An Adverb

An Adverb :

Read the following paragraph.

Lokesh proudly displayed his new car which the salesman had assured him would cause his friends to look at him enviously. His friends inspected the car closely and immediately asked Lokesh to take them for a ride. He happily agreed, but not before insisting that everyone buckle up safely in their seat belts.

The words in bold have some relationship with the words that are underlined. Can you guess what the relationship is?

Yes. The words that are underlined are verbs and the words in bold tell us more about the verbs. Such words are known as adverbs.

Adverbs are words that modify a verb.

For example :

He typed quickly.
How did he type?
Type - a verb

Adverbs are words that modify an adjective.

For example :

She cooked a very tasty meal.
How tasty was the meal?
Tasty - an adjective

Adverbs are words that modify another adverb.

For example :

The man jumped over the fence quite carefully.
How carefully did he jump?
Carefully - an adverb

Adverbs often tell us when, where, why or under what conditions something happens or happened. Adverbs generally end in ly. However, many words and phrases not ending in ly serve an adverbial function and an ly ending is not a guarantee that a word is an adverb.

The words lovely, lonely, motherly, friendly, neighbourly are adjectives.

For example :

That friendly boy has a very motherly elder sister.

Adverbs can modify adjectives. But an adjective cannot modify an adverb.

Thus we would say that…

The students put up a truly wonderful performance. (CORRECT)
Wonderful - adjective

He tried real hard. (INCORRECT)
Real - adjective

Rather, we would write it as…

He tried really hard. (CORRECT)

In which case, the word ‘really’ is an adverb which is modifying another adverb.

Like adjectives, adverbs can have comparative and superlative forms to show degree.

For example :

1. Walk faster if you want to reach the school on time.
2. The student who writes the fastest will get a prize.

We often use more and most, less and least to show degree with adverbs.

For example :

1. With gloves on, he could operate more quickly on the patients.

2. The garden was the most beautifully landscaped one I have ever seen.

3. The new typist typed less quickly than the others.

4. That was the least skillfully done needlework I’ve ever bought from shop.

The as (adverb) as construction can be used to create adverbs that show the positive degree.

For example :

He can’t run as fast as his sister.

The (adverb) than construction can be used to create adverbs that show the comparative degree.

For example :

His sister can run faster than he can.

The (adverb) construction can be used to create adverbs that show the superlative degree.

For example :

The youngest brother runs the fastest.

Sentences with Adverbs :

1. The last patient coughed more loudly than all the rest.
2. The branches of the tree swayed as gently as a cradle.
3. Kamini can sing more sweetly than a nightingale.
4. This kite has flown more highly than all other kites.
5. The rival school’s team played the best of all.
6. This rocket can fly highest of all.
7. Can you write neatly?
8. She was living more happily in Japan than she was in the Philippines.
9. I can read Hindi better now than I could last year.
10. She handles the knife more carefully than her elder sister.

A Some adverbs have two forms, one that ends in ly and one that doesn’t. In certain cases, the two forms have different meanings.

Late / lately

He arrived late.
Here the word ‘late’ tells us when he arrived. It refers to his being late once.

Lately, he couldn’t seem to be on time for anything.
Here the word ‘lately’ means nowadays. It refers to his not being on time often in recent times.

Hard / hardly

You have to work hard in order to do well in the exams.
Here the word ‘hard’ refers to working a lot.

He hardly worked during the holidays. That is why he is finding it difficult to study the whole portion.

Here the word ‘hardly’ refers to not working much.

Sentences with Adverbs :

1. This medicine tastes bitter but is very effective.
2. The little girl cried bitterly when her doll was damaged.
3. Tanmay is a highly overrated artist. I do not like any of his paintings.
4. The birds rose high up in the sky.
5. The Principal spoke truly when she said that regular work will yield good results.
6. It is true that the person on the stage is my sister.
7. Please do not be late for the extra classes.
8. I have been observing you lately and I am very happy with your progress.
9. Hardly had we entered the station, when the train arrived.
10. It was raining hard when Jimmy got off the bus.

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