The Adverb - Definition, Examples, Tests

An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It tells us more about the verb, adjective, or adverb, such as how, when, where, or to what extent. Adverbs are often recognized by their -ly ending, but not all adverbs end in -ly.

Here are a few examples of adverbs:

• She sings beautifully. (modifies the verb "sings")
• He is extremely tired. (modifies the adjective "tired")
• She runs very fast. (modifies the adjective "fast")
• She sings very beautifully. (modifies the adverb "beautifully")
  

• She has a beautiful singing voice. (describes the noun "voice")
• He is a tall man. (describes the noun "man")
• The red car is mine. (describes the noun "car")
• She is an intelligent student. (describes the noun "student")

There are many different types of adjectives in English, including descriptive adjectives, possessive adjectives, and demonstrative adjectives.

Descriptive adjectives

  describe the qualities or characteristics of a noun or pronoun. For example:

• She is a talented singer. (describes the noun "singer")
• He is a kind person. (describes the noun "person")
• The cat is fluffy. (describes the noun "cat")

Possessive adjectives 

show ownership or possession. They are used to indicate that something belongs to someone or something. For example:

• She lost her keys. (indicates possession of the keys)
• The dog wagged its tail. (indicates possession of the tail)

Demonstrative adjectives

 point to a specific noun or pronoun. They are used to show which one we are talking about. For example:

• This is my book. (points to a specific book)
• That is your jacket. (points to a specific jacket)

Adverbs of manner

 describe how something is done. For example:

• She sings beautifully. (describes how the singing is done)
• He speaks softly. (describes how the speaking is done)

Adverbs of frequency

 describe how often something is done. For example:

• She sings every day. (describes how often the singing is done)
• He speaks rarely. (describes how often the speaking is done)

Adverbs of place

 describe where something is done. For example:

• She sings here. (describes where the singing is done)
• He speaks there. (describes where the speaking is done)

Adverb comprehension exercises:

1. Identify the adverbs in the following sentences:

• She sings beautifully.
• He speaks softly.
• She works diligently.
• The cat runs quickly.
• The flowers smell sweetly.

2. Which word in the following sentence is an adverb? The boy sings loudly.

3. Rewrite the following sentence, changing the adjective "slow" to an adverb: He walks slow. He walks slowly.

Answers:

1. beautifully, softly, diligently, quickly, sweetly
2. loudly
3. He walks slowly.