Getting descriptive with adverbs

What is an adverb?

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. This common part of speech provides information by describing another word in the sentence. Typically, adverbs answer the where, when, and how questions of a sentence. For example, in the sentence “Danny goes to the dentist annually,” the adverb “annually” explains when the sentence’s action occurs.

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Many commonly used adverbs end in “-ly,” like quickly, slowly, rarely, extremely, and daily. Other adverbs you might frequently use in your writing include here, there, last week, yesterday, and never. Adverbs can also be used comparatively, similar to how comparative and superlative adjectives are used.

Like comparative and superlative adjectives, we can also use adverbs to compare multiple things to each other. It is best to review the rules of comparative and superlative adjectives before using adverbs in comparisons. In short, when we compare two people/things, we typically use a word ending in -er or the word more or less. When we compare more than three people/things, we typically use a word ending in -est or the word most or least.

What is an adverb clause?

Although adverbs are always single words, sometimes longer phrases function as an adverb. These phrases, known as adverb clauses, typically begin with conjunctions like “before” or “if.” Despite being made up of multiple words, adverb clauses have the same purpose as adverbs—to modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

When to use adverbs

The use and placement of adverbs depend on the function of the word in a sentence. Most adverbs fit into one of four categories—use them in your writing to describe objects, locations, and ideas.

• Location. The adverbs here, there, above, inside, and outside refer to general locations and show the relative location of a subject or object.
• Time. Use adverbs like now, never, yet, tomorrow, and yesterday to indicate when something will occur.
• Frequency. Adverbs like annually, occasionally, and sometimes are related to time, but more specifically describe the regular frequency of an action.
• Manner. To describe how an action occurs, try using adverbs like well, accidentally, or softly.

When describing adjectives or other adverbs, adverbs usually go immediately before the word they modify. For example, in the sentence “The teacher is extremely patient with her students,” the adverb “extremely” goes directly in front of the adjective “patient.”

Unlike other parts of speech, adverbs can sometimes be moved around in a sentence and still be grammatically correct. When adverbs modify verbs, they can usually be placed before the verb, after the verb, or at the end of the sentence. Take a look at how these sentences use the same adverb in three different places.

• The ballerina danced beautifully on stage.
• The ballerina beautifully danced on stage.
• The ballerina danced on stage beautifully.

All three of these sentences are grammatically correct and how you would write that sentence is up to personal preference. As a rule of thumb, try to keep the adverb as close to the word it’s modifying, especially when writing longer sentences.

Adverbs add an extra oomph to your writing, but make sure you know how to use them correctly. Whether you’re a grammar pro or still building your writing skills, understanding how to use common parts of speech will make your writing shine.