What Is an Adverb? Mastering Adverbs to Enhance Your Writing

An adverb is a powerhouse of a word that enriches sentences by modifying or describing various parts of speech. Think of it as a modifier that adds depth and detail, telling us more about a verb (“He spoke softly“), an adjective (“extremely kind”), another adverb (“drove very carefully”), or even an entire sentence (“Undoubtedly, grammar is essential.”).

Essentially, adverbs paint a more complete picture by providing crucial context. They answer questions like how, when, where, to what extent, or how often something occurs. They can specify the manner, time, location, frequency, or degree of an action or quality.

While many adverbs are easily recognizable by their -ly ending, it’s important to note that some adverbs, like fast, share their form with their adjective counterparts.

Adverbs are also capable of showing comparison (“more gracefully,” “most gracefully“) and should ideally be positioned near the words they are modifying to maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity.

However, a key aspect of skillful writing is knowing when to use adverbs effectively and when to opt for stronger verbs or adjectives instead. Over-reliance on adverbs can sometimes weaken your writing.

Adverbs are indeed versatile tools for sentence enhancement, but understanding their nuances is crucial. In this guide, we’ll delve into the rules and provide clear examples to clarify what adverbs are, how to use them correctly, and when to consider alternative approaches for stronger writing.

Table of Contents

Adverb Definition
Adverbs and Verbs
Adverbs and Adjectives
Adverbs and Other Adverbs
Adverbs and Sentences
Adverbs and Degrees of Comparison
Placement of Adverbs
Common Adverb Mistakes to Avoid
Adverb FAQs

Adverb Definition

Adverbs are words that serve as modifiers, enriching the meaning of verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire sentences. They provide essential details about how, where, when, to what extent, how much, or how often an action or state occurs.

A common characteristic of many adverbs is the -ly suffix. However, it’s crucial to remember that not all adverbs follow this pattern.

Consider these examples to understand how adverbs function:

• The rain fell heavily during the night.
• She is extremely talented in music.
• He finished the project surprisingly quickly.
• Fortunately, the bus arrived on time.

Flat Adverbs

Flat adverbs are a unique category of adverbs that have the same spelling as their corresponding adjectives. Common examples include fast, hard, early, late, straight, and well.

Let’s look at how flat adverbs are used in sentences:

• Drive fast to catch up with them.
• He worked hard to achieve his goals.
• The train arrived early this morning.

Some flat adverbs also have alternative forms that include the -ly ending. For instance, both safe and safely, slow and slowly, bright and brightly can function as adverbs. In many cases, both forms are acceptable:

• The stars are shining bright [or brightly] in the sky.
• Please drive safe [or safely] on the icy roads.

A table showing showing the definition of an adverb with common adverbs that describe how, when, where, how much, and how often.

How Adverbs Modify Different Parts of Speech

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and sentences:

• Modifying Verbs: Adverbs describe the manner, time, place, or degree of the verb’s action.

  • Example: The cheetah runs swiftly. (Manner)
  • Example: We will leave soon. (Time)
  • Example: The children are playing outside. (Place)
  • Example: I completely agree with you. (Degree)

• Modifying Adjectives: Adverbs intensify or specify the degree of an adjective.

  • Example: She is an exceptionally talented artist.
  • Example: The weather is rather cold today.

• Modifying Other Adverbs: Adverbs can clarify or intensify the meaning of another adverb.

  • Example: He spoke remarkably softly.
  • Example: They finished the marathon incredibly quickly.

• Modifying Sentences: Sentence adverbs express the speaker’s attitude or provide an overall perspective on the entire sentence.

  • Example: Frankly, I don’t believe him.
  • Example: Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident.

Adverbs and Verbs

Adverbs most commonly modify verbs. They enrich verbs by specifying details about the action. This is often done by indicating the manner, time, place, frequency, or degree of the action.

Manner

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed. They answer the question “in what way?”

Here are some illustrative examples:

• The ballerina danced gracefully across the stage.
• The child giggled happily as he played with his toys.
• Please speak quietly in the library.

Time

Adverbs of time specify when an action takes place. They answer the question “when did it happen?” or “for how long?”

Examples include:

• The sun rises early in the summer.
• We will visit them tomorrow.
• The meeting lasted briefly. (Duration)
• The concert will continue indefinitely. (Duration)

Place

Adverbs of place indicate where an action occurs. They answer the question “where did it happen?”

Consider these examples:

• The birds are flying overhead.
• Let’s go upstairs to talk.
• They searched for the lost keys everywhere.

Frequency

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often an action happens. They answer the question “how often does it occur?”

Examples of frequency adverbs:

• I often go for a walk in the park.
• She rarely eats fast food.
• He always arrives on time.
• They visit their grandparents weekly.

Degree

Adverbs of degree express to what extent an action is performed. They answer the question “to what degree?” or “how much?”

Examples of degree adverbs:

• I partially agree with your opinion.
• She is completely exhausted after the long day.
• They are deeply saddened by the news.
• He barely touched his dinner.

Adverbs and Adjectives

Adverbs can also modify adjectives, adding depth and nuance to descriptive words. They typically precede the adjectives they modify and provide detail about the quality the adjective describes.

This detail often relates to the manner in which the quality is true, the degree to which it applies, or how frequently it is accurate.

Manner

When an adverb of manner modifies an adjective, it describes how the adjective applies to the noun it modifies.

Notice the subtle difference in meaning in these sentences, where different manner adverbs modify the same adjective (brave) describing the same noun (soldier):

• The soldier acted courageously brave in the face of danger.
• The soldier seemed foolishly brave, taking unnecessary risks.

Degree

An adverb of degree modifying an adjective indicates the intensity or extent of the adjective’s quality. It can express the strength of the quality or compare it to something else.

Examples of adverbs of degree modifying adjectives:

• The coffee is too hot to drink.
• This painting is more beautiful than the one we saw yesterday.
• The weather is slightly warmer today than it was yesterday.
• She is an incredibly talented musician.

Frequency

Adverbs of frequency, when modifying adjectives, answer the question of how often the adjective’s description is true.

Examples:

• He is always cheerful in the mornings.
• My grandmother is a rarely grumpy person.
• That restaurant is usually busy on weekends.

Adverbs and Other Adverbs

Adverbs can also modify other adverbs, creating layers of descriptive detail. Similar to adverbs modifying adjectives, these adverbs usually specify the degree or intensity of the adverb they are modifying.

The adverbs that modify other adverbs almost always convey degree, answering the question of “to what extent” or “how intensely” the principal adverb applies.

In the following sentence, the adverb of degree (quite) modifies the adverb of manner (quickly):

• She learned to play the piano quite quickly.

Here’s another example where a degree adverb (very) modifies a manner adverb (skillfully):

• He handled the difficult situation very skillfully.

Stringing Multiple Adverbs Together

Because adverbs can modify other adverbs, it’s grammatically possible to use multiple adverbs in sequence, each modifying the next. This can be effective for emphasizing intensity, especially in informal or emotionally charged contexts, or for specific tonal effects.

Consider these examples:

• I am utterly, completely, irrevocably lost.
• The team was barely, marginally, sufficiently prepared for the competition.

However, using too many adverbs in a row should be done judiciously. It can sometimes lead to sentences that are convoluted, weak, or awkward. For instance:

• He spoke really, really, incredibly loudly. (Better to use a stronger verb or rephrase).

Adverbs and Sentences

Certain adverbs, known as sentence adverbs or conjunct adverbs, modify entire sentences. Common examples include however, therefore, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless, consequently, indeed, certainly, clearly, obviously, fortunately, and unfortunately.

Sentence adverbs express the speaker’s or writer’s attitude, opinion, or stance regarding the information presented in the entire sentence, rather than modifying a specific word within the sentence.

Here are examples of sentence adverbs in action:

• Fortunately, the rain stopped before the game started.
• Surprisingly, no one knew the answer to the simple question.
• Clearly, more research is needed on this topic.
• Admittedly, this is a challenging problem to solve.

Sentence adverbs often convey rhetorical nuances like certainty, doubt, anticipation, or concession.

Adverbs and Degrees of Comparison

Similar to adjectives, many adverbs can express degrees of comparison. These are typically adverbs that have corresponding adjectives, especially those formed by adding -ly to an adjective.

The three degrees of comparison are:

1. Absolute (Positive)
2. Comparative
3. Superlative

The Absolute Degree

The absolute or positive degree is the base form of the adverb. It expresses a quality directly without comparing it to anything else.

Examples of absolute adverbs:

• She sings beautifully.
• He ran quickly.

The Comparative Degree

The comparative degree is used to compare how two entities perform an action in terms of a specific adverbial quality. For most adverbs ending in -ly, the comparative is formed by adding more before the adverb.

Examples of comparative adverbs:

• She sings more beautifully than her sister.
• He ran more quickly than his competitor.
• He spoke more softly this time.

The Superlative Degree

The superlative degree compares three or more entities performing an action. For most -ly adverbs, the superlative is formed by adding most before the adverb.

Examples of superlative adverbs:

• She sings most beautifully in the choir.
• He ran most quickly of all the athletes.
• He spoke most softly of anyone in the room.

Comparative and Superlative Forms of Flat Adverbs

Flat adverbs follow the same pattern as their adjective counterparts for comparative and superlative forms, often using -er and -est.

Examples:

• Drive faster to get there on time. (Comparative of fast)
• The cheetah runs fastest of all land animals. (Superlative of fast)
• Could you speak louder, please? (Comparative of loud)
• Speak loudest so everyone can hear you. (Superlative of loud)

Placement of Adverbs

Proper adverb placement is crucial for clear communication. Adverbs should generally be placed as close as possible to the words they modify to avoid ambiguity and ensure the intended meaning is conveyed.

Placement with Single-Word Verbs

For adverbs modifying verbs, the general rule is to place them near the verb they qualify.

• For intransitive verbs (verbs that don’t take a direct object), adverbs often come after the verb:

  • She laughed loudly.

• However, some adverbs of frequency and manner can naturally come before intransitive verbs:

  • They always arrive early.
  • He quickly agreed.

• With transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object), the clearest placement is usually after the direct object. An adverb should never separate a transitive verb from its direct object:

  • She painted the picture beautifully. (Correct)
  • She painted beautifully the picture. (Incorrect)

Placement with Verb Phrases

When modifying verb phrases (e.g., is running, has been seen), the most natural position for the adverb is typically in the middle of the phrase, often after the first auxiliary verb.

• They are quickly learning the new skills.
• He has always wanted to travel the world.
• The problem was easily solved.

Placement with Adjectives and Other Adverbs

Adverbs modifying adjectives or other adverbs should be placed immediately before the word they modify.

• She is an exceptionally talented singer.
• He drove very carefully.
• The water was incredibly cold.

Special Case: The Adverb Only

The placement of the adverb only is particularly important because it can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence depending on where it’s positioned. Only should be placed immediately before the word it modifies to avoid misinterpretation.

Consider these sentences:

• Only I saw the accident. (No one else saw it, but I did.)
• I only saw the accident. (I did nothing else but see the accident.)
• I saw only the accident. (I saw the accident, and nothing else.)
• I saw the accident only yesterday. (I saw it yesterday, and not before.)

Common Adverb Mistakes to Avoid

While adverbs are essential for descriptive writing, it’s important to use them judiciously and avoid common pitfalls.

Superfluous Adverbs

Sometimes, a weaker verb or adjective is paired with an adverb when a stronger, more precise word could convey the meaning more effectively on its own. Replacing adverb-verb or adverb-adjective combinations with stronger single words often results in more impactful writing.

Compare these examples:

• The team moved very quickly. (Weaker)

• The team sprinted. (Stronger and more concise)

• The explanation was excessively long. (Weaker)

• The explanation was verbose. (Stronger and more concise)

Overuse of Intensifiers

Degree adverbs that intensify meaning, such as very, really, extremely, quite, and incredibly, are easily overused. Over-reliance on these intensifiers can make writing sound weak, insincere, or hyperbolic. Vary your vocabulary and consider using more descriptive verbs and adjectives instead.

Sentence Adverb Misuse

Be cautious when using sentence adverbs like clearly, obviously, certainly, and undeniably, especially in persuasive or academic writing. While they can emphasize a point, overuse, particularly when the statement isn’t truly self-evident, can weaken your argument.

Also, be aware of the potential for misinterpretation or distraction with sentence adverbs like hopefully. While grammatically accepted, some readers might find it less formal or stylistically questionable in certain contexts.

Adverbs with Linking Verbs

Linking verbs (e.g., be, seem, appear, feel, look, smell, taste, sound, become, get, grow, remain, stay) connect the subject of a sentence to a descriptive word (predicate adjective) rather than an action. Therefore, linking verbs are typically modified by adjectives, not adverbs.

Common mistake:

• He feels badly about missing the deadline. (Incorrect – badly describes how he feels the action of feeling, not his state)

Correct usage:

• He feels bad about missing the deadline. (Correct – bad is an adjective describing his state of feeling)

Misplaced Adverbs

As discussed earlier, misplaced adverbs can lead to awkward sentences and even alter the intended meaning. Pay close attention to adverb placement to ensure clarity.

Ambiguous sentence due to adverb placement:

• She almost finished the entire book. (Did she nearly finish it but didn’t, or did she finish most of it?)

Clearer versions:

• She nearly finished the entire book. (She came close to finishing, but didn’t complete it.)
• She finished almost the entire book. (She completed most of it, but not all.)

Adverb FAQs

What is the primary function of adverbs?

Adverbs primarily function to modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or sentences, providing additional information about manner, time, place, degree, frequency, or reason.

How can I identify adverbs in a sentence?

Identify adverbs by looking for words that answer questions like how, when, where, to what extent, or how often. Many adverbs end in -ly, but not all do.

What are some common examples of adverbs?

Common adverbs include:

• Manner: quickly, slowly, carefully, loudly, softly
• Time: now, then, soon, later, yesterday, today, tomorrow
• Place: here, there, everywhere, inside, outside, above, below
• Frequency: always, often, sometimes, rarely, never, usually
• Degree: very, really, extremely, quite, too, almost, completely

Where should adverbs be placed in a sentence for clarity?

Generally, place adverbs as close as possible to the word they modify to avoid confusion. Before adjectives (very tall), after verbs (sings loudly), or in the middle of verb phrases (is quickly running).

When is it best to avoid using adverbs?

Avoid unnecessary or redundant adverbs. Opt for stronger verbs or adjectives that convey meaning more effectively, enhancing the conciseness and impact of your writing. Using stronger words can often eliminate the need for adverbs and create more direct and powerful prose.