concession often starts with a subordinating
conjunction like "though," "although," "even though," "while,"
"whereas," or "even if."
 Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy,
overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns
hideous clothing. (Comedian Dave Barry)
Adverbs of  A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if it's a
Concession whisper. (Writer Barry Neil Kaufman)

An adverb of reason gives a reason for the main idea. An adverb

of reason usually starts with a subordinating conjunction like
"as," "because," "given," or "since."
o I don't have a bank account because I don't know
my mother's maiden name. (Comedian Paula
Poundstone)
o Since we cannot change reality, let us change the
eyes which see reality. (Greek author Nikos
Adverbs of Reason Kazantzakis)

Why Should I Care about Adverbs?

Here are the six most common writing issues related to adverbs.

(Issue 1) Use adverbs ending "-ly" sparingly.

Professional writers (particularly fiction writers) don't like adverbs that end "-
ly." They consider them unnecessary clutter. If you were to attend a fiction-
writing course, you would be taught to craft words that render "-ly" adverbs
redundant. On that course, you would undoubtedly be shown this quote:
o The road to hell is paved with adverbs. (Author Stephen King)

As Stephen King advocates, if you choose the right verb or the right dialogue,
you don't need an adverb. Compare these two examples:
o Extremely annoyed, she stared menacingly at her rival.
(Critics on that course would trash this.)
o Infuriated, she glared at her rival.

(This is far sharper.)

Here are the three good reasons to kill a "-ly" adverb:
(1) The adverb is a tautology (i.e., needless repetition of an idea).
o She smiled happily.
(2) The adverb is "spoon feeding" the reader.
o She smiled disappointedly.
(By the time your readers reach this sentence, they should know from
context that it's a disappointed smile. The trick is to show them, not
literally tell them, that she's disappointed. It's far more engaging. Less is
more.)
Spoon-feeding with an adverb happens most commonly with verbs like said,
stated, and shouted (known as verbs of attribution).
o "Ow, pack that in," Rachel shrieked angrily.
(You can scrap the adverb if it's implicit from the dialogue or context.)
(3) The adverb is only there because of a badly chosen verb.
 o Sitting dejectedly in its cage, the parrot looked utterly unhappy.
(This would cause a click-fest as those critics armed their red pens.)
o Looking miserable, the parrot lay on the floor of its cage.

(This is sharper. Your readers will know that parrots don't ordinarily lie
on the floor.)
Avoiding adverbs is a self-imposed restraint that many writers follow. It's like a
game. Upon completing their work, professional writers will often do a text
search for "ly " (note the space) to find adverbs and to re-justify their use before
submission. Remember though that if your adverb is part of the story, keep it.
o Your son is surprisingly handsome.

(Issue 2) Delete "very" and "extremely."

Professional writers hate adverbs such as "extremely," "really," and "very"

(called intensifiers). For them, using an intensifier demonstrates a limited
vocabulary. It's a fair point. If you choose the right words, you can avoid
intensifiers.
Don't write… Go for something like…

very bad atrocious

extremely hungry ravenous

really old ancient

incredibly tired exhausted

Many writers assert that intensifiers are so useless, you should delete them even
if you can't find a more descriptive word.
o Ireland is great for the spirit but very bad for the body. (Actor Hugh
Dancy)
(The deletion kills a word but no meaning.)
Writer Mark Twain shared this view:
 o Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very". Your editor
will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be.

Here's a good tip. Press "CTRL H". Put "very" in the Find box. Put nothing in
the Replace box. Click Replace All.

(Issue 3) When an adverb modifies an adjective, don't join them with a

hyphen.

When an adverb modifies an adjective, don't join the two with a hyphen.
Remember that not all adverbs end "-ly."
o The beginning is the most-important part of the work. (translation of
Greek philosopher Plato)
As covered next, this no-hyphen rule applies only to adverbs that are obviously
adverbs (e.g., ones that end "-ly").

(Issue 4) When an adverb that could feasibly be an adjective modifies an

adjective, use a hyphen.

A few adverbs (e.g., "well" and "fast") look like adjectives. To make it clear
your adverb is not an adjective, you can link it to the adjective it's modifying
with a hyphen. The hyphen says "these two words are one entity," making it
clear they're not two adjectives.
o She's a well-known dog.
(The hyphen makes it clear that the dog is famous (i.e., well-known) as
opposed to well (i.e., healthy) and known (i.e., familiar).)
o He sold me six fast-growing carp.
(The hyphen makes it clear the carp are ones that grow quickly and not
growing ones that can swim quickly.)
This issue crops up occasionally with "well," and "well" is almost never used as
an adjective (meaning healthy) in a chain of other adjectives. So, in real life,
there's almost never any ambiguity caused by these adjectivey-looking adverbs.
Therefore, the following rule will cover 99% of situations: use a hyphen with
"well" when it precedes an adjective. Read about hyphens in compound
adjectives.

(Issue 5) Make it clear what your adverb is modifying.

Whenever you use an adverb (a single-word or multi-word one), do a quick

check to ensure it's obvious what it refers to. Here are some examples of badly
placed adverbs.
o Singing quickly improved his stammer.
(It's unclear whether quickly modifies singing or improved. This is
called a squinting modifier.)
o Peter told us after Christmas that he plans to diet.
(Here, after Christmas sits grammatically with told but logically with
plans. This is called a misplaced modifier.)
o I recorded the hedgehog feeding its hoglets cautiously.
(It's unclear whether cautiously modifies recorded or feeding.)
Usually a badly placed modifier can be fixed by putting it nearer to the verb it's
modifying. (The top two examples can be fixed by moving the shaded text to
the end. The third can be fixed by moving "cautiously" either to the left of
"recorded" or to the left of "feeding," depending on the intended meaning.)
Read more about squinting modifiers.
Read more about misplaced modifiers.
It's worth mentioning limiting modifiers (e.g., "hardly," "nearly," "only")
because these commonly create logic flaws or ambiguity.
o I only eat candy on Halloween. No lie. (Actor Michael Trevino)
(Logically, this means all he does on Halloween is eat candy; therefore,
he doesn't work, sleep, or drink on that day. In everyday speech, we all
get away with misplacing "only," but we should try to be more precise in
our writing.)
 o I eat candy only on Halloween.
(This is sharper. As a rule of thumb, the best place for "only" is never to
the left of a verb.)
The two examples below are correct, but they mean different things.
o Lee copied nearly all 10 of your answers.
(This tells us Lee copied most of the answers.)
o Lee nearly copied all 10 of your answers.
(Here, Lee might have copied none to nine.)
It's worth spending a second to ensure your limiting modifiers are well
positioned.

(Issue 6) Use a comma after a fronted adverbial.

When an adverbial phrase or clause is at the start of a sentence, it is usual to

follow it with a comma.
o In colonial America, lobster was often served to prisoners because it was
so cheap and plentiful.
o One April day in 1930, the BBC reported, "There is no news."
o If you're called Brad Thor, people expect you to be 6 foot 4 with
muscles. (Author Brad Thor)
When the adverbial is at the back, the comma can be left out. Each of these
could be re-written without comma and with the shaded text at the end.

When the adverbial is at the front, it's not a serious crime to omit the comma,
but you should use one because it aids reading. When the adverbial is short
(one or two words), your readers won't need helping, so you're safe to scrap the
comma if you think it looks unwieldy.
 o Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be
a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement. (Cartoonist Charles
M. Schulz via Snoopy)
.

Key Points

o Try to render adverbs ending "-ly" redundant with better word choice.

o Have you used "very"? Yes? Delete it.

o Don't join an adverb to an adjective unless that adverb is "well."

o Put your adverbs close to what they're modifying and far from what
they're not.