What Is an Adverb? Examples, Definition & List
Adverbs can be used to modify or describe verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and complete sentences. Typically, adverbs end in the suffix “-ly” (e.g., “honestly”), but there are many exceptions to this general pattern. A group of words that function together as an adverb is called an adverbial clause or adverbial phrase.
Adverbs can convey manner (e.g., “loudly”), place (e.g., “here”), time (e.g., “tomorrow”), and degree (e.g., “completely”).
Denise always arrives early.
It’s an extremely hot summer.
I’m genuinely curious.
How are adverbs used in sentences?
Adverbs delineate the manner, timing, location, and degree of an event. They modify not only verbs but also adjectives and other adverbs.
Andrew looks perfectly healthy.
You drove rather recklessly.
A sentence adverb can modify an entire independent clause, expressing an opinion about its content (e.g., “Regrettably, there are no tickets available”). Sentence adverbs are usually set off with commas.
Andrea missed her flight, sadly.
Adverbs vs adjectives
Whereas an adverb can be used to describe a verb, adverb, adjective, or sentence, an adjective can modify only a noun or pronoun (e.g., “an orange cat”).
Many adverbs are derived from adjectives, with the only difference being an “-ly” ending or one of the variations illustrated in the following table.
| Original ending | Adverbial ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -y | -ily (replacing the “y”) | lucky; luckily |
| -le | -y (replacing the “e”) | reliable; reliably |
| -ic | -ally | strategic; strategically |
Flat adverbs are spelled exactly like their adjective counterparts (e.g., “late,” “hard,” “low”). There are also adverbs that don’t correspond to any adjective (e.g., “together,” “forward,” “perhaps”).
In the sentence “We’ll arrive early” the word “early” is an adverb because it modifies the verb “arrive.”
However, in the sentence “You’re early,” the word “early” functions as an adjective because it modifies the pronoun “you.”
Adverbs and linking verbs
Linking verbs, also called copular verbs, describe a state of being or becoming. They connect the subject of a sentence with words that describe it.
Adverbs typically don’t follow linking verbs (e.g. “be,” “seem,” “feel”). In most cases, adjectives should be used instead in this context.
- You look nicely in this picture.
- You look nice in this picture.
- The soup is badly
- The soup is bad.
Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner describe “how” an action occurs. They typically follow the main verb.
Mark left silently.
Adverbs that describe transitive verbs (which have direct objects) should be placed before the verb or at the end of the sentence. It is important to avoid placing an adverb between the verb and its direct object. In the examples that follow, “the instructions” is the direct object of the transitive verb “gave.”
- David gave patiently the instructions.
- David patiently gave the instructions.
- David gave the instructions patiently.
Adverbs of degree
An adverb of degree describes the extent or intensity of an action or quality. Adverbs of degree include terms such as “exceedingly,” “totally,” “moderately,” “quite,” and “sufficiently.”
You are singing slightly off-key.
Adverbs of place
Adverbs of place describe where an action takes place (e.g., in terms of direction, distance, or position). An adverb of place usually follows the sentence’s main verb.
The treasure is buried deep underground.
When it has an object, it’s considered a preposition (e.g., “Let’s step outside the office”). When it doesn’t have an object, it’s considered an adverb (e.g., “Let’s step outside”).
Adverbs of time
An adverb of time denotes when something occurs (e.g., “last year,” “next Tuesday,” “this evening”). Adverbs of time usually come at the end of a sentence.
I’ll visit my grandmother tomorrow.
Adverbs of duration express how long something will continue to happen (e.g., “briefly,” “eternally,” “temporarily”).
Our memories will last forever.
Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency express how regularly something occurs. There are two kinds of adverbs of frequency that differ in terms of their specificity.
Adverbs of unspecified frequency include words like “regularly,” “occasionally,” and “consistently.” They provide a general sense of how often something happens but don’t indicate when. These adverbs typically occur before the main verb.
I rarely go to bed before midnight.
An adverb of definite frequency describes precisely how often something happens (e.g., “annually,” “nightly”). Adverbs of definite frequency are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
He exercises daily.
Adverbs of purpose
An adverb of purpose (or adverb of reason) explains why something occurs. Adverbs of purpose frequently also serve as conjunctive adverbs, linking independent clauses.
Adverbial phrases (e.g., “so that,” “in order to”) can also be adverbs of purpose.
These pearls are natural; hence, they are more expensive than cultured pearls.
Other types of adverbs
There are many types of adverbs, and the following are a few of the most important:
Relative adverbs
A relative adverb introduces a relative clause (or dependent clause), which has a subject and verb but can’t stand alone as a sentence. There are just three relative adverbs: “when,” “where,” and “why.”
Katie explained why she’s looking for a new roommate.
Conjunctive adverbs
A conjunctive adverb can also be called a linking adverb because it joins two independent clauses, making the second clause function as an adverbial modifier of the first clause. Conjunctive adverbs are transition words that present condition, clarification, contrast, or consequence.
Our experiment yielded clear and consistent results; consequently, we concluded that our hypothesis was valid.
Conjunctive adverbs usually occur either at the beginning of a sentence or after a semicolon, and they are set off by commas.
- We faced many setbacks, nevertheless, we met our deadline.
- We faced many setbacks. Nevertheless, we met our deadline.
- We faced many setbacks; nevertheless, we met our deadline.
Focusing adverbs
A focusing adverb highlights the importance of a word or phrase in a sentence. Focusing adverbs typically occur directly beside the word or phrase they emphasize. Examples include “specifically,” “solely,” “mainly,” and “exactly.”
I’d prefer either a window seat or an aisle seat.
Interrogative adverbs
Interrogative adverbs include “how,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “to what extent.” They ask questions about place, time, reason, manner, or degree.
How was your weekend?
Adverb list
Below is a short list of the most common types of adverbs along with some examples.
| Adverb type | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Adverbs of manner | Express how an action occurs | gracefully, carefully, swiftly, patiently, boldly |
| Adverbs of degree | Express the extent to which an action occurs | absolutely, barely, extremely, moderately, entirely |
| Adverbs of place | Express where an action occurs | here, there, nearby, everywhere, somewhere |
| Adverbs of time | Express when an action occurs | soon, then, recently, yesterday, next year |
| Adverbs of frequency | Express how often an action occurs | always, seldom, occasionally, regularly, rarely |
| Adverbs of purpose | Express why an action occurs | so that, in order to, for the purpose of, with the aim of, lest |
| Conjunctive adverbs | Connect independent clauses | furthermore, nevertheless, consequently, however, moreover |
| Focusing adverbs | Emphasize part of a sentence | especially, specifically, particularly, only, even |
| Interrogative adverbs | Pose a question | when, where, why, how, which |
| Relative adverbs | Introduce an adverbial clause | when, where, why |
Frequently asked questions about adverbs
- What are the different types of adverbs?
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Adverbs can be classified in many ways. Depending on context, some adverbs fall into more than one of the categories.
Examples of adverb types include the following:
- Adverbs of manner
- Adverbs of time
- Adverbs of place
- Adverbs of purpose
- Adverbs of frequency
- Adverbs of degree
- Interrogative adverbs
- Relative adverbs
- Conjunctive adverbs
- Focusing adverbs
- What is a relative adverb?
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A relative adverb is a type of adverb that introduces a dependent clause (i.e., a group of words with a subject and a verb that cannot stand on its own as a sentence).
There are three relative adverbs in English:
- Where (e.g., “The restaurant where we ate last Friday was really good”)
- When (e.g., “Do you remember that time when Sonia sang karaoke?”)
- Why (e.g., “The reason why I was late was traffic”)
- Can you end a sentence with an adverb?
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Yes, sentences can end with adverbs, which are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., “I run slowly”).
Sentences can also end with an adverbial phrase (e.g., “after dinner”) or adverbial clause (e.g., “after she eats lunch”).