Adverbs
Adverbs help us give more information about a verb, adjective, or another adverb. They tell us how, when, where, or how often something happens.
Table of Contents
1.Adverbs of...
1.1frequency
These adverbs tell us how often something happens.
Examples: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never etc
Adverbs of frequency usually go before the main verb, but after the verb 'to be'.
| Example | Verb |
|---|---|
| I always eat breakfast at 7 a.m. | eat |
| She often goes to the gym after work. | goes |
| They rarely watch TV. | watch |
| He is never late. | is |
Adverbs of frequency can sometimes go at the beginning or end of a sentence but the most natural and common position is still before the main verb / after the verb 'to be'.
Practice Examples
I (inside/always/well/today) _____ brush my teeth in the morning.
She (yesterday/carefully/usually/upstairs) _____ walks to school.
We (loudly/sometimes/tomorrow/outside) _____ eat dinner at 7 o'clock.
1.2time
These adverbs tell us when something happens.
Examples: now, today, yesterday, tomorrow, soon, later, last night etc
Adverbs of time are usually placed at the end of the sentence, but they can also go at the beginning.
| Example |
|---|
| We will meet tomorrow. |
| I finished the report yesterday. |
| Today, I’m feeling great! |
Practice Examples
I will call you (quickly/now/inside/often) _____ .
We need to leave (soon/loudly/never/upstairs) _____ to catch the bus.
(then/gently/sometimes/outside) _____ , we can go to the park.
1.3place
These adverbs tell us where something happens.
Examples: here, there, everywhere, outside, inside, upstairs etc
Adverbs of place usually go after the main verb or at the end of the sentence.
| Example |
|---|
| She is waiting outside. |
| The kids are playing upstairs. |
| Come here, please. |
| We looked everywhere, but couldn’t find it. |
Practice Examples
The dog is (here/well/today/often) _____ right now.
She is sitting (there/well/tomorrow/sometimes) _____ in the corner.
We always play (outside/well/today/often) _____ in the afternoon.
1.4manner
Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They describe the way someone does an action.
Examples: quickly, carefully, loudly, happily, easily, well etc
Adverbs of manner usually go after the main verb or after the object (if there’s one). Sometimes we can place them at the beginning of a sentence
| Example | Place |
|---|---|
| He speaks loudly. | after the main verb |
| She dances well. | after the main verb |
| He plays the guitar well. | after the object |
| They are building the house carefully. | after the object |
| Happily, they went on vacation. | at the beginning |
Practice Examples
She runs (quickly/always/there/today) _____ to catch the bus.
He walks (slowly/often/here/yesterday) _____ when he is tired.
Please read the instructions (carefully/never/outside/tomorrow) _____ .
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