1- Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of Time tell us something about the time that something happens.
Adverbs of Time mainly modify verbs.
They can answer the question "when?":
• He came yesterday. (When did he come?)
• I want it now. (When do I want it?)
Or they can answer the question "how often?":
• They deliver the newspaper daily. (How often do they deliver the
newspaper?)
• We sometimes watch a movie. (How often do we watch a movie?)
subject verb(s) indirect object direct object Time
I will tell you the story Tomorrow
• If you don't want to put emphasis on the time, you can also put the
adverb of time at the beginning of the sentence.
time subject verb(s) indirect object direct object
Tomorrow I will tell you the story.
2- Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of Degree tell us the degree or extent to which something happens.
They answer the question "how much?" or "to what degree?". Adverbs of
Degree can modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
• She entirely agrees with him. (How much does she agree with him?)
• Mary is very beautiful. (To what degree is Mary beautiful? How
beautiful is Mary?)
• He drove quite dangerously. (To what degree did he drive
dangerously? How dangerously did he drive?)
subject auxiliary/be adverb main verb object, place or time
I often go swimming in the evenings.
He doesn't always play tennis.
We Are usually here in summer.
I Have never been abroad.
Using Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs. They tell you How something is done. Example: How
does he she sing? - She sings beautifully.
Rule: Adverbs are often formed by adding -ly to an adjective
Example: beautiful - beautifully, careful - carefully
Be Careful!
• Some adjectives don't change in the adverb form. The most important
of these are: fast - fast, hard - hard
• Good is probably the most important exception. The adverb form of
'good' is 'well'. Unfortunately, this is a common mistake that many
Americans make!
NOT!!: He plays tennis good.
Rule: Adverbs can also modify an adjective. In this case, the adverb is placed
before the adjective.
Example: She is extremely happy. They are absolutely sure.
Be Careful!
• Do not use 'very' with adjectives that express an increased quality of a
basic adjective Example: good - fantastic
NOT!!: She is a very beautiful woman.
Rule: Adverbs of frequency (always, never, sometimes, often, etc.) usually
come before the main verb
Example: He is often late for class. Do you always eat in a restaurant?
They don't usually travel on Fridays.
Notes
• Adverbs of frequency expressing infrequency are not usually used in
the negative or question form. NOT!!: Does she rarely eat fish? They don't
seldom go to the cinema.
• Adverbs of frequency are often placed at the beginning of a sentence.
Example: Sometimes, he likes to go to museums.
• Adverbs of frequency follow - come after - the verb 'to be'. Example:
He is sometimes late for work.
Exercise 1- Rewrite the sentences and put the adverbs in correctly.
We w ere in London last w eek.
1. We were in London. (last week) →
2. He walks his dog. (rarely) →
3. She waited. (patiently) →
4. My father goes fishing. (always) →
5. Your bedroom is. (upstairs) →
6. We don't go skiing. (in summer) →
7. Cats can hear. (well) →
8. I saw him. (there) →
9. The girl speaks English. (fluently) →
10. I have seen that film. (never) / (before) →
2- Make sentences and put the adverbs (in italic print) in correctly
(behind the verb or object).
The cinema is over there.
1. is / over there / the cinema -
2. inside / go / let's -
3. the kitchen / downstairs / is -
4. playing / the kids / are / outside -
5. she / not / been / here / has -
6. the bathroom / is / upstairs -
7. were / everywhere / we / for / looking / you -
8. we / anywhere / you / find / couldn't -
9. ? / there / a post office / nearby / is -
10. must / we / walk / back home -
