Types of Adverbs
Discover the different types of adverbs, like adverbs of time, place, and purpose. Detailed explanations and a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Are Adverbs?
Adverbs: Types
Here is a list of different types of adverbs in English:
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time indicate when an action or event occurs or how long it continues. They are very common in English and can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence.
When?
Adverbs that answer the question 'when?' are usually placed at the end of the sentence. For example:
Where are you living now?
She's leaving tomorrow.
I've got a piano lesson later today.
While the most common position for an adverb of time is at the end of a sentence, these adverbs can also appear in other positions to provide a different emphasis or effect.
Now I have to leave.
How Long?
Adverbs answering the question 'how long?' are also usually placed at the end of the sentence.
I was waiting here all day.
Sometimes, adverbial phrases that answer the question 'how long?' may be formed using either 'for' or 'since' to indicate the duration of an action or event.
for is always followed by an expression of duration,
since is always followed by an expression of a point in time to show that something has continued from that specific moment until the present moment.
I'm going away for a few days.
She's been off work since Tuesday.
Adverbs of Movement and Direction
Adverbs of movement modify verbs that imply an activity or movement, indicating how the action is being performed. Adverbs of direction, on the other hand, indicate the direction in which the action or movement is taking place. Here are some examples:
We are taking the dog outside.
They are putting the phone away.
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell us 'how often' an action takes place.
They are usually placed:
She always arrives at 7.30.
You must always fasten your seat belt.
I'm usually home by 6 o'clock.
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree express the intensity or level of an action or state in a sentence, answering the question 'how much?'. They are typically placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb they modify, but this is not always the case. Take a look at some examples:
It's too late to do anything about it now.
I'm very grateful.
I was somewhat surprised to see him.
Intensifiers and Mitigators
Intensifiers and mitigators are two types of adverbs of degree that modify the degree or intensity of another word or phrase in a sentence.
Intensifiers increase the strength or degree of another word or phrase, while mitigators decrease or soften its degree. Compare the examples:
She's extremely generous.
She's a little tired
Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place are used to indicate where an action or event occurred. Note that adverbs of place do not modify adjectives or other adverbs. Rather, they modify verbs to provide information about where the action occurred. Take a look at the examples:
I was trying to tell her to stay here.
He should be at the hospital. He said was going there.
Adverbs of Place vs. Adverbs of Movement
Adverbs of place and adverbs of direction and movement sometimes have the same form. Their difference lies in the fact that adverbs of place indicate the location where an action or event occurs or something is placed. On the other hand, adverbs of movement and direction modify verbs that show movement to indicate where the action is directed towards. Compare the following examples:
He's inside.
Here, the adverb is showing the location.
He walked inside.
As you can see, the adverb is showing a movement and the adverb shows the direction.
Adverbs of Probability
Adverbs of probability indicate the likelihood or certainty of an action or event occurring. They express the speaker's level of certainty or doubt about something. While many adverbs of probability end in '-ly', not all of them follow this rule. Here are some examples:
Maybe he is trying to reconnect.
It certainly wasn't her fault.
Demonstrative Adverbs
Demonstrative adverbs are adverbs that indicate spatial or temporal proximity or distance of the object or event in relation to the speaker or the present time. For example:
The park is over there, across the street.
'There' refers to a place far from the speaker.
Back then, we didn't have smartphones.
'Then' refers to a distanct time from the present.
Relative Adverb
Relative adverbs introduce a dependent clause and relate it to the main clause in a sentence by describing a noun.
The main relative adverbs in English are:
This is the neighborhood where I spent my childhood.
I remember the day when I met you for the first time.
Interrogative Adverbs
Interrogative adverbs are used to ask questions. These questions may be direct or indirect. There are different types of interrogative adverbs:
interrogative adverb of time (when)
interrogative adverb of place (where)
interrogative adverb of reason (why)
interrogative adverb of manner (how)
Why are they here?
How is she doing this?
Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs are adverbs or adverbial phrases that link two clauses. They can be used to express cause and effect, time, comparison, and contrast. Examples of these adverbs include: 'besides', 'however', 'therefore' and 'of course'.
I love this jacket. However, it is too expensive.
He was popular in school; besides, he was good in his studies.
Viewpoint and Commenting Adverbs
Adverbs typically modify the verb of a sentence. However, viewpoint and commenting adverbs modify the sentence as a whole. These adverbs indicate the attitude of the speaker towards a particular situation. For example:
Apparently, she is suffering from a head trauma.
Luckily, he finished the project on time.
Adverbial Nouns
Adverbial nouns are nouns that function as adverbs in a sentence. They provide additional information about the action or event being described. Adverbial nouns are often used to express time, distance, or manner. For example:
He goes to the gym every morning.
'Every morning' is an adverbial noun that functions as an adverb of time.
She ran five miles yesterday.
'Five miles' is an adverbial noun that functions as an adverb of distance.
Review
Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or the whole sentence. There are different types of adverbs:
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of Place and Direction
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of Degree
adverbs of manner | answer the question 'how is the action performed?' | He shouted angrily at the baby. |
|---|---|---|
adverbs of time | tells us about 'when' something takes place or for 'how long'. | I have an important exam today. |
adverbs of frequency | tell us 'how often' an action or event takes place | I sometimes sleep late. |
adverbs of degree | express the degree or level of the action in the sentence. | He was very excited to be there. |
Quiz:
Which sentence includes an adverb of manner?
She ran ten kilometers before breakfast,
Certainly, the data confirms our hypothesis.
The negotiator resolved the conflict diplomatically,
He waited three hours.
Match each sentence with the question answered by the adverb.
Fill the table by choosing the type of adverb used in each sentence.
Therefore, the experiment was halted. | |
That's the reason why we postponed the event. | |
Ideally, we'd finish by Friday. | |
When do you return? | |
I'm gonna stay home and watch TV. |
Which of the following sentences contains a demonstrative adverb?
She speaks clearly during presentations.
I left my jacket over there by the door.
He always arrives early for meetings.
They ran quickly to catch the bus.
Sort the words to form a correct sentence.
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