English adverbs
Online language lessons with native teachers
- Skype teachers
- Free trial lesson
- Flexible appointments
English adverbs
This chapter discusses the different English adverbs. These different adverbs differ in their meaning and usage. The different adverbs are described in the subchapters.
Lesson Outline
HideWhat are adverbs in the English language?
Adverbs are used to explain in what way someone does something. Adverbs add information about the word they are connected to. The adverbs are able to modify verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences and other adverbs.
Example:
- She drives carefully.
- He speaks slowly.
Adverbs are formed by: adjective + ly
Use of adverbs in English
Adverbs are used to give more information about other words, usually verbs. Giving us more information about how often, when, or where an action took place.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Modify verbs |
|
| Modify adjectives |
|
| Modify other adverbs |
|
Forming adverbs from adjectives
The adjectives are turned into an adverb when adding '-ly'.
Rule: adjective + ly
Keep in mind:
- When the adjective ends in '-y', '-ily' will be added to the adjective.
- When the adjective ends in '-able', '-ible', '-le', the '-e' will be replaced by '-y'.
- When the adjective ends in '-ic', '-ally' will be added.
| Rule | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|
| Normal adjectives |
|
|
| Adjective ends in '-y' |
|
|
| Adjective ends in '-able', '-ible', '-le' |
|
|
| Adjective ends in '-ic' |
|
|
List of irregular adverbs
Most adverbs are formed by adding '-ly' to an adjective. However, there are some exceptions, which are shown in the table below.
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| good | well |
| fast | fast |
| hard | hard |
| late | late |
| early | early |
| daily | daily |
| straight | straight |
| wrong | wrong, or wrongly |
Types of adverbs in English
The table below shows the different types of adverbs.
| Adverb | Position in the sentence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Placed at the end of the sentence. | The child played outside. |
| Manner | Placed after the verb. | He sings well. |
| Degree | Placed before the adjective or adverb. | The presentation was quite interesting. |
| Frequency | Placed before the verb, but after the verb 'to be'. | He is always on time. |
| Time | Placed at the end of the sentence and after place. | She was late today. |
| Certainty and probability | Placed depending on the sentence. | He will definitely come tonight. |
| Opinion and observation | Placed at the beginning of the sentence. | Obviously, she will come to the party tonight. |
| Quantity | Placed before the adjective or adverb. | There are many students absent today. |
Order of adverbs in English
When there are multiple adverbs in a sentence, there is an order for the adverbs:
The other adverbs will be placed depending on the nouns in the sentence or the type of sentence that is formulated.
Train your skills by doing the exercises!
Next lessons
Practise with a private teacher on Skype!
4.5/5 from 3 reviews
- Private Skype lessons
- Learn any topic
- Flexible appointments
German lessons and learning materials included
I speak: German, English, French, Italian
I teach: German, English, French
I teach: German, English, French
My name is Christina and I provide fun German and French language lesson for children and adult beginners or intermediate who want to... strengthen their language skills, improve the grammar knowledge, enrich the vocabulary and get into the German culture! I can teach in English or French!I had experince in teaching German, English and French to foreign people so I do have a lot of useful learning material I can provide you to make it easier! Read more
Very experienced teacher!
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
TÖMER LECTURER ***Turkish lessons with a native speaker
I speak: English, Turkish
I teach: English, Turkish
I teach: English, Turkish
Hello Turkish Learners! I am a professional Turkish Teacher and a translator with a master degree.I have visited so many countries to research... cultures and Turkish Dialects. Since I was a child, my dream was to travel to Asia and learn all the other Turkish Languages such as Kyrgyz Turkish, Kazak Turkish, Tatar Turkish, Tuva Turkish) as well as to research the similarities and differences between Modern Turkish and other Turkish languages. In the past, I worked as a lecturer in the School of Foreign Languages of Turkish Education at Kyrgyzstan Turkey Manas University for 3 years. During my appointment, I have taught all levels of Modern Turkish to the students who are from different nationalities such as Americans, Russians, English, German, Kazaks, Kyrgyz, Tatars, Mongol, Tuvas, Uighur Turk. I am also very fluent in Kyrgyz Turkish and Kazak Turkish. Currently, I am living in Turkey.I believe that with my experiences and love for languages, I can surely help you to speak up. As a patient and concise teacher, I: - develop and implement individual lesson plans for structured and conversational sessions. - use a variety of written and audio materials, primarily Elementary Turkish in 2 Volumes by Kurtuluş Öztopçu.- assign homework and provide regular feedback to students. - clarify complex grammar questions through examples from everyday conversations-make the language learning process less theoretical and more practical. Let me know your motivations and needs, and I will prepare an individual lesson plan for you.Just dream,you can learn language easily!Aysegul Read more
This teacher is one of our premium members. A premium teacher is very motivated to provide an excellent learning experience.
Hello, I offer personalized one-on-one lessons for all levels
I speak: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian
I teach: Dutch, English, French, Italian
I teach: Dutch, English, French, Italian
Hello,I would love to help you improve your knowledge of English.I adapt the lessons following your wishes : are you a beginner and need to get... some basic knowledge with grammar and easy texts or do you want to improve your conversation skills. I can help you either way.Looking forward to meeting you ! Read more
Great choice! Students book in average more than 10 lessons!
Very experienced teacher!
Very experienced teacher!