{"id":3837,"date":"2020-12-22T02:43:10","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T09:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/?p=3837"},"modified":"2024-07-21T10:33:12","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T17:33:12","slug":"all-about-adverbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/all-about-adverbs\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Adverbs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adverbs are a tricky and strange group of words! And it\u2019s impossible to understand English grammar if you don\u2019t understand adverbs. To become an adverb genius, keep reading!<\/p>\n

We have three types of adverbials: 1) single-word adverbs, 2) adverbial phrases, and 3) adverbial clauses. We will focus on single-word adverbs on this page, but I occasionally include adverbial prepositional phrase examples.<\/p>\n

If you want to learn more about adverbials, be sure to check out these two pages:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 74 Color-Coded Prepositional Phrase Example Sentences with Analysis<\/a><\/strong>
\n2.\u00a0 Giant List of 3,300 \u2013ly Adverbs plus Example Sentences<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

By the way, if you teach elementary or middle school writers, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay<\/a><\/span><\/strong> on the homepage. It\u2019s the fastest, most effective way to teach your students how to create organized paragraph and multi-paragraph writing\u2026 Guaranteed!<\/p>\n

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The Key: Underlined and Bolded Words<\/span><\/h3>\n

Most example sentences have both a word that is underlined and a word that is bolded. Here\u2019s what this means:<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span> underline<\/span> = the modified word<\/p>\n

\u00bb<\/span> bold<\/span> = the modifying word (usually an adverb)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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The Basics of Adverbs: What Do Adverbs Do?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs answer these questions: How? When? Where? In what manner? To what extent or degree? How much? How often?<\/em> Please note:<\/strong> Single-word adverbs don\u2019t answer the question Why?<\/em>.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Jim exercises<\/span> regularly<\/span>.\u00a0 (When? How often? Regularly<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Sue arrived<\/span> early<\/span>?\u00a0 (When? Early<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Jim speaks<\/span> clearly<\/span>.\u00a0 (How? In what manner? Clearly<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Our dog sleeps<\/span> outside<\/span>.\u00a0 (Where? Outside<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Sue is remarkably<\/span> happy<\/span>.\u00a0 (To what extent or degree? How much? Remarkably<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 Jill runs<\/span> faster<\/span> than Jack.\u00a0 (Comparison. How? In what manner? To what degree? Faster<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 Chocolate tastes<\/span> better<\/span> than vanilla.\u00a0 (Comparison. How? To what degree? Better<\/em>.)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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The Seven Semantic Roles of Adverbials<\/span><\/h3>\n

In A Comprehensive Grammar of the English<\/em> (1985), Quirk et al. outlined \u201cSeven Semantic Roles of Adverbials.\u201d To be clear, some of these categories relate more to adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses than to single-word adverbs.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0Space: position, direction, distance<\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0Time: position, duration, frequency, relationship<\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0Process: manner, means, instrument, agentive<\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0Respect<\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Contingency: cause, reason, purpose, result, condition, concession<\/li>\n
  6. \u00a0Modality: emphasis, approximation, restriction<\/li>\n
  7. \u00a0Degree: amplification, diminution, measure<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s look at some single-word adverbs used in example sentences! I\u2019ve also included a few adverbial prepositional phrase example sentences to add perspective. Also, I\u2019ve omitted a few semantic categories that don\u2019t relate to single-word adverbs.<\/p>\n

    Space: Position\/Location<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 What time will<\/span> you arrive<\/span> here<\/span>?\u00a0 (Space: Position\/Location: Where? Will arrive<\/em> at what position or location?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 We moved<\/span> there<\/span> last year.\u00a0 (Space: Position\/Location: Where? Moved<\/em> to what position or location?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase<\/strong>: Please put<\/span> the book on the table<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Position\/Location: Where? Put<\/em> at what position or location?)<\/p>\n

    Space: Direction<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 The snowball rolled<\/span> downhill<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Direction: Where? Rolled<\/em> in what direction?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 The settlers traveled<\/span> west<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Direction: Where? Traveled<\/em> in what direction?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 The tiger crouched<\/span> lower<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Direction: Where? Crouched<\/em> in what direction?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> All the kids ran<\/span> towards the pool<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Direction: Where? Ran<\/em> in what direction?)<\/p>\n

    Space: Distance<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Sue can throw<\/span> the ball far<\/span>.\u00a0 (Space: Distance: Where? Can throw<\/em> what distance?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 The plane flew<\/span> too close<\/span> to the buildings.\u00a0 (Space: Distance: Where? Flew<\/em> what distance from the buildings?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> Drive<\/span> straight for three miles<\/span> and then turn left.\u00a0 (Space: Distance: Where? Drive<\/em> what distance?)<\/p>\n

    Time: Position<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 You should do<\/span> your homework now<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Position: When? Should do<\/em> at what position in time?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Jim bought<\/span> a new car yesterday<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Position: When? Bought<\/em> at what position in time?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> School starts<\/span> in the fall<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Position: When? Starts<\/em> at what position in time?)<\/p>\n

    Time: Duration: How long? Until when? Since when?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> We will be traveling<\/span> for two weeks<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Duration: How long? Will be traveling<\/em> for what duration?)<\/p>\n

    Time: Frequency<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 My family routinely<\/span> eats<\/span> vegetables.\u00a0 (Time: Frequency: How often? Eats<\/em> how frequently?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 I go<\/span> to the movies sometimes<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Frequency: How often? Go<\/em> how frequently?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Jim exercises<\/span> daily<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Frequency: How often? Exercise<\/em> how frequently?)<\/p>\n

    Time: Relationship<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 I have<\/span> already<\/span> eaten<\/span> dinner.\u00a0 (Time: Relationship: When? Have eaten<\/em> in what relationship to the current moment?<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Sue arrived<\/span> tardy<\/span> to class.\u00a0 (Time: Relationship: When? Arrived<\/em> in what relationship to the correct arrival time?)<\/p>\n

    Process: Manner<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Jim spoke<\/span> calmly<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: How? Spoke<\/em> in what manner?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 My team played<\/span> well<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: How? Played<\/em> in what manner?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Sue skillfully<\/span> fixed<\/span> the machine.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: How? Fixed<\/em> in what manner?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> Jim danced<\/span> with great enthusiasm<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: How? Danced<\/em> in what manner?)<\/p>\n

    Process: Means<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 We approach<\/span> things holistically<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Means: How? Approach<\/em> things by what means?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 I was<\/span> verbally<\/span> attacked<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Means: How? Was attacked<\/em> by what means?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> Jim verified<\/span> the facts by doing research<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Means: How? Verified<\/em> by what means?)<\/p>\n

    Process: Instrument<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> Jim fixed<\/span> the car with a hammer<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    Process: Agent<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Prepositional Phrase:<\/strong> The fence was painted<\/span> by the children<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    Modality: Emphasis: Adverb Intensifiers<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Adverb intensifiers are related to \u201cdegree adverbs.\u201d However, when we use these words as intensifiers, they only intensify the emotion. Here are a few words that we sometimes use as intensifiers: absolutely, amazingly, completely, deeply, especially, extraordinarily, extremely, highly, incredibly, outrageously, rather, really, remarkably, so, somewhat, terribly, too, totally, utterly, and very.<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Sue was so very<\/span> happy<\/span> about her award.\u00a0 (Using either so or very is degree; using both communicates a strong emphasis.)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 We definitely<\/span> will be attending<\/span> the ceremony.\u00a0 (Emphasis)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 I will be right<\/span> there<\/span>.\u00a0 (Emphasis)<\/p>\n

    Modality: Approximation<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 \u00a0Jim hardly<\/span> ate<\/span> anything.\u00a0 (Approximation: How much?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 I was barely<\/span> awake<\/span> when the phone rang.\u00a0 (Approximation: How much?)<\/p>\n

    Modality: Restriction or Negative Form<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 I am solely<\/span> responsible<\/span> for the mistake.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 I am partially<\/span> responsible<\/span> for the mistake.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 I am not<\/span> responsible<\/span> for the mistake.<\/p>\n

    Degree: Amplification, Diminution<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 I am extremely<\/span> excited<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: Excited<\/em> how much? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 This chocolate is too<\/span> sweet<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: Sweet<\/em> how much? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Jim is very<\/span> happy<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: Happy<\/em> how much? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 The movie was mildly<\/span> entertaining<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Diminution: Entertaining<\/em> how much? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    5.\u00a0 The decision was hardly<\/span> fair<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Diminution: Fair<\/em> how much? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    Degree: Measure: Comparison<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Lamborghinis are the most<\/span> expensive<\/span> cars on the road.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Expensive<\/em> how much in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Soup is the least<\/span> filling<\/span> food ever created.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Filling<\/em> how much in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Cats are less<\/span> needy<\/span> than dogs.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Needy<\/em> how much in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 This pizza is the most<\/span> delicious<\/span> pizza I have ever tasted.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Delicious<\/em> how much in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    5.\u00a0 My mom drives<\/span> slower<\/span> than my dad.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Drives<\/em> how in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p>\n

    6.\u00a0 My dad plays<\/span> the guitar better<\/span> than my mom.\u00a0 (Degree: Measure: Comparison: Plays<\/em> how in comparison? To what degree?)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\"pencil \u201cI like that Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay is simple, easy to follow, and it works. I have recommended this program to all of the teachers at my school.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n

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    Four More Categories of Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We can approach adverbs from many different angles. Here are four more important categories of adverbs that are quite different from the Seven Semantic categories:<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Interrogative Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Interrogative adverbs are used to begin a question: why, when, how<\/em>, and where<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Why<\/span> did you buy the car?<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 When<\/span> did you buy the car?<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 How<\/span> did you buy the car?<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Where<\/span> did you buy the car?<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Conjunctive Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Conjunctive adverbs are connectors\u2014i.e., conjuncts<\/em>. They connect clauses or ideas and often function as transitions. Here are a few of the more common ones: however, furthermore, also, moreover, therefore, instead, similarly, nevertheless, meanwhile, accordingly, consequently<\/em>, etc.<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 The class starts on Monday; however,<\/span> I can\u2019t make it until Tuesday.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 The senator will not support the bill. Furthermore,<\/span> the senator is encouraging others not to.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 The price of the house is too high. The condition, moreover,<\/span> is not great.<\/p>\n

    As the examples show, we have three ways to use and punctuate conjunctive adverbs. Please pay close attention to the comma and semicolon placements, as they illustrate rules.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Relative Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The three relative adverbs (when, where, why) are placed right after nouns and introduce relative clauses:<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 There was a time when<\/span> I believed that too<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 That is the house where<\/span> the president grew up<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Give us one good reason why<\/span> we should buy your product<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Sentence Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Sentence Adverbs are disjuncts<\/em>. In other words, they are disconnected<\/em> from the main point of the sentence. In a sense, Sentence Adverbs comment on the idea. These adverbs don\u2019t modify any single word in the sentence; instead, they modify the entire sentence:<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Interestingly,<\/span> crickets are an excellent source of protein.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Surprisingly,<\/span> the baby ate every last bite.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Admittedly,<\/span> buying the Ferrari was a bad idea.<\/p>\n

    Although Sentence Adverbs are very common and useful, they are somewhat informal, as they amount to the author commenting on what the author is writing about.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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    Adverb Examples and Analysis: 1) Adverbs that Modify Verbs, 2) Adverbs that Modify Adjectives, and 3) Adverbs that Modify Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Once again, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs answer these questions: How? When? Where? In what manner? To what extent or degree? How much? How often?<\/em> Please note:<\/strong> Single-word adverbs don\u2019t answer the question Why?<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s examine some example sentences using everything we have learned so far!<\/p>\n

    1. Examples: Adverbs that Modify Verbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 The lion roared<\/span> ferociously<\/span>.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: Roared<\/em> how? In what manner?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 You should floss<\/span> your teeth daily<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Frequency: Should floss<\/em> when? How often?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 The students arrived<\/span> early<\/span>.\u00a0 (Time: Relationship: Arrived<\/em> when? In what relationship to the expected time?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Sue effectively<\/span> argued<\/span> her case.\u00a0 (Process: Manner: Argued<\/em> how? In what manner?)<\/p>\n

    2. Examples: Adverbs that Modify Adjectives<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Wow! Jim sure is abdominally<\/span> fit<\/span>.\u00a0 (Respect: How? Fit<\/em> in what way?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Yes, I am outrageously<\/span> intelligent<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: How much? Intelligent<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 The food was somewhat<\/span> edible<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Diminution: How much? Edible<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Sue\u2019s highly<\/span> fashionable<\/span> jumpsuit is old-school cool.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: How much? Fashionable<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p>\n

    3. Examples: Adverbs that Modify Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1.\u00a0 Sue runs surprisingly<\/span> fast<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: How much? Fast<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 The puppy strolled dangerously<\/span> close<\/span> to the cliff.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: How much? Close<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 The dentist drilled seemingly<\/span> forever<\/span>.\u00a0 (Disjunct: Comments on the time.)<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 My dad eats so<\/span> slowly<\/span>.\u00a0 (Degree: Amplification: How much? Slowly<\/em> to what degree\/extent?)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\"pencil \u201cWe had great success on our standardized writing test!\u201d Check Out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n

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    Adverbials: Adjuncts, Conjuncts, and Disjuncts<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Adverbs and adverbials have long been considered a disorganized, imperfect, and complex category in English grammar. It\u2019s sometimes called the \u201ctrashcan category\u201d because many strange constructs have been thrown into this category.<\/p>\n

    Modern grammar theory has addressed many of these adverb issues. Here\u2019s a model that I find brings excellent clarity to adverbials. In A Comprehensive Grammar of the English<\/em> (1985), Quirk et al. outlined three main categories of adverbials. This may be a bit too much information for some people, but these concepts bring order to an old broken system.<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Adjuncts:<\/span> These are add-ons that provide additional information. We can remove these adjuncts (extra pieces of information) from a sentence, and the sentence will still make sense. Most of the first seven categories above (space, time, process, respect, contingency, modality, degree) are used as adjuncts.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Conjuncts:<\/span> These are connectors. The Conjunctive Adverbs<\/em> mentioned above certainly fall into this category.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Disjuncts:<\/span> In a sense, disjuncts are disconnected from the sentence. They tend to comment on the ideas being put forth. The Sentence Adverbs<\/em> mentioned above certainly fall into this category.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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    Adverbs: Movable and Even Removable<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Adjectives modify one part of speech\u2014nouns. In contrast, adverbs modify three parts of speech\u2014verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Just by doing the math, we can see that we can find adverbs in more places in a sentence.<\/p>\n

    The sentences below illustrate how we can often move adverbs without changing the sentence\u2019s meaning. We can\u2019t do that easily with most parts of speech. When we remove the adverb, we can see that the adverb was optional.<\/p>\n

    1.\u00a0 Sue constantly<\/span> sings<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    2.\u00a0 Sue sings<\/span> constantly<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    3.\u00a0 Constantly<\/span>, Sue sings<\/span>.<\/p>\n

    4.\u00a0 Sue sings.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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    Not All \u2013ly Words Are Adverbs; And Not All Adverbs End In \u2013ly<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Lots of words end in \u2013ly<\/strong>! And yes, many of these \u2013ly<\/strong> words can be used as adverbs. In fact, here is a Giant List of 3,300 \u2013ly Adverbs Plus Example Sentences<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    However, not all \u2013ly<\/strong> words are adverbs, and not all adverbs end in \u2013ly<\/strong>. Let\u2019s take a closer look at this!<\/p>\n

    Adverbs That Don\u2019t End in \u2013ly<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We have plenty (but not thousands) of adverbs that don\u2019t end in \u2013ly<\/strong>. The comparative and superlative adverbs that end with \u2013er<\/strong> and \u2013est<\/strong> don\u2019t end with \u2013ly<\/strong>. Additionally, interrogative adverbs and most conjunctive adverbs don\u2019t end in \u2013ly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Adverbs are a strange category of words, and they are challenging to identify just by looking at them. It often takes careful analysis to determine what role an adverb is playing in a sentence. Not only do adverbs modify verbs (the action), but they also modify adjectives (description), and they modify each other!<\/p>\n

    Many of the most common adverbs are little words that we hardly notice. Here are a few of them:<\/p>\n

    aboard, about, accordingly, afterward, almost, along, already, anyway, anywhere, away, back, backward, best, better, bright, brighter, brightest, close, closer, closest, down, east, easy, even, far, fast, forward, furthermore, halfway, hard, here, how, inside, instead, just, late, later, latest, long, longer, loud, low, meanwhile, more, most, much, near, nearer, nearest, never, nevertheless, next, north, not, now, often, only, outside, over, quick, rather, seldom, sideways, slow, so, some, somehow, sometimes, soon, sooner, soonest, south, still, then, therefore, today, tomorrow, too, underneath, up, very, well, west, where, yesterday<\/p>\n

    Keep this in mind: As I glance at that list, I see words that function as adjectives, prepositions, nouns, or verbs. Put simply, it\u2019s only an adverb if it\u2019s used as an adverb in a sentence.<\/p>\n

    Adjectives That End in \u2013ly: Yes, I Said Adjectives!<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Since it\u2019s easy to mistake \u2013ly<\/strong> adjectives for \u2013ly<\/strong> adverbs, I\u2019ve included a little section on \u2013ly<\/strong> adjectives. Although most words that end in \u2013ly<\/strong> function as adverbs, not all do. Some verbs end in \u2013ly<\/strong> (apply, bully, comply, reply, supply, etc.), and some nouns end in \u2013ly<\/strong> (folly, bully, supply, etc.).<\/p>\n

    Additionally, on my Giant List of 4,800 Adjectives<\/a><\/strong>, I have about 100 \u2013ly<\/strong> words that function as adjectives:<\/p>\n

    bubbly, burly, chilly, costly, cowardly, crumbly, crumply, cuddly, curly, daily, deadly, disorderly, early, elderly, fatherly, friendly, frilly, gangly, ghastly, ghostly, giggly, gnarly, heavenly, homely, irretrievably, jolly, kindly, likely, lively, lonely, lovely, lowly, matronly, measly, melancholy, miserly, motherly, neighborly, northerly, oily, only, portly, prickly, princely, queenly, rascally, saintly, scaly, scholarly, scraggly, seemly, shapely, sickly, silly, sisterly, sly, smelly, snuggly, soldierly, sonly, southeasterly, sparkly, sportsmanly, squiggly, squirrelly, stately, steely, straggly, surly, timely, twinkly, ugly, uncomely, unearthly, unfriendly, ungentlemanly, unlikely, unruly, unseemly, unshapely, unsightly, untimely, unworldly, weekly, wiggly, wily, wizardly, wobbly, worldly, wriggly, wrinkly, yearly<\/p>\n

    Most of these \u2013ly<\/strong> adjectives CANNOT function as adverbs, but these ones do: daily, weekly, yearly, likely, only, kindly, snugly,<\/em> and southeasterly<\/em>. Let\u2019s look at some example sentences!<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u00a0 I did my daily<\/span> reading<\/span>. (daily = adjective)<\/li>\n
    2. \u00a0 I read<\/span> daily<\/span>. (daily = adverb)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \u00a0 The kindly<\/span> old gentleman<\/span> requested a refill. (kindly = adjective)<\/li>\n
      2. \u00a0 The young lady kindly<\/span> requested<\/span> a refill. (kindly = adverb)<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div><\/div>\n\"pencil \u201cIt\u2019s amazing that in two months I was able to get my students writing better than I had been able to in an entire year previously.\u201d Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay! It works!<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>\n
        \n\t\t\t\t\t

        Adverbs of Comparison: Comparative and Superlative Forms<\/span><\/h3>\n

        Both adjectives and adverbs have comparative and superlative forms, so be sure to read Adjectives and Adverbs: Comparative and Superlative Forms<\/a><\/strong>. For now, let\u2019s explore just the adverb aspect.<\/p>\n

        More, most, less<\/em>, and least<\/em> are adverbs when they modify adjectives and other adverbs. These four words are usually placed immediately in front of the adjective or adverb that they modify. It looks something like this:<\/p>\n

        1.\u00a0 That is the least<\/span> convincing<\/span> argument I have ever heard.\u00a0 (least = adverb; convincing = adjective)<\/p>\n

        2.\u00a0 Sam plays the piano more<\/span> skillfully<\/span> than Russ.\u00a0 (more = adverb; skillfully = adverb)<\/p>\n

        We also have about 20 groups of single-word adverbs of comparison. For example, we can swap \u201cmore skillfully\u201d from the sentence above for a single-word adverb and get this result.<\/p>\n

        3. Sam plays<\/span> the piano faster<\/span> than Russ.\u00a0 (faster = adverb; plays = verb)<\/p>\n

        Adverbs of comparison have three forms: 1) base form\/positive form, 2) comparative form, and 3) superlative form. With most \u2013ly adverbs, we place MORE or LESS in front to create the comparative and MOST or LEAST to create the superlative. Here are two examples:<\/p>\n

        1.\u00a0 Sue skis<\/span> more aggressively<\/span> than Bill.<\/p>\n

        2.\u00a0 Bill skis<\/span> the most effortlessly<\/span>.<\/p>\n

        We have about 20 groups of adverbs of comparison that don\u2019t require MORE\/LESS or MOST\/LEAST. These adverbs have the suffixes \u2013er<\/strong> and \u2013est<\/strong> added to the end of the word, or they are irregular forms. Here is a small list of these words:<\/p>\n

        1) badly, worse, worst, 2) fast, faster, fastest, 3) much, more, most, 4) far, farther, farthest, 5) little, less, least, 6) some, more, most, and 7) well, better, best.<\/p>\n

        1.\u00a0 Sue runs<\/span> faster<\/span> than Bill.<\/p>\n

        2.\u00a0 Bill ran<\/span> farthest<\/span>.<\/p>\n

        Once again, be sure to read Adjectives and Adverbs: Comparative and Superlative Forms<\/a><\/strong> to master comparative and superlative forms of both adverbs and adjectives.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

        \n\t\t\t\t\t

        Morphology: How to Make \u2013ly Adverbs<\/span><\/h3>\n

        I have a confession! Most of my Giant List of 3,300 \u2013ly Adverbs plus Example Sentences<\/a><\/strong> came from my Giant List of 4,800 Adjectives<\/a><\/strong>. All I had to do was add an \u2013ly<\/strong> on to the end of the adjectives and then edit out the ones that didn\u2019t work or weren\u2019t very good.<\/p>\n

        Morphology is the study of how we make words using prefixes, suffixes, roots, and bases. Let\u2019s take a quick look at how some of our \u2013ly<\/strong> adverbs were created!<\/p>\n

        1.\u00a0 Noun: abdomen<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adjective: abdominal<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adverb: abdominally<\/strong><\/p>\n

        2.\u00a0 Verb: admonish<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adjective: admonishing<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adverb: admonishingly<\/strong><\/p>\n

        3.\u00a0 Adjective: impossible<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adverb: impossibly<\/strong><\/p>\n

        4.\u00a0 Noun: patriot<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adjective: patriotic<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adverb: patriotically<\/strong><\/p>\n

        5.\u00a0 Verb: respect<\/strong> \/ Noun: respect<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adjective: respectful<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00bb\u00a0<\/span> Adverb: respectfully<\/strong><\/p>\n

        In short, most \u2013ly<\/strong> adverbs are adjectives with an \u2013ly<\/strong> added on to the end.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Adverbs are a tricky and strange group of words! And it\u2019s impossible to understand English grammar if you don\u2019t understand adverbs. To become an adverb genius, keep reading! We have three types of adverbials: 1) single-word adverbs, 2) adverbial phrases, and 3) adverbial clauses. We will focus on single-word adverbs on this page, but I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[554,424,437,435,495,413,552,548,553],"class_list":["post-3837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grammar-spelling-ideas-tips","tag-adverbials","tag-adverbs","tag-comparative-adverbs","tag-grammar-instruction","tag-morphology","tag-parts-of-speech","tag-semantic-roles-of-adverbials","tag-syntax","tag-types-of-adverbs"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3837"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3839,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3837\/revisions\/3839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patternbasedwriting.com\/elementary_writing_success\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}