ADVERB

Definition
An adverb' is a word which modifies a verb an adjective or another
adverb in simple words. An adverb is a word which answers the
question when how why where how often and how much in a
sentence.

She ran speedily (how she ran)

She wore a very beautiful dress. (how much beautiful)

She ran fast enough. (how she ran? How fast?)

'Quickly‘, 'very‘, 'fortunately’ are adverbs. They act as modifiers of

the verbs 'ran', 'are' and ‘escaped'.

1. Types of Adverbs
A. Adverb of Time

Tells when an action is performed: Answers the question when?

I hurt my toes yesterday.

B. Adverb of Manner

Shows ‘how' or ‘in what manner‘: Answers the question How?

She walked fast. (don’t use fastly)

I worked hard at the project. (don’t use/hardly).

The valiant fought bravely.

C. Adverb of Place.
Shows where an action is performed. Answers the question where?

Please move back

She went downstairs in search of a book. . . . . The child sat there.

D. Adverb of Frequency.
Shows how often an action is performed. Answers the question
how often?

He visits the library daily.

L visit the temple frequently.

He always tries to do his best.

I have met you once.

Wasted time never returns.

E. Adverb Of Degree
Asks how much in what degree to what extent Answers the
question how much ?

He is too careless.

You are pretty good.

I am quite happy.
F. Adverb 0f Affirmation / Negation
I do not recognize him.

He will definitely come.

G. Adverb 0f Reason: answers the question why

He therefore left the school.

Hence I will go ahead of you.

H. Interrogative Adverb It is used to ask a question.

When did the train arrive?

How are you feeling?

2. Forms of adverbs
A. Adverbs may be exactly in the same as form as adjectives.

Adjective Adverb

A late lunch. I was late in taking lunch.

A fast driver. He drives fast.

He sang in a loud voice. He sang loudly.

B. Some adverbs can be used. In the same form as the adjective

and also by adding an-ly at the end

However, sometimes the meaning does change in different forms.

You work hard. (Diligently)

You hardly work. ‘(Scarcely)

You aim high.

He thinks highly of you.

3. Degree I Comparison
Like adjectives adverbs have their degree of comparison.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Fast' Faster Fastest

Bad Worse Worst,

Much More Most

Deftly more deftly most deftly

Swiftly More swiftly Most swiftly

Far Further Furthest

Late Later Last, Latest

4. Formation
1. Addition of -ly or -ily. change of -e into y and change at
preceding consonant, as in adverbs formed from adjectives.

Heavy: heavily Sad: sadly single: singly wise; wisely clever:

cleverly, capable: Capably humble: humbly
2. Adverbs made up of a noun + qualifying adjective:

Sometimes, meantime otherwise abroad etc.

3. Adverbs that one compound words made of an article ‘a' + noun:

Asleep, away, aboard. etc

4. Adverbs that are compounds of preposition + noun:

Beside., tomorrow, ale

5. Adverbs that are compounds of article ‘a' + adjective

Abroad, along, anew. etc

6. Adverbs that are compounds of a preposition + adverb: Within,

without, etc.

7. Adverbs that comprise two adverbs joined by 'and':

By and by; again and again, to and fro: far and away. etc.

5. Correct usage of some adverbs a -« v.

A. Fairly, Rather

Fairly is used with favorable adjectives and adverbs (Rich,

beautiful)

Rather is used with the unfavorable ones. (Foolish, ugly)

He is fairly rich but his friend is rather poor.

Fairly may suggest idea of approval.

The proposal was fairly logical and so I second the thought

Rather may suggest idea of disapproval.

The proposal was rather idiotic and I won’t allow this anyways.

B. Very, Much

Very is used with adjective or adverb in the positive degree.

Much with the comparative degree.

She runs very fast. She interprets statements very wisely.

She is a very intelligent girl.

She is looking much weaker than usual.

Very is also used with Present Participles.

Much is also used with Past Participles.

She is very charming. She speaks very convincingly: Her dancing

was much praised.

C. Too, Enough.

Too suggests excess of some kind, ‘too’ is placed before the

adjective it qualifies

It’s too hot today. Her involvement is too patronizing.

Enough is placed after the adjective it qualities.

We have had enough of his behavior!

D. Quite means partly to some extent. The clerk attended to the

task quite diligently

She is quite right

E. Farther, Further
Farther-to express position

Ujiain is farther than Dewas from Indore.

They have planned to walk farther today.

Further to express position.

Mr. Sharma advocated rules against domestic violence. Mr Gupta

went further to say that imprisonment should be inflicted to the
convicts.

Can we move further to the next chapter?

F. Hardly, Seldom

Hardly is expression of ‘almost none'.

I hardly visit temples and so they call me agnostic.

Seldom is expression of few times/not often.

I seldom get a chance to meet my parents as they/live far off.

G. So-very –too

So is usually accompanied by at.

She is so heavy that she broke the scales.

Very is extremely but manageable

She is very heavy.

Too is excessively ‘extreme and unmanageable.

She is too heavy to ride a scooter.

The dinner was very delicious.

The dinner was so delicious that I couldn’t stop hogging on it.

The dinner was too tasty to be missed.

H. Will, would

Will is an auxiliary for expressing future tense.

You will report to the principal at once.

I will be there tomorrow

She will see you at dinner.

Would is the past participle of will i.e. it is used to express future

action in sentences of past tense. Or in reported speech

(used to express the future in past sentences): He said he would go

tomorrow,

(used to express an uncertainty): it would appear that he is guilty . .

(used to express a wish): Would he were here!

(used in place of will, to make a statement or form a question less

direct or mum)

That would scarcely be fair

Would you be so kind?

I. Hardly scarcely, barely

Hardly, barely, scarcely, imply a narrow margin by which

performance was, is, or will be achieved. Hardly, through often
interchangeable with scarcely and barely, usually emphasizes the
idea of the difficulty involved.

We could hardly endure the winter.

Barely emphasizes the narrowness of the margin of safety, “only
just no more”.

We barely succeeded.

Scarcely implies a very narrow margin, below satisfactory

performance.

He can scarcely read.

Note Hardly. barely, and scarcely all have a negative connotation,

and the use of any of them like with a negative like can’t or
couldn't is often condemned as a double negative and thus
considered nonstandard .

I can't hardly wait.

Such constructions do occur occasionally in the speech of educated

persons, often With jocular intent but are not found in formal
speech or writing .

You can't hardly get that kind any more.

When hardly in the sense “only just, almost not" is followed by a

clause, the usual word to introduce the clause is when

The telephone had hardly stopped ringing when (not than) the
doorbell rang.

Forms
1 Some adverbs have the same form as adjective and adverbs. , ‘ '
A He sang in a loud voice. (adj.) Don t be loud. (adv)

We have enough food-(adj.) You are good enough.

2.Some abverbs can be used in the same form as the adjective and
also with an –ly at the end.
 You speak loud you speak loudly

However sometimes the meaning changes.

You work hard you work hardly

You aim high He thinks highly of you

3.Adverbs are sometimes used after prepositions as nouns.

I live far away from here.

The light is shining from above.

Rule 2
In the case of two or more adverbs following a verb. the usual
sequence hr placing the different adverbs is: adverb of . manner,
adverb of place. adverb of time. .

I wrote well in the examination for the first thirty minutes.

They spoke angrily at the meeting last evening.

Rule 3
Adverbs of frequency are out between the subject and the verb; in
the case of two verbs, after the first verb.

My mother always cooks for our family.

l have never heard her sing.

We occasionally agree with you.

Rule 4
When the verbs in the sentence are am. ‘are'. ‘is‘ etc. the adverb is
placed after the verb.

I am always happy.

They are never late.

We are simply angry.

He is never sad.

Rule 5
When there are auxiliaries such as ‘have to‘. ‘used to' in a sentence
the adverb precedes the auxiliary. I often have to leave early.

She always used to sing the carols.

Rule 6
In the case of an adverb modifying an adjective or an adverb. it
precedes the modified word, except in the case of ‘.enough’ which
always comes later. The adverb ‘only‘ is always placed
immediately after the word modified by it.

You are rather late for class.

I am quite right on this issue.

He ran very last.

The room is not bright enough.

I have bought only two shirts.

Rule 7
‘No sooner’ is followed by ‘than'.
(a) No sooner had I entered the class when the student stood
up. ...................................lncorrect

(b) No sooner had I entered the class than the students stood
up... ....Correct.

(c) No sooner did I enter the class than the students stood up” ...-
Correct

Attention must also be given m the verb form while using ‘no
sooner than’. The correct forms are past perfect or past indefinite

(a) No sooner had I entered the class than the students stand
up. .........................Incorrect

(b) No sooner had I entered the class than the students stood
up. ............. Correct

Rule 8
'So' is followed by 'that‘

Sarita was popular with her classmates that she always had some
people coming to her for advice…………………….. incorrect

Sarita was so popular with her classmates that she always had
some people coming to her for advice……………Correct

Rule 9
‘Unless‘ expresses a condition. It is always used in the negative
sense Thus ‘not’ Is never used with ‘unless'

(a) Unless you do not labour hard you will not pass . ..............
......................... incorrect
(b) Unless you labour hard, you will not pass. . ...,Correct
 Rule 10 Until expresses time. It has a negative sense and thus
‘not‘ should never be used with it

(a) Wait here until do not return ………incorrect

(b) wait here until I return ……………..Correct

Rule 11 Adverb‘ as’ is not used with verbs like ‘appointed'

‘elected’ ‘considered', ‘called’ but It is used with ‘regard’

(a) He was elected President of our society …... incorrect

(b) He was elected President of our society ... ...Correct

(a) I regard Ramesh my friend. ....................Incorrect

(b) I regard Ramesh as my friend. .....................Correct

Rule 12
Do not use also or too in a negative sentence Use either instead.
(a) John has not come also (or too)...........,.............lncorrect.

(b)' John has‘notcome either. ................................. Correct

Rule 13
Sometime and some time Sometime means ‘at an unknown or
unspecified time

We must get sometime to meet and exchange views.

I saw her sometime last year. Sometimes your heart wins over
your mind
Some time is restricted to meaning ‘a period of time'. We need
some time to think ‘

This task is engrossing I will take some time to accomplish it.

Rule 14
Fewer or less

Less means a smaller amount or quantity of, and is the

comparative form of little less ’responsibility’ and ‘less noise

Fewer means a smaller number of and is the comparative of few

buy fewer bottles of milk have fewer responsibilities’ have fewer
opportunities . . and hear fewer noises

Less is commonly but wrongly used where fewer is correct. It is

common but ungrammiticaly to say or write less bottles of milk
and less queues in the shops during this week

Rule 15
After / Afterwards

‘After’ is a preposition which means later than something so it

must be used with an object.

We will leave after the lunch

After 3idiots the students have developed new perception towards

education

I will join after 1 hour

‘Afterwards’ means ‘at a later time’ so it can be used alone,

without a noun.
She was apologetic for her misbehaviour afterwards.

Let’s play now we will play afterwards.