Page 2 - Lesson Notes

Subject Verb

What is an adverb?

 An adverb is a word that is used to change, modify or qualify several types of words
including an adjective, a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word
or phrase, with the exception of determiners and adjectives, that directly modify
nouns.
 A good way to understand adverbs is to think about them as the words that provide
context. Specifically, adverbs provide a description of how, where, when, in what
manner and to what extent something is done or happens.
 Normally, we can spot an adverb by the fact that it often ends in –ly, but there are
lots of adverbs that don’t end in this way. Moreover, adverbs can be used in many
combinations with each other.
 Adverbs can always be used to modify verbs. Notice that the second of these two
sentences is much more interesting simply because it contains an adverb:
Ex- A dog ran excitedly.(You can picture a dog running, wagging its tail, panting
happily, and looking glad to see its owner.)
 Adverbs are often formed by adding the letters “-ly” to adjectives. This makes it very
easy to identify adverbs in sentences. There are many exceptions to this
rule; everywhere, nowhere, and upstairs are a few examples.
 An adverb can be used to modify an adjective and intensify the meaning it conveys.