You use adverbs to say when, where, how or how often something happens. They can also show degree, focus, certainty and your view of a whole situation. Check the meaning and the word being described.
An adverb is a kind of word. It can add information to an action, a quality, another adverb or a whole sentence. To modify something means to add to or change its meaning.
| What is described | Example and meaning |
|---|---|
| An action | The mechanic listened carefully. It tells you how the listening happened. |
| An adjective | The bag is very heavy. Very makes heavy stronger. |
| Another adverb | The queue moved rather slowly. Rather changes the degree of slowly. |
| A whole situation | Unfortunately, the lift is broken. The speaker sees this as bad news. |
These are different jobs. A manner adverb does not only mean a word with -ly, and an adverb does not only describe a verb. Fast can describe an action without -ly. Very is an adverb even though it does not tell you how an action happens.
A phrase is a word group. An adverb phrase has an adverb as its main word. In very quietly, quietly is the main word and very changes its degree. An adverb can also stand alone.
Enough goes after the adjective or adverb it modifies. Very and quite go before it in these patterns. Do not assume that every degree word goes in the same place.
A group such as after dinner or at the station can do an adverb's job without having an adverb as its main word. You can call that job adverbial. So an adverbial is not necessarily one adverb or an adverb phrase. This page groups meanings; Adverb position explains where the groups can go.
A time adverb tells you when something happens. Now, yesterday, soon and later are examples. Time words relate the event to the moment you mean, so check them with the tense and the situation.
Place adverbs tell you where something is or happens. Here and there can come after be as well as after an action verb. A sentence with be does not always need an adjective after it.
Duration answers how long, not when. Compare I waited yesterday with I waited for an hour. Yesterday places the event in time; for an hour measures its length. The second group is an adverbial phrase, not a single adverb. See still, yet, already and any more for continuing and completed situations.
Frequency tells you how often something happens. Always, usually, often, sometimes and never do this job. A phrase such as twice a week gives a count over a period.
The word's meaning does not by itself tell you its position: sometimes can start a clause, while a fronted never needs a different emphasis pattern.
Usually means what normally happens; it does not state a particular number of days. Never gives negative meaning in the ordinary standard-English pattern; I never drive there does not need an extra don't for that meaning. See Frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, never for the fuller frequency reference and Negatives: not, n't and do-support for negatives.
A manner adverb describes the way you do something. It can describe speed, care, skill or another feature of the action. Manner words such as quietly and carefully have -ly, but fast, hard and well do not follow that spelling pattern.
The rule is about the word's job, not an instruction to add -ly to every adjective. See Adverbs: forms and irregular adverbs for spelling, irregular forms and hard versus hardly.
An adjective describes a person or thing. With a linking use of look, feel, smell or taste, it describes the subject, not the manner of an action.
The verb matters. Look can also mean direct your eyes: she looked carefully at the label. That is an action with a manner adverb. Do not teach that an adverb can never follow any use of look.
Degree words change the strength or extent of a meaning. Very makes a quality stronger. Too means more than is needed or wanted, not simply very. Enough means to the necessary degree.
Not every degree word makes something stronger. A bit can mark a small degree; almost says the limit has nearly been reached. Quite can mean moderately or completely depending on the word and meaning. Do not treat very, too, quite and almost as interchangeable. See Gradable and non-gradable adjectives: choosing degree words, enough and too and Quite and rather, fairly and pretty for the fuller choices.
Degree words can also modify adverbs: very gently changes how gentle the action is.
Degree can describe an action too. Really and very much can emphasise preference; a lot can describe the extent of an action. Their position depends on the word group.
A lot is not automatically frequency. In visit a lot, it can mean often. In change a lot, it can mean a large amount of change. Read the action and the context.
A focusing adverb points to a particular part of what you say. Only can limit the people or things you mean. Especially can single something out for attention.
A focus word is not simply a stronger degree word. In only sandwiches, only limits the food; it does not say that the sandwiches are very good.
Position can change or clarify the focus, and stress can matter in speech. See Adverb position for only before the subject and in mid position. Do not assume that only must be immediately next to a noun in every acceptable sentence.
Maybe and perhaps present something as possible. Probably makes it likely without presenting it as certain. These words express your level of certainty, not the manner of an action.
Their positions differ: do not build a rule that every certainty word goes before the main verb. See Degrees of certainty about the future for certainty about the future and Advanced probability: may, might, could, should and can for the fuller probability system.
A sentence adverb comments on the whole situation. Unfortunately presents something as bad news. Personally marks your own view. These do not tell you how someone carried out an action.
A comment often comes at the start, with a comma. It can also appear inside a sentence or at the end. The choice depends on the actual word and context. A comma can help show that the word is a comment, but punctuation alone is not a complete meaning test.
Compare the two uses of clearly below. In the first, the writing is easy to read. In the second, the speaker presents the conclusion as obvious.
British Council's teacher discussion also warns that a mid-position clearly can be ambiguous. Read the whole sentence rather than assigning one fixed category to the word wherever it appears.
Linking adverbs connect ideas rather than describe the manner of an action. Then can show the next step. However can introduce a contrast. Therefore can introduce a result.
These are different uses from describing how someone books or pays.
However does not work like but in every sentence. The two-sentence pattern above makes the contrast clear. See Discourse markers and Connecting ideas within and between sentences for linking choices and punctuation.
A word can belong to different groups in different sentences. Just can refer to a very recent event or limit what you mean. Fast can be an adjective before a noun or an adverb describing an action. Check the whole meaning, not the word on its own.
Adverbs can also modify larger groups. In almost all the seats, almost modifies the quantity all the seats. In right over the bridge, right adds to the place phrase. These wider patterns do not fit a rule that adverbs only describe verbs.
✗The clerk answered polite.
✓The clerk answered politely.
Here you describe the way the clerk answered, so use the manner adverb politely.
✗The baby seems peacefully.
✓The baby seems peaceful.
In this linking pattern, peaceful describes the baby, not an action.
✗The sign is enough bright to read.
✓The sign is bright enough to read.
Degree enough follows the adjective bright.
Adverbs: forms and irregular adverbs covers forms and word pairs; Adverb position covers front, mid and end positions. Frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, never, still, yet, already and any more, Gradable and non-gradable adjectives: choosing degree words, enough and too and Quite and rather, fairly and pretty develop particular meanings. Discourse markers covers links between ideas. This page gives a map of the jobs, not one interchangeable list of words.
Eight questions. Choose one answer for each.