Adverbs

Examples The man spoke quietly. They started the race slowly. Fortunately nothing was stolen.

Use Adverbs describe a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a whole situation.

Use A verb Examples: The race started slowly. (Slowly describes how the race started.) They talked quietly about the match. (Quietly describes how they talked.)

Use An adjective Examples: The plate was really hot. (Really describes how hot the plate was.) The food tasted surprisingly good. (Surprisingly describes how good the food tasted.)

Use An adverb Examples: The race started really slowly. (Really describes how slowly the race started.) They talked very quietly about the match. (Very describes how quietly they talked.)

Use Whole situations Examples: Fortunately nothing was stolen. (Fortunately describes how fortunate it was that nothing was stolen.) Perhaps Sarah is working late. (Perhaps describes how likely it is that Sarah is working late.)

Use The -ly ending. We often form an adverb from an adjective + ly. Examples: polite -> politely quick -> quickly safe -> safely

Use Special Spelling Rules We do not leave out e Example: nice -> nicely y -> ily after a consonant Example: easy -> easily le -> ly Example: possible -> possibly ic -> ically Example: dramatic -> dramatically Note: There are some exceptions to these rules.

Use Exceptions (1) Some adjective already end in -ly. In those cases we use way or manner to make an adverb. Example: Friendly -> He spoke to us in a friendly manner. Silly-> They looked at us in a silly way.

Use Exceptions (2) Some words can be used as an adjective and an adverb. Example: We did some hard work. (adjective) We worked hard. (adverb)

Use Exceptions (3) There a some pairs of adverbs that have different meanings. Examples: I tied hard, but didn’t succeed. I have got hardly any money left. (Hardly means almost none.)

Use Exceptions (4) Sometimes adjectives have an adverb that is a completely different word. Example: Natasha is a good pianist. (adjective) She plays the piano very well. (adverb)

Use Exceptions (5) There are some adverbs that don’t end in ly. Example: Perhaps Sarah is working late Maybe he is not going to show up at all

The Comparison of Adverbs Some adverbs have the same form as an adjective. They also get er and est Example: earlier, faster, harder, higher Many adverbs are an adjective + ly. When used in a comparison we use more and most (or less and least). Example: We could do this more easily with a computer. He planned his tactics most carefully.

The Comparison of Adverbs (2) Some adverbs have their own form. Example: well-better-best badly-worse-worst far-farther-farthest

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