MINI LESSON:

Adverbs

Definition

An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb,

an adjective, or another adverb.

Adverbs that modify verbs

• The tornado nearly destroyed the town.

adverb verb

• The hamster moved quickly in its cage.

verb adverb

• They searched everywhere for the keys.

verb adverb

Adverbs that modify adjectives

• He is an incredibly talented musician.

adverb adjective

• Elizabeth is quite creative. adverb adjective

• The donation was very generous. adverb adjective

Adverbs that modify adverbs

• Joe speaks French remarkably fluently.

adverb adverb

• She drove very slowly in the snow. adverb adverb

• Buses depart quite regularly from here.

adverb adverb

Adverbs answer the following questions:

Where? When? How?To What Degree?

How much? How often? How long?

Some adverbs answer the question WHERE?

Example: I went away on vacation during

spring break.

Some common WHERE? adverbs:

• above• away• here• inside• there• up

Examples of WHERE? adverbs:

• We looked everywhere for the lost

dog.

• They went inside.

• Mom put my bag there.

“Where? Adverbs” vs. Prepositions

• Words that are sometimes prepositions can act as “Where? adverbs.” A preposition requires an object. An adverb does not.

– If you want to see the eclipse, you will need to go outside. • “OUTSIDE” tells you where you will need to go, so

without an object “OUTSIDE” is an adverb.

– Dorothy colors outside the lines. • “OUTSIDE” is a preposition. • “LINES” is the object of the preposition.

Some adverbs answer the question WHEN?

Example: I went to the beach yesterday.

Some common WHEN? adverbs:

• later• now• soon• then• tomorrow

Examples of WHEN? adverbs:

• My parents arrived late.

• I heard this song before.

• I recently read an article about

Africa.

Some adverbs answer the question HOW?

Example: The burglar softly crept to the safe.

Many “HOW? Adverbs” are made by adding –ly to the end of an

adjective.

Common HOW? adverbs:

• clearly• easily• quietly• slowly

Notice the “-ly” ending!

Examples of HOW? adverbs:

• The snow melted quickly in the sun.

• The gymnast carefully walked across the balance beam.

• Secretively, the children hid the gift under the bed.

Notice the “-ly” ending!

Be careful! Not all –ly words are adverbs!

• The lonely man walked away from the crowd.

(Lonely is an adjective.)

• Lovely flowers arrived for my birthday.

(Lovely is an adjective.)

• We live in a friendly neighborhood.

(Friendly is an adjective.)

And some adverbs answer the question TO WHAT

DEGREE?(How much? How long? How

often?)

Example: The Arctic Circle is quite cold.

Some common TO WHAT DEGREE?

adverbs:

Examples of TO WHAT DEGREE?

adverbs:• We ran fast enough to catch the bus.

• She briefly summarized the story.

• They never visit the library.

Let’s look at some more examples.

Can you find the adverb, tell what word it modifies, and which question it answers?

Example:Example:

The sprinter ran swiftly.

• The adverb ___ modifies the ___ ___ and tells ____.

• The adverb swiftly modifies the verb ran and tells how.

Jane comforted a very small child. • The adverb ___ modifies the ______ ____ and

tells ___.• The adverb very modifies the adjective small

and tells to what degree.

The teacher sometimes quotes from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. • The adverb _______ modifies the ____ ____ and

tells ___.• The adverb sometimes modifies the verb

quotes and tells to what degree.

Put the apples there, and pay for them later. • The adverb ___ modifies the ______ ____ and tells ___.

• The adverb there modifies the verb put and tells where.

• The adverb later modifies the verb pay and tells when.

The fire blazed too wildly for anyone to enter the building.

• The adverb ___ modifies the _____ _____ and tells ______.

• The adverb too modifies the adverb wildly and tells to what degree.

• The adverb wildly modifies the verb blazed and tells how.

Type 1: Why is this funny?

Homework:

2-sided worksheet