Adverbs

I always go to dinner with my friends on Thursdays. We make sure to carefully choose a restaurant so that we are all happy. Once we get there, we make sure to order our food quickly. My friends and I are always starving as soon as we get out of work! I am currently running late, so I'll have to tell my friends that I'll be there soon. I know that my friends will be waiting for me to order; they will be very hungry. We'll have to order a lot of food to make up for my lateness!

Grammar Point

In the paragraph above, I explained that I go to dinner with my friends on Thursdays. Certain words within the paragraph were bolded. These words are known as adverbs. The commonly known definition of an adverb is, a word that is used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. However, the definition of an adverb is more complex than that. Therefore, instead of defining an adverb, it is more appropriate to explain the different categories that adverbs can fall into. These categories are:

Manner

These types of adverbs show how an action is carried out.
Ex: We ate quickly. 
Tip: These adverbs can be identified by asking the question, "how..."
Ex: "How did we eat?" Quickly

Frequency

These types of adverbs show how much we do things or how much things occur.
Ex: We always go to dinner on Thursdays.

Time and Place

These types of adverbs show time and place.
Ex: I need to go to the bathroom now. (Time)
Ex: Lexi went outside. (Place)

Relative Time

These types of adverbs give information about when an action or occurrence took place in relation to another point in time.
Ex: Zoe is currently staying in the city.

Degree

These types of adverbs are known as intensifiers or mitigators/downtoners.
Intensifiers make adjectives and other adverbs stronger, whereas mitigators/downtoners make them weaker.
Ex: The boys are very tired. (Intensifier)
We ate rather quickly. (Mitigator/downtoner)

Quantity

These adverbs are used to show quantity (how much or how little of something).
Ex: Layla ate a lot. 

Focusing

These types of adverbs are used to refer to something in particular, to express restriction, or to give certain information.
Ex: Everyone got an A, even Chloe. (Information)
Jared was just asking Shari to borrow a pencil. (Restriction)
I need the answers to the English homework and also the math homework. (Referring to info in particular)

Attitude Markers

These types of adverbs are used to express how we feel about events we describe.
Ex: Clearly, we want to invite you to the party tomorrow night.

* It is important to note that the meanings behind adjectives and adverbs are very close, but do not get confused.
Ex:  She's a beautiful writer. (Adjective)
She writes beautifully. (Adverb)
In the first sentence, "beautiful" is an adjective because it is describing the noun, "writer."
In the second sentence, "beautifully" is an adverb because it is describing the verb, "writes."

Activity Time!

Activity 1
Using the word box, fill in the blanks with the correct adverbs.

Word Box
obviously, even, a lot, very, currently,
now, outside, quite, usually, slowly

1. Kendal worked ______ yesterday. (Quantity)
2. Josh is ______ working in the city. (Relative Time)
3. Everyone got a ticket, ______ Mark. (Focusing)
4. Keira felt _____ sore after her workout. (Degree)
5. Lonnie is ______ tall. (Degree)
6. _________ we want you to come to dinner. (Attitude Marker)
7. Tara played tennis _______. (Place)
8. I'm starving; we need to eat _____. (Time)
9. He jogged ______. (Manner)
10. We _______ eat together on Fridays. (Frequency)

Now choose three adverbs and create sentences of your own!
1. ________________________________________________.
2. ________________________________________________.
3. ________________________________________________.

Words to Know...

1. Starving - Very hungry.
2. Jogged - The past tense of jog, which means to run slowly.
3. Referring - To mention something.
4. In particular - A term used to show that a statement applies to one person or thing more than another.
5. Modify - To change.
6. Currently - At the present time.

Unscramble the words to fill in the blanks.
Hint: The words that you are unscrambling are taken from the "words to know" section above.

1. Karen couldn't wait to eat dinner. She was ________ (ingstavr).
2. Intensifiers are used to ______ (yifmod) verbs.
3. I am ________ (crruenlty) working on our history homework.
4. Aaron didn't want to run, so he ________ (ggojed).
5. Out of all of her friends, Maya is closest with one _______ (ni larticparcu).
6. Laurel was ________ (ingferrer) to her math worksheet when she was explaining the homework.

Answer Key

Activity 1
1. a lot
2. currently
3. even
4. very/quite
5. very/quite
6. obviously
7. outside
8. now
9. slowly
10. usually

Activity 2
1. starving
2. modify
3. currently
4. jogged
5. in particular
6. referring