Examples of adverbs: passionately, incredibly, quickly, happily, beautifully, well
What Is the Definition of an “Adverb”?
An adverb is a part of speech in grammar that describes or modifies other words, usually by answering “when?,” “where?,” “how?,” “how often?,” or “how much?”
- When?
We ordered the food recently.
- Where?
Suzanne told them she’d pick it up there.
- How?
The food was cooked deliciously.
- How often?
That’s why we always order from that restaurant.
- How much?
We are entirely grateful that they’re just down the block from us.
What Do “Adverbs” Modify?
Adverbs modify:
Leo ran quickly after getting off the school bus.
Here, quickly modifies the verb ran.
He can run so fast because he has very long legs.
Fast modifies run and very modifies the adjective long.
- (Other) Adverbs
He almost always beats his brother and sister home.
Almost modifies the adverb always.
- Clauses (Sentence adverbs)
Generally, he takes his time when running, but this time he was trying to beat his personal record.
Generally modifies the rest of the sentence. Don’t forget the use of commas for these types of words.
What Are The Types of “Adverbs”?
Different types of adverbs provide different types of information. Below, we’ll provide a few examples of each.
- Adverbs of time
earlier, already, daily, later, recently, soon, yesterday
- Adverbs of manner
confidently, boldly, honestly, eagerly, joyously, beautifully, graciously, exactly
- Adverbs of degree
fully, partially, highly, entirely, totally, just, incredibly
- Adverbs of place
here, above, below, somewhere, underground, up, anywhere
- Adverbs of frequency
often, constantly, normally, rarely, always, usually
Adverbs—Don’t Overdo Them
Adverbs are a necessary part of writing. They’re helpful for your writing being more colorful and descriptive. However, because of this, there’s a risk of using them too much and diluting your writing. For instance, adverbs like very and really can contribute to wordiness and weaken what you write. LanguageTool—your intelligent text editor—can help you avoid wordiness, provide synonyms, and correct spelling and grammar mistakes.
