Adverbs

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They answer the questions:

How?

Examples: phrases and words like fast, like a bird, and slowly

Where?

Examples: phrases like to the right, to the teacher's table, and to the corner nearest the door

When?

Examples: phrases like five seconds after the leader said "Go", and after the leader said "Stop"

How often?

Examples: phrases and words like three times, never, and daily

Most adverbs are one word in form.

Examples: quickly, yesterday, twice, under

Sometimes adverbs are in the form of phrases.

Example: The girl dances like a swan.

The words like a swan describe the way the girl dances. The phrase works like an adverb, but it is made up of several words. It is therefore called an adverbial phrase.

An adverbial phrase is a group of two or more words operating as an adverb.

Examples:

  • three times
  • like a bird
  • to the right

There are different kinds of adverbs: adverbs of manner, adverbs of time, adverbs of place, adverbs of frequency, and adverbs of degree.