Adverb
An adverb is an important part of English grammar. Adverbs give extra information about verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and even whole sentences. They tell us how, when, where, how often, and to what extent an action happens. Without adverbs, sentences would sound incomplete and unclear.
This article explains adverbs in depth, including definitions, types, rules, examples, common mistakes, and practice exercises, in simple and easy English.
What is an Adverb?
An adverb is a word (or phrase) that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It
answers questions like
how? when? where? how often? and to what degree?
Examples: quickly, never, very, here, yesterday.
Types of Adverb
| Type | Usage | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Adverb of Manner | Shows how an action is done | She speaks politely. |
| Adverb of Place | Shows where an action happens | He is standing outside. |
| Adverb of Time | Shows when an action happens | I will come tomorrow. |
| Adverb of Frequency | Shows how often an action happens | She always wakes up early. |
| Adverb of Degree | Shows the intensity or degree | He is very tired. |
| Interrogative Adverb | Used to ask questions | Why are you late? |
Adverbs of Time — “When?”
Adverbs of time tell us “When?” an action happens. They indicate the timing or duration of an event. Examples include “now”, “yesterday”, “soon”, “later”, and “tomorrow”.
Sentence:
1. I’ll call you tomorrow.
2. She will start soon.
3. The plane departs tonight.
4. He will visit next month.
5. We met last week.
6. She came yesterday.
7. The train arrived late.
8. They left recently.
9. She has already finished her work today.
10. I wake up early every day.
Adverbs of Place — “Where?”
Adverbs of place tell us “Where?” an action happens. They indicate the location or direction of an action. Examples include “here”, “there”, “everywhere”, and “outside”.
Sentence:
1. Put the keys here.
2. She traveled abroad last year.
3. He pushed the box aside.
4. We met inside the cafe.
5. Birds gather above the trees.
6. She went there yesterday.
7. He looked everywhere for the keys.
8. The children are playing outside.
9. The dog ran away.
10. She stayed nearby.
Adverbs of Manner — “How?”
Adverbs of manner tell us “How?” an action is performed. They describe the way or style in which something happens. Examples include “quickly”, “carefully”, “happily”, and “loudly”.
Sentence:
1. She writes neatly.
2. The dog barked fiercely.
3. They argued loudly in the hallway.
4. The child listened attentively.
5. He plays the piano beautifully.
6. She completed the work carefully.
7. The boy ran quickly.
8. She spoke politely.
9. The soldiers fought bravely.
10. The old man walked slowly.
Adverbs of Degree — “To what extent?”
Adverbs of degree tell us “To what extent?” or “How much?” an action, adjective, or another adverb is expressed. They show intensity, quantity, or level. Examples include “very”, “quite”, “almost”, and “too”.
Sentence:
1. She is very talented.
2. He ran remarkably fast.
3. She sings incredibly well.
4. That’s hardly believable.
5. The soup is too hot.
6. He is quite intelligent.
7. The movie was almost boring.
8. The task is completely finished.
9. I am extremely tired today.
10. I am fully satisfied.
Adverbs of Affirmation & Negation
Adverbs of affirmation and negation tell us whether a statement is true or false. Affirmation adverbs express agreement, while negation adverbs express denial. Examples of affirmation: “yes”, “certainly”, “indeed”; Examples of negation: “no”, “never”, “not”.
Sentence:
Adverbs of Affirmation (Yes):
1. They surely meant well.
2. They indeed tried their best.
3. She is certainly coming.
4. You are truly kind.
5. I have definitely completed the work.
Adverbs of Negation (No):
6. I will never forget this day.
7. He is not ready yet.
8. She hardly knows the answer.
9. They rarely visit us.
10. There is no chance of rain.
Adverbs of Frequency — “How often?”
Adverbs of frequency tell us “How often?” an action happens. They indicate the regularity or repetition of an event. Examples include “always”, “often”, “sometimes”, “rarely”, and “never”.
Sentence:
1. I rarely watch TV.
2. He frequently visits the museum.
3. They occasionally travel abroad.
4. He never eats breakfast.
5. He checks his email daily.
6. I always wake up early.
7. He often plays football.
8. They sometimes watch TV.
9. The teacher occasionally gives tests.
10. She usually goes to school by bus.
Common Mistakes
1. Adjective instead of Adverb
❌ He runs quick
✅ He runs quickly
Adverbs describe verbs.
2. Wrong Position of Adverb
❌ She speaks English fluently very
✅ She speaks English very fluently
3. Double Adverbs
❌ He shouted loudly aloud
✅ He shouted loudly
4. Hard vs Hardly
❌ He works hardly
✅ He works hard
Hard = with effort, Hardly = almost not
5. Late vs Lately
❌ I saw him late
✅ I saw him lately
6. Using “very” incorrectly
❌ He runs very fastly
✅ He runs very fast
Fast is already an adverb.
7. Adverbs of Frequency
❌ She goes always to school
✅ She always goes to school
8. Linking Verbs
❌ She looks beautifully
✅ She looks beautiful
Linking verbs take adjectives.
9. Enough Position
❌ He is enough strong
✅ He is strong enough
10. Overusing Adverbs
❌ He very quickly ran extremely fast
✅ He ran very fast
Adverb Quiz — Pick the Adverb
10 questions. Choose the correct Adverb.