Adverbs

What are adverbs?

Adjectives modify, or describe nouns and pronouns. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

Adverbs (mostly!) Modify Verbs

Example: Harry ran.

How?

Harry ran quickly. Quickly describes how Harry is running. Quickly is the adverb modifying the verb ran.

Where?

Harry ran inside. Inside describes where Harry is running. Inside is the adverb modifying the verb ran.

When?

Harry ran immediately. Immediately describes when Harry will run. Immediately is the adverb modifying the verb ran.

Adverbs (sometimes) Modify Adjectives or other Adverbs

To what extent?

Harry runs really fast. Really tells to what extent that Harry runs fast. Really is the adverb modifying the other adverb, fast.

As the above examples show, adverbs usually tell how, when, where, or to what extent. about the words they modify.

Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective:

bad-badly slow-slowly careful-carefully

quick-quickly happy-happily suspicious-suspiciously