When using this or that word, we rarely think about what part of speech it is.

Many students, if you ask them “What is an adverb?” they won’t immediately find an answer. Some simply do not have this information, others think that “an adverb is like an adjective, but in a different way,” someone “taught it at school, but forgot.” But during the analysis, everyone remembers, understands, recognizes and successfully uses adverbs in their speech.

As you read this article, you might be a little surprised that the words you actively use are adverbs.

The very name of the adverb English language (adverb) tells us about its purpose: ad - add, verb - verb. Adverb is a part of speech that adds meaning to a verb. An adverb provides us with additional information about the action by defining the verb: How? (How?), Where? (Where), When? (When ?), etc.

Functions of adverbs.

But, despite the fact that the main function of adverbs is to describe the verb, they can also define:

adjectives:
very noisy - very noisy.
terribly cold - terribly cold.

other adverbs:
too often - too often
very slowly - very slowly.

nouns:
enough money - enough money.

prepositional phrases:
He is particularly interested in physics. -He is especially interested in physics.

individual offers:
Surprisingly, they arrived on time. - Unexpectedly, they arrived on time.

Classification of adverbs by structure.

Adverbs can be in separate words(loudly, slowly) or phrases (in the morning, every day). For both types the term adverbials (circumstances) is used.
According to their structure, adverbs are:

simple consisting of only one part:
fast - quickly
here - here
then - then

derivatives formed using prefixes and suffixes:
badly - bad
otherwise - otherwise
today - today

complex consisting of several parts:
sometimes (some + times) - sometimes
afterwards (after + wards) - subsequently, later, later, after, then
nowhere (no +where) - nowhere; nowhere

composite consisting of several words:
so that - (in order) to
in order to - with a purpose, in order to
as to - in relation to

Classification of adverbs by meaning.

There is a misconception that adverbs always end in -ly and always answer the question How? (How?) This is incorrect, because there are several types of adverbs based on their meaning. What are the different meanings of adverbs?

The main types of adverbs are determined by functions which they perform in a sentence and on the issue to which they respond:

1. Adverbs of manner(Adverbs of manner). They answer the question: How? (How?)
He plays the piano well. - He plays the piano well.
She cried desperately. - She screamed desperately.

2. Adverbs of place(Adverbs of place). Answer questions Where? Where? (Where?)
We go abroad every year - We go abroad every year.
The woman heard a noise upstairs. - The woman heard a noise upstairs.

3. Adverbs of time(Adverbs of time). Answer the question: When? (When?)
I can come tomorrow. - I can come tomorrow.
What are you doing now? - What are you doing right now?

4. Adverbs of frequency(Adverbs of frequency). Answer the question: How/how often? (How often?)
They rarely eat out. - They rarely eat outside the home.
I have my English lessons twice a week. - I study English twice a week.

5. Adverbs of measure(Adverbs of degree). Answer the question: To what extent? (To what extent?)
She likes modern art very much. - She really loves modern art.
He spoke loudly enough for us to hear. - He spoke loudly enough for us to hear.

There are also adverbs that:

A) Strengthen adjectives, other adverbs or verbs (Intensifiers)
He is rather tall. - He's quite tall.
We get on really well. - We get along very well.

B) allocate single words (Focus adverbs):
Even the best student couldn’t answer the question. - Even the best student could not answer this question.
Only Ann knows how to help us. - Only Anne can help us.

B) indicate to the point of view and help to present information coherently (Viewpoint adverbs and connectives):

Luckily, they managed to catch the train. - Fortunately, they managed to board the train.
I overslept today. As a result I was late for work. - I overslept today. As a result, I was late for work.

Each type of adverb has its own characteristics and its place in the sentence; to learn more about them and use them correctly, we recommend following the publications on our website. Have fun learning!

Adverb (Adverb) refers to independent parts of speech, that is, independent. Let's take a closer look at this part of speech.

Let's get down to business!

What is an English adverb?

Adverb ( adverb) is an independent and independent part of speech, indicating a sign of an action or the various circumstances under which the action takes place.

The main questions of an adverb are: “how?” - " how?", "how?" - " in what way?", "Where?" - " where?", "Why? - " why?", "When?" - " when?", "in what degree?" - " to what degree?»

After reading this article, consolidate your knowledge of adverbs on the TOP 100 adverbs simulator in the English language.

All adverbs in English can be divided into two categories: by form and by meaning. The forms of adverbs are:

• simple ( simple): “now”, “today” etc. (now, today, etc.);
• derivatives ( derived). They are formed from qualitative adjectives, to which the suffix “-ly” is added: “usual” - “usually” (usual - usually);
• complex ( compound): "sometimes" (sometimes);
• compound ( composite): “at least” (finally).

According to their meaning, adverbs are divided into groups.

Table of groups of adverbs in English

Group	Which question does it answer?	Adverbs	Example
Adverbs of Manner Adverbs of manner	How? How?	slowly readily fast quickly carefully	He eats slowly. He eats slowly. She helped me readily. She helped me willingly. Batman drives his car fast. Batman drives his car quickly.
Adverbs of Place Adverbs of place	Where? Where?	there at home everywhere outside	Granny told me to sit there. Grandma told me to sit there. I have looked for my cat everywhere. I looked everywhere for my cat. I left my car outside the yard I left my car outside.
Adverbs of Time Adverbs of time	When? When?	yesterday now today tomorrow	He called me yesterday. He called me yesterday. She is reading newspaper now. She is reading a newspaper now. They will meet tomorrow morning. They will meet tomorrow morning.
Adverbs of Frequency Adverbs of frequency	How often? How often?	rarely once always often never sometimes	I visit him daily. I visit him daily. We rarely go to the theatre. We rarely go to the theater. I often visit my family in another city. I often visit my family in another city.
Adverbs of Degree Adverbs of degree	How much? How much? To what degree? To what extent?	rather a bit very quite	I entirely agree with you. I completely agree with you. Laura is very beautiful. Laura is very beautiful. The film was quite interesting. The film was quite interesting.

How and when adverbs are used

Adverbs can give characteristics:

• actions: He is running quickly. - He runs fast.
• sign: She is very witty. - She is very witty.
• another adverbs: It's too late. - Too late.
• entire offer: Honestly, we did a great job. - Honestly, we did a great job.

In addition, adverbs in English can connect separate sentences. Such adverbs include the words: “ therefore», « then», « however», « nevertheless», « still», « yet», « besides», « moreover», « otherwise», « else" Or even whole sentences (subordinate and main clauses as part of a complex: “ when», « where», « how», « why».

For example:

It was very difficult to start my own business. I continued nevertheless and never looked back.- Starting your own business was very difficult. However, I continued and never looked back.

I don’t care why you are late again.“I don’t care why you were late again.”

Adverbs “when”, “where”, “why”, “how” can serve as a question word:

Where is that boy?-Where is this boy?
When did you come?- When did you arrive?

Adverbs can reflect the speaker’s personal attitude to the topic of conversation, in which case they are called “adverbs of point of view” ( viewpoint adverb).

Foolishly, I agreed to help him.- Out of stupidity, I agreed to help him.
Clearly, he is mistaken.- Obviously, he is mistaken.
Actually, I share your opinion.- In general, I share your point of view.

Formation of adverbs in English

In English, most adverbs in English are formed by adding the ending “- ly" For example: "lone" - " lonely"(lonely - lonely), "slow" - " slowly"(slow - slowly)

Please pay attention to some nuances:

If the word ends with "- y", then we change "-y" to "- i" and also add the ending "- ly" As a result, we get the ending “- ily" For example: "easy" - " easily"(easy - easy), "happy" - " happily"(happy - happily).

If a word ends in "-le", then "-le" is simply replaced with "-ly".
For example: "simple" - " simply"(simple - simple), "able" - " ably"(skillful - skillfully).

Exception words to the rules. Usually these are adverbs that answer the questions: “ When?», « Where?», « How many?. For example: " late" - "late", " little" - "A little", " well" - "Fine", " far" - "far", " fast" - "fast".

Be careful, and if you are in doubt about a word, you can always check yourself by opening a dictionary.

Place of an adverb in an English sentence

The place of adverbs in sentences depends on the words that surround this adverb and directly on its classification:

• Adverbs of manner ( adverbs of manner) are located before the main verb, after auxiliary verb or at the end of a sentence.

He opened the door quietly. / He quietly opened the door. - He quietly opened the door.
She is greatly respected by other colleagues. - She is very respected by her colleagues.

• Adverbs of degree ( adverbs of degree) will come before an adjective, adverb or main verb, but after an auxiliary verb. Such adverbs include: “ absolutely», « completely», « totally», « very», « quite», « rather", etc.

She is extremely beautiful. - She is incredibly beautiful.
We almost finished this project. - We are almost finished with this project.

• Adverbs of frequency ( adverbs of frequency) is usually placed before the main verb, but after auxiliary verbs, including “to be”. These are adverbs such as " always», « often», « usually», « rarely», « rarely».

I am always pleased to see you.- I'm always glad to see you.
He has always been cruel to her.- He was always cruel to her.

• If we are talking about adverbs of place and time ( adverbs of place and time), then their usual location is at the end or beginning of a sentence. If a sentence contains both adverbs of place and time, the adverb of place comes first. We place some monosyllabic words (soon, now, then) before the main verb, or after auxiliary ones (including “to be”).

I will call you tomorrow.- I'll call you tomorrow.
There is a supermarket nearby.- There is a supermarket nearby.
I will soon let you know whether I want to move or not.- I will let you know soon whether I want to move or not.

• An adverb that defines the entire sentence is usually placed at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Unfortunately, I failed to cope with this work.- Unfortunately, I couldn’t cope with this job.
I will be at work at 8 a.m. probably.- I'll probably be at work by eight in the morning.

What to do if there are two or more adverbs in a sentence? We arrange them according to this scheme: adverb of manner - adverb of place- adverb of time.

She has been reading a book intensely in her bed all day long.- All day she read carefully in her bed.

• And if the sentence contains one of verbs of motion (go, come, leave, etc.)? In this case, the order will be like this: adverb of place - adverb of manner - adverb of time.

I was going there quickly yesterday.- I walked quickly there yesterday.

Flat adverbs

« Flat adverbs", they are " bare adverbs" or adverbs without grammatical indicator- these are adverbs whose form coincides with the corresponding adjectives. Some of them: " far», « fast», « fine», « hard», « high», « long», « low», « near», « quick», « slow», « straight"etc.

Let's look at the most common examples:

• Far(far). This is an adverb doesn't have forms " -ly».

You will go far in your career.- You will go far in your career.

• Fast(fast). Another adverb without the usual equivalent with “-ly”: drive fast(drive quickly).
• Flat(evenly, decisively). Both forms are similar, but distinct:

I was turned down flat.- I was categorically refused.
I was flatly refused.- I was categorically refused.

• Hard(strongly, firmly). This adverb and its form “-ly” have completely different meanings:

He hit him hard.- He hit him hard.
He hardly hit him.- He barely hit him.

• Kind(gently, kindly). "Kind" and "kindly" have slightly different meanings:

Be kind. - Be kind/kind.

Think kindly of them.- Think kindly of them.

• Quick(fast). This adverb is interchangeable with its “-ly” form: “come quick” and “come quickly” mean the same thing (come soon).
• Smart(quickly, deftly). It is shaped with "-ly". The meanings of the shapes are slightly different.

Kids like to play smart now and choose transformers.- Today, children love to play wisely and choose transformers.
He loves dressing smartly.- He likes to dress elegantly.

• Slow(slowly). “Slow” and “slowly” are interchangeable: “drive slow” and “drive slowly” mean the same thing.

Degrees of comparison of adverbs in English

Depending on what we are comparing, we can distinguish 2 degrees of comparison:

1. Comparative- We compare objects based on common features. For example: He jumps higher than his sister.

2. Excellent— we compare objects in order to identify the object with the most pronounced feature. For example: He jumps the highest.

To form comparative And excellent degree of comparison for adverbs with the suffix “- ly", necessary add words « more» ( less) or " most» ( least), which are translated as more/less and most/least, to a positive degree of this word. For example: openly -more/ less openly - most/ least openly (open - more / less open - most / least open).

Monosyllabic adverbs like " fast», « soon" etc. form degrees of comparison, like their corresponding adjectives, that is, using the suffixes “- er» / «- est»:
soon - sooner - soonest(soon).

In a particular number of adverbs in general no degree comparisons. These include " before», « here», « very" and others.

And there is also a group of formation of adverbs in the English language, which are an exception, since they do not form degrees of comparison according to the rules. They need to be learned:

• far - farther - farthest(far);
• far - further - furthest(far);
• badly - worse - worst(Badly);
• little - less - least(few);
• much - more - most(a lot of);
• well - better - best(Fine).

Conclusion

Adverbs in English are independent and independent parts of speech that determine the nature of the action. According to their form they are divided into 4 groups: simple, derivatives, complex And composite. By value they are divided into: adverbs of image actions, adverbs of place, adverbs of time in English, adverbs of frequency in English And adverbs of degree. Adverbs are formed by adding the suffix " -ly” to an adjective, but there are also forms that need to be remembered. Adverbs can appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence, and have a comparative and superlative degree comparisons, like adjectives.

We hope this article has cleared all your doubts on this topic. Good luck in your studies and your clear English.

Big and Friendly family EnglishDom

An adverb is a part of speech that determines when, where and how an action is performed. A special feature of this part of speech is that it is capable of conveying the characteristics of an adjective or other adverb. It is also important to remember that adverbs in English play the role of circumstances. Let's look at the formation of adverbs, give vivid examples and exceptions to the rules where they are placed in a sentence, and also consider degrees of comparison.

Beginning students who have just decided to study languages ​​will find it easy to master this topic, since the adverb in English performs the same functions as in Russian and is often placed in an identical position. Therefore, the language barrier will be overcome quickly and easily.

The most frequently used types of adverbs in the tables =>

Adverbs of place WHERE (ADVERBS OF PLACE)

Adverbs of time WHEN (ADVERBS OF TIME)

late	late
soon	soon
early	early
Then	then
Today	today
Now	now

On a note! When, where and why are relative adverbs. Tenses are used in any speech - business, colloquial, artistic and specialized. Relative words can easily and simply explain any situation.

Adverbs of manner HOW (ADVERBS OF MANNER)

Adverbs of measure and degree TO WHAT EXTENT (ADVERBS OF DEGREE)

If you find it difficult to learn the words themselves and understand the adverbs and rules that the table indicates, use them in sentences. It is always easier to learn rules of all kinds using examples.

Here are some examples:

The girl faced the difficult situation very bravely=> Girl met difficult situation very brave. The adverb answers the question How? How?

My mom came home late because she didn’t manage to catch the bus => Mom came home late (when mom came home, time it was later) because I couldn’t catch the bus. The adverb answers the question When? When?

The Professor explained the theory three times and extremely patiently => The professor explained the theory three times and Very patiently. The adverb answers the question To what extent? To what extent?

These yummy mushrooms were everywhere=> These delicious mushrooms were everywhere (everywhere). The adverb answers the question Where? Where?

Rules for forming adverbs in English

All the adverbs that the English language is rich in are divided into 4 categories =>

1. Simple Adverbs
2. Composite Phrasal Adverbs
3. Compound Adverbs
4. Derived Adverbs.

By Simple Adverbs we mean using simple words=> here, well, now, after, soon etc.

Derived Adverbs are formed using the suffix -ly and other suffixes (we'll look at this in more detail later).

Compound Adverbs are formed by combining two words, for example, downstairs, sometimes, everywhere, furthermore, anyway, thereafter, otherwise etc.

Composite Phrasal Adverbs are phrasal adverbs. The most striking examples => now and then, a lot of, far enough, a great deal, a little bit, hell of etc.

On a note! In most cases, an adverb is formed from an adjective by adding -ly => luckily, easily, happily, gaily, loudly etc.

Rules for composing adverbs with the particle -ly

Adjectives that end in -y become -I => when forming an adverb.

Busy+ly => busily (busily)

Happy+ly => happily (happily)

Gay+ly => gaily (fun)

Lucky+ly => luckily (successfully)

Easy+ly => easily (easy).

But! If the adjective has an ending -e, then simply put -ly =>

Nice+ly => nicely.

Attention! Remember that there will always be exceptions with the suffix -ly =>

True => truly

Be aware of exceptions and do not make mistakes in writing.

Many people ask what to do with words that end in -le? In this case, change -le to -ly =>

gentle => gently

simple => simply.

An exception is the word whole, in which -le ​​is changed to -ly + the letter l is placed. It looks like this => whole => wholly.

When adjectives end in l, it must be doubled. As a result we get lly =>

Beautiful+ly => beautifully

Typical+ly => typically

Loyal+ly => loyally.

Important! When adjectives end in -ic, adverbs end in -ally =>

Heroic+ly => heroically

Historic+ly => histirically.

Although the process of forming adverbs has its own nuances, there will always be exceptions. In addition to the standard formation with -ly, other adverb suffixes can be used =>

Most => outermost, innermost

Like => warlike, godlike, egglike, snakelike, businesslike

Wise -> crabwise, clockwise, crosswise, lengthwise

Ward(s) => onward(s), eastward(s), backward(s)

Fold => manifold, twofold

Way(s) => sideways, longways.

From the examples it is clear that most adverbs are formed from adjectives, but there are also those that are formed from nouns:

Year => yearly (annually)

Month => monthly (monthly)

Week => weekly (weekly)

Hour => hourly (hourly)

Day => daily (daily).

Remember the following adjectives that end in -ly, but do not form adverbs =>ugly, friendly, lonely, silly, lovely, cowardly.

These adjectives, which have the meaning of adverbs, are used in the construction in a ... way/ manner/fashion =>

The language is rich in inconsistencies and exceptions to the rules. This includes adverbs that have a similar form to adjectives; they are practically the same type =>

How to distinguish such identical adjectives from adverbs? Only according to the function performed in the sentence. If we talk in simple language, then only in context can you 100% understand what the author wanted to say with this or that word.

Adverbs with two forms

An interesting group of adverbs in the English language. Such adverbs are characterized by the presence of two unequal forms that differ in meaning. To use them correctly, it is highly recommended to learn the examples from the table:

Direct	Endless Immediately, directly
Close	Close Detailed/careful
Free	For free Free
Easy	Lightly/gently Easily
Hard	Difficult
Wrong	Wrong Wrongfully
Wide	Wide Everywhere
Short	Suddenly
Sharp	Sharp, smooth Evil, caustic (figuratively)
Near	Near/next to
Sure	Really Definitely/of course
Late	Late Recently/recently
Last	Last, last In the end
Pretty	To a large extent
High	High (literally) Extremely => very (good)
Full	Quite/very Fully
Fine	Excellent/wonderful Delicately
Deep	Deep (literally) Deep = very (figuratively).

These words are included in the TOP 100 English adverbs that are used almost every day in colloquial speech.

To make it easier to understand the material in the table, we give several examples (whole sentences) with the above words in different orders:

• A bird is flying high in the sky => A bird flies high in the sky.

People, living here, are highly cultured and polite => People who live here have high level cultured and polite.

• Sharks can be seen deep in the sea => Sharks can be seen deep in the sea.

My friend is deeply in love with my sister => My friend is very much in love with my sister.

• He will come the last. Hope he will not forget to take presents => He will come last. I hope he doesn't forget to take the gifts.

Lastly we see the light and hope there will be some people => Lastly we see the light, we hope that there will be people there.

• I saw a strange man near the house => I saw a strange man near (near) the house.

Your answer is nearly correct => Your answer is almost correct.

• I have never seen my son late at night at this place => I have never seen my son late at night in this place.

I have never been so happy lately => I have never been so happy lately.

Adverbs performing a syntactic function

An adverb can perform different functions:

• Characterize the action =>

It is amazing! – Helen said passionately=> This is wonderful! – Helen said passionately.

• Characterize the sign =>

Children were too exhausted => The Dati were too exhausted.

• Describe another adverb =>

Maria has done everything very quickly => Maria did everything very quickly.

• Describe the entire proposal =>

Fortunately, we were lucky guys to cope with everuthing on our own => Fortunately, we were lucky to cope with everything on our own.

It is important to note that there is a group of adverbs that are actively used with other adjectives and adverbs, making speech more detailed and understandable. Here we include => most, rather, so, awfully, terribly, amazingly, highly, very, unusually, absolutely, unbelievably, strikingly, extremely. It is important to adhere to the correct word order. Words in an indefinite order may lose their essence and stylistic coloring.

By using these adverbs, you can briefly and clearly express your thoughts and express delight/disgust in all colors =>

It's terribly hot! - Incredibly hot!

It's unbelievably amazing! - Incredibly wonderful!

I highly appreciate your words! – I highly appreciate your words!

Remember the following expressions and study this table =>

Knowing the exact place of an adverb in an English sentence, you will be able to communicate easily and comfortably, correctly expressing your thoughts.

We must also remember that there are adverbs whose additional function is to enhance the degree of comparison of adjectives. These include words such as far, still, any, much.

We must not speak any louder => We must not speak louder.

We could get to this place far later => We could get to this place much later.

You could cope with everything much better => We could cope with everything much better.

Very often an adverb serves as an adverbial modifier of time, degree, manner of action or place =>

I quite understood all the details => I practically understood all the details (adverbial modifier of degree)

Tina shouted aloud => Tina shouted loudly (adverbial modifier of manner).

On a note! In the meanings indicated above, you need to use an adjective (not an adverb!) if it comes after the following words => look (look), feel (feel), become (become), be (be), seem (appear), taste ( to taste), stay (stay), sound (sound), smell (smell).

Your sister looks amazing! (not amazingly)

It seems they really feel good (not well).

Use of adverbs: exceptional cases

No matter how strange it may sound, there are a number of adverbs (they can even be separated into a separate group) that have their own own rules use. Let's look at some cases in sentences.

If we are talking about adverbs also , as well And too(all three words are translated as ‘’too’’), then you need to remember that they are used exclusively in affirmative sentences. An adverb such as also comes before the word to which it refers, and as well and too are usually placed at the end of sentences.

I didn't want to see him too=> I didn't want to see him either.

We were absent as well=> We were not present either.

Mary also agreed with her mom => Mary also agreed with her mother.

Adverb even in most cases it is used in speech with the conjunctions though and if. In this way, the combinations even though (though) and even if (even if) are formed.

She came to that place even though she was asked not to do this => She came to this place, although she was asked not to do this.

I will never tell you the truth even if I knew => I would never tell you the truth even if I knew.

When we're talking about about the adverb else, then it is preferable to put it in interrogative sentences. Remember the following constructions => what else (what else), who else (who else), where else (where else). In English grammar, the adverb what else/who else/where else often begins a sentence.

Who else wanted to leave this place? => Who else wanted to leave this place?

What else do we need to stay there for one more day? => What else do we need to stay here another day?

Where else should we go to see the rest of the lakes? => Where else should we go to see the rest of the lakes?

Simple adverb enough also has its own peculiarities of use =>

If an adverb performs the function of an adjective and defines a noun, then it must be placed before the word it defines =>

Our neighbors won enough money to buy their own island (Our neighbors won enough money to buy their own island).

But! When enough defines an adverb or adjective, it must be placed after the word that is defined =>

Andry is clever enough to answer correctly (Andrew is smart enough to answer correctly).

Adverbs in a sentence: choosing the right place

Such words can occupy different places in a sentence. This is explained by what part of speech the adverb explains.

If we are talking about adverbs of degree and of manner, then such words, in most cases, are located next to the word they explain =>

Ann smiles sincerely => Anna smiles sincerely.

Helen cooks good => Helen cooks well.

But! If we want to emphasize a word, then the place of the adverb can change. We put it next to the word we want to emphasize =>

Only good does Helen cook! => Helen cooks only well!

Pay attention to the adverbs of frequency in English (seldom, rarely, never, always, sometimes, often, usually). Adverbs of frequency should be placed between the auxiliary and main verbs.

I never wake up at 5 o’clock => I never wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning.

My sister sometimes visits her brothers => My sister sometimes visits her brothers.

Do they usually get up late? => Do they usually wake up late?

Adverbs of indefinite time (usually, never, rarely, often) are widely used in fiction. Words of indefinite tense in English help make speech more emotionally charged and more “alive”.

If we talk about the most mobile adverbs, then they include adverbs of place and time, excluding frequency. It is appropriate to put such words in different parts of the sentence, in different places =>

My friends will be here tomorrow/ Tomorrow my friends will be here => My friends will be here tomorrow/ Tomorrow my friends will be here.

Adverbs of time in English help to place emphasis on a specific word/place, and therefore on the desired event. Therefore, the classical word order may be violated.

Degrees of comparison of adverbs in English

Adverbs form a degree of comparison. The comparative degree is formed using the suffixes -er and -est. For a better understanding, we will explain the rule with examples when you need to compare something =>

Maria reads slow => Maria reads slowly.

Maria reads slower than me => Maria reads slower than me.

Maria reads the slowest in the group => Maria reads the slowest in the group.

The same applies, for example, to the word fast => fast-faster-fastest.

But! If the adverb is polysyllabic or formed with -ly, then it is appropriate to use the words more and most =>

Wisely – more wisely – most wisely.

Important! Be aware of English comparative exceptions! The words loudly, early, slowly and quickly do not apply to the above rule and are exceptions in the comparison table =>

Loudly – ​​louder – loudest

Early – earlier – earliest.

Degrees of comparison of adverbs in the English language of the words quickly and slowly can be formed in two ways =>

Quicker/more quickly – quickest/most quickly

Slower/more slowly – slowest/most slowly.

We also need to remember about adverbs that do not form degrees of comparison in the standard way. Such words are exceptions in degrees and need to be memorized =>

Little – less – least

Much – more – most

Badly – ​​worse – worst

Far – farther/further – farthest/furthest

Well – better – best.

And further. Do not forget that in English there are adverbs that do not have degrees of comparison => optimally, somehow, thus, somewhere, here, when, sometimes.

Such words need to be memorized and constantly repeated in memory so that your speech is correct and beautiful. And one more thing - you should always keep the comparison table in your head. It's like two and two.

Let's sum it up

English adverbs are different, as are the methods of their formation and their place in a sentence. Prime examples are exceptions to rules that need to be learned and repeated regularly. Knowing a lot of words and practicing them daily in conversation, you will quickly learn the peculiarities of construction English sentences and you will choose the right words. And knowing as many adverbs in English as possible will make your speech colorful and interesting.

Do exercises on adverbs even when you start studying another topic. And be sure to do each exercise with translation , and if necessary, then with transcription (you will find a list of exercises on our website). This will help you learn everything possible values words in context and learn to pronounce them correctly. High-quality English pronunciation – important element successful language learning. With good English pronunciation you will feel much more confident. Fact!

Our advice! Transcription will help you get the right British accent! Be sure to listen to the pronunciation and repeat it every day.

Even those who claim that the English language is difficult cannot help but agree that the adverbs in the English language are incredibly easy to understand. They are simple to build, and there are very few exceptions to the rules.

You cannot begin to explain the construction of adverbs without understanding what they are all about. It is not difficult for us, Russian-speaking people, to learn to use this part of speech, primarily because the Russian language already has similar words that are built on the same principle.

If we turn to the Russian dialect, then it means a sign of the action of an object, its quality and condition. It answers the following questions: How? When? Why? How many? Where? Where? how long? An adverb can refer to an adjective and even another adverb, describing their characteristics. In a word, this part of speech is very capacious, without it the Russian language would be significantly impoverished.

English adverbs

Using adverbs is not a very difficult task, because we cope with it very well in our native speech. Adverbs in the English language are not fundamentally different from their Russian “brothers”, so their assimilation is very accessible and does not require much effort.

All adverbs in the English language are divided into three main groups, namely: simple (consisting of one word that just needs to be learned, like any other English), complex and derivative. Let's take a closer look at them.

Types of adverbs in English

• Simple adverbs that are represented in one word, and no endings or suffixes need to be added to them, for example: often, now, never.
• Derived adverbs, or adverbs formed by adding a suffix or ending. Such suffixes are: ly, ward(s), like. For example, cold+ly - coldly - cold, slow+ly - slowly - slowly. Examples of the use of other suffixes are as follows: backwards - back, clockwise - clockwise.
• Complex adverbs consisting of two words that are written either separately or together. For example, sometimes - sometimes, everywhere - everywhere, everybody - everyone, everyone, forever - forever.

After studying the table, you will understand that there is nothing simpler than adverbs in the English language! The table is presented below.

Exceptions

Words that strongly resemble adverbs still exist in the English language. However, there are not many of them, and they are not difficult to remember.

For example, the word hardly very similar to an adverb, although in fact in translation it means “barely”, whereas the word hard is a simple adverb and is translated as “diligently.”

There are also a number of words that look just like adjectives, but are actually adverbs. Among these words are the following: friendly - friendly, silly - stupid, lovely - cute, olderly - elderly.

A completely logical question arises: how not to get confused and start using an adverb instead of an adjective in speech and vice versa?

In fact, everything is very simple: you just need to remember that in English everything is very clear, and every word has its place in a sentence. If the word causing doubt comes before a noun, it is an adjective; if it comes before a verb, then it is an adverb. For a clearer understanding, here are some examples:

They are so freindly people! - They are such friendly people! In this case, a noun is described, which means friendly- is an adjective.

He is driving very quickly - He drives the car very quickly. In this example quickly characterizes a verb, being, in turn, an adverb.

Adverb as an adverb

Adverbs can be divided not only according to their structure, but also according to the type of circumstance by which they are expressed.

• Temporal adverbs express temporal characteristics, for example: now - now, now, rarely. Adverbs of time in English are responsible for time indicators and are a very important part of speech.
• Adverbs indicating location: behind - behind, there - there, here - here.
• Adverbs that characterize how an action occurs: loadly - loud, sadly - sad, quietly - quiet.
• Adverbs characterizing quantity and degree: little - little, quite - quite.

Without such words, speech would look poor and meager, but, fortunately, they exist and greatly decorate the English language!

Matching adverbs and adjectives

Very often, adverbs are completely similar to adjectives, differing only in their place in the sentence, which helps to determine what is in front of us in this case.

For example, cheap- is both an adjective (“cheap”) and an adverb (“cheap”).

Let's look at examples:

• This car was very cheap. - This car was very cheap. In this case cheap refers to a noun, respectively, being an adjective.
• I have eaten very cheap - I ate very cheap. In this sentence, cheap characterizes an action and is an adverb.

Comparing adverbs

It turns out that English adverbs can also be compared, like adjectives.

The principle of operation is the same, namely: there are the same two degrees of comparison - comparative and superlative, which are formed in exactly the same way as in the case of adjectives. Isn't this a gift?

• The comparative degree can be obtained by adding the ending -er to the adverb if the word is simple. For example, hard+-er - harder. And of course, an example of use in a sentence: You should study harder and harder to learn French. - To learn French, you have to study harder and harder. If the adverb is long, then it is added more. For example: You look more happily than yesterday. -You look happier than yesterday.
• formed by analogy with the same degree as adjectives, namely by adding the ending -est For short words And most- for long ones. For example: he has run the fastest - He ran the fastest. Just don't forget about definite article the! Its presence is mandatory before the excellent
• However, even here there are exceptions. Let's look at them in table form:

As can be seen from the table, all exceptions almost exactly repeat the exceptions

Adverbs in the English language can and should be memorized and used for better assimilation.

Shall we practice? Yes, this is simply necessary! In order, write the degrees of comparison for the following adverbs:

1. slowly;
2. easily;
3. perfectly;
4. little;
5. fast.

No doubt you did great. Congratulations! Using adverbs in English should no longer cause difficulties, for which you can be congratulated!

An adverb (Adverb) denotes a sign of an action or describes the circumstances under which an action is performed:

My son is four. He can't already read well.
My son is four years old, but he already great is reading.

We can talk about two ways to classify adverbs - by function in a sentence and by type.

Functional use of English adverbs

In a sentence, an adverb expresses a circumstance. This part of speech belongs to the verb group, as opposed to adjectives, which describe nouns. An adverb can perform more than just functions that determine a verb.

1. Characteristics of the action.

This group includes adverbs, which are modifiers of a verb. In this category, the adverb follows the verb:

He is driving dangerously. - He drives the car dangerously.
We are eating quickly. - We eat quickly.

2. Characteristics of another adverb.

She arrived too late. - She arrived too late.
I love you very much. - I love you very much.

3. Characteristics of the attribute (adjective)

Maria is so beautiful. - Maria is so beautiful.
They are too clever for you. - They're too smart for you.

4. Adverb as a conjunction

Adverbs can act as a conjunction, combining coordinating or subordinating clauses.

I don't understand why he is so shy. “I don’t understand why he’s so shy.”

She didn't tell me when she would come back. - She didn't say when she'll be back.

Both sentences are subordinate clauses. We are again faced with a case of use when this part of speech is so natural in our communication that many do not suspect that it is an adverb. We offer you examples of combining independent proposals:

The weather was fine, so we went for a walk. - The weather was great, so I went for a walk.

I'm going to Paris next week, nevetheless I will be available by phone. Call me anytime. - I'm going to Paris next week, but I'll still be available by phone. Call any time.

5. As question words

English adverbs can act as question words in special questions. These are words like when, why, how, how much, where:

Where is my mind? - What was I thinking?
When will you finish the painting? - When will you finish the picture?

Classification of adverbs by type

1. Adverbs of time - now, then, yesterday, tomorrow, always, never, since, rarely, still, yet, not often, etc. Don't confuse an adverb with an adverb. The second is a member of a sentence, not a part of speech, and can be expressed by a noun with a preposition, for example on Monday, last Summer. This applies not only to adverbs of time, but to all adverbs and circumstances in general:

It doesn't work on Mondays.- noun with preposition
It doesn't work yet. - adverb

2. Adverbs of place - here, there, above, below, elsewhere, anywhere, inside, where, etc.

Where is he? - Where is he?
It's inside. - It's inside.

3. Adverbs of manner of action. These adverbs characterize the action and answer the question “how?” how?" A large number of representatives of this group are formed from adjectives by adding the suffix -ly - easily, beautifully, quickly, slowly, etc.

There are several exceptions. For example, adjective good- good, but good - well.

It's a good book./ good- an adjective that characterizes the noun book.

I can read well. / well- an adverb of manner of action that characterizes the verb: I read (how?) - well.

4. Adverbs of measure and degree - little, much, too, hardly, enough, very, almost, etc. This group of adverbs talks about the extent to which this or that action was performed.

I hardly know him. - I barely know him.
I'm almost ready. - I'm almost ready.

Adverb formation

According to the nature of formation, adverbs are divided into simple(originally adverbs) and derivatives. Most often, the second group grows from adjectives by adding suffix -ly:

beautiful - beautiful ly
slow-slow ly
nice - nice ly

Be careful: not all words are suffix -ly are adverbs. For example, lovely(cute, cute) - adjective. In such cases, you need to consider the function in the sentence. If a word ending in -ly characterizes a noun - a lovely bag, then we have an adjective. If it characterizes an action, we are dealing with an adverb:

Do it nicely. - Do it well.

Practice thoroughly |ˈθʌrəli| and have a lovely time!

Victoria Tetkina