Adverb

Adverb | Definition, Types, Clauses, Phrases, Degrees & Examples |

Adverbs are more than just the simple “ly” words you learned in primary school. They are the secret ingredient to clear, powerful writing that can elevate your score in exams. For students, knowing and sorting adverbs in a sentence  is a critical skill for success. 

A misplaced adverb can change the entire meaning of a sentence and lead to a lost point. This guide is your complete toolkit. It breaks down adverbs from A to Z, using examples you will immediately recognize, from a cricket match in Karachi to a classroom in Shangla Hence, you will not only understand adverbs but also use them with precision and confidence in your writing and exams.

After Reading This article and Watching the Embedded Video, Attempting the Test You Will Know  

• What is an Adverb?
• Types of Adverbs
• Building Adverbs: How Words Change Form
• Position of Adverbs
• The Comparison of Adverbs
• The Uses of an Adverb
• Common Mistakes in Classrooms
• Practice Section
• Important Terms
• 100 MCQs Test

What is an Adverb?

n Adverb is a word that modifies or adds more meaning to a verb, adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. Its job is to give extra information about how, when, where, why, and to what extent an action or quality happens.

1. Modify verbs → She runs quickly. (How does she run?)
2. Modify adjectives → It is very hot. (To what extent is it hot?)
3. Modify adverbs → He works too slowly. (To what extent slowly?)
4. Modify whole sentences → Unfortunately, he failed the exam. (Speaker’s attitude)
   

These questions include: 

• How?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• To what extent? 

For example, in the sentence, “Ahmad runs quickly,” the adverb quickly answers the question of how Ahmad runs. 

While this primary function of modifying a verb is what most students learn first, adverbs are incredibly versatile. 

They also have the ability to describe adjectives and even other adverbs. 

An adverb can also modify a whole sentence, providing a general perspective or the speaker’s attitude towards the statement. 

For example, in the phrase “a very hot day,” the adverb very modifies the adjective hot. In “he speaks quite slowly,” the adverb quite modifies the other adverb slowly. This multi-layered function is what makes adverbs so powerful in making your writing more descriptive and precise.

An adverb usually answers these five key questions about an action:

• How? (Manner) → He speaks clearly.
• When? (Time) → She arrived yesterday.
• Where? (Place) → The children are playing outside.
• Why? (Reason) → He works hard to succeed.
• To what extent? (Degree) → The tea is very hot.
  

Examples

• Verb modification: “Ahmad runs quickly.” (How does he run?)
• Adjective modification: “It is a very hot day.” (How hot?)
• Adverb modification: “She sings quite slowly.” (How slowly?)
• Sentence modification: “Fortunately, we arrived on time.” (The speaker’s attitude)

Roles of Adverbs

Understanding the role of an adverb becomes clearer when a person compares it with other parts of speech. It is important to remember that adverbs are modifiers, just like adjectives. However, the difference between what they modify is crucial.

Adverb vs. Adjective vs. Prepositional Phrase

Adjective

Describes a noun (person, place, thing) or a pronoun.

• Key Questions it answers: Which one? What kind? How many?
• Examples:
  • She wore a beautiful dress. (beautiful → adjective, describes dress)
  • Ali is a brave boy. (brave describes Ali)
  • Adjective = Noun’s best friend.

Adverb

Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

• Key Questions it answers: How? When? Where? How often? To what extent?
• Examples:
  • She runs quickly. (quickly tells how she runs → modifies verb runs)
  • The coffee is very hot. (very modifies adjective hot)
  • He drives too fast. (too modifies adverb fast)
  • Adverb = Action’s helper + quality booster.

Prepositional Phrase

• A group of words starting with a preposition (in, on, at, by, with, under, over, etc.) and ending with a noun/pronoun.
• Works like an adjective OR adverb depending on the sentence.
• Examples:
  
  • The book on the table is mine. (acts as an adjective → tells which book?)
  • He ran through the park. (acts as adverb → tells where he ran)
  • Prepositional Phrase = A group of words that behaves like an adjective or adverb.

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun, while an adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. 

The most common mistake occurs with a special group of words called “flat adverbs” that do not end in -ly but act as adverbs.

Consider a simple dialogue that often takes place in a classroom:

• Ayesha: “Sir, what’s the difference between fast and fastly?”

• Teacher: “That’s an excellent question, Ayesha. Look at this sentence: ‘That is a fast car.’ Here, fast is an adjective because it describes the noun, car. But if I say, ‘He drives fast,’ fast is an adverb because it describes the verb, drives. The word fastly is not a word in standard English. The word’s function—what it describes—determines what it is. An adjective describes a thing, and an adverb describes an action.”

This simple principle applies to many irregular adverbs that have the same form as their adjective counterparts, like hard, early, and late. 

Focusing on what a word is modifying, a person can avoid common errors that can reduce marks in a test.

Similarly, it’s easy to confuse an adverb with a prepositional phrase because both can answer the same questions, such as where and when. An adverb is typically a single word, while a prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and includes an object. 

For example, in “The cat ran indoors,” the word indoors is a single-word adverb of place. But in “The cat ran inside the house,” the phrase inside the house is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb because it tells where the cat ran. 

The phrase inside the house contains a preposition (inside) and an object (the house). This distinction is often tested in competitive exams.

Types of Adverbs

Adverbs are categorized into several types based on the kind of information they provide. Knowing these categories helps in proper placement and usage in a sentence.

1. Adverbs of Manner

These adverbs tell a person how an action is performed. They are the most common type and often end in -ly.

• Example 1: Bilal drives carefully on the GT Road from Peshawar to Islamabad. (How did he drive?)

• Example 2: The students listened attentively to the teacher’s lesson on grammar. (How did they listen?)

• Example 3: Ayesha sang the national anthem beautifully during the morning assembly. (How did she sing?)

2. Adverbs of Place

These adverbs specify where an action takes place.

• Example 1: The Pakistan cricket team practiced here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. (Where did they practice?)

• Example 2: Ahmad found his misplaced bag nearby the school canteen. (Where did he find it?)

• Example 3: The children played downstairs while their mother cooked. (Where did they play?)

3. Adverbs of Time

These adverbs answer the question of when an action occurs. They can be definite or indefinite.

• Example 1: The FPSC exam results will be announced tomorrow. (When will they be announced?)

• Example 2: My uncle, a professor at the University of Karachi, will arrive soon. (When will he arrive?)

• Example 3: We have to submit the project report today. (When do we have to submit it?)

4. Adverbs of Frequency

These adverbs describe how often an action happens. They are often used with the simple present tense.

• Example 1: Hamza always studies in the library for his CSS exam. (How often does he study?)

• Example 2: Sana often visits her family in Faisalabad. (How often does she visit?)

• Example 3: He rarely misses his early morning class. (How often does he miss it?)

5. Adverbs of Degree

These adverbs indicate to what extent or how much an action, adjective, or another adverb is described.

• Example 1: The Mingora cricket pitch was very hard. (To what extent was it hard?)
• Example 2: The student was too tired to go to the coaching center. (How tired was he?)
• Example 3: The question was almost impossible to solve. (To what extent was it impossible?)

6. Interrogative Adverbs

These adverbs are used to ask questions.

• Example 1: When will the SST results be out?
• Example 2: Where did you get this book for your SST test?
• Example 3: Why did the student leave school so early?

7. Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs (where, when, why) are used to introduce a dependent clause that provides more information about a noun in the main clause. This is a crucial distinction for advanced learners. They act as both a connector and a modifier, linking a clause back to a specific person, place, or time.

• Example 1: This is the city where Quaid-e-Azam was born. (The clause where Quaid-e-Azam was born modifies city).
• Example 2: I remember the day when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup. (The clause when Pakistan won… modifies day).
• Example 3: I don’t know the reason why the roads are closed. (The clause why the roads are closed modifies reason).

8. Conjunctive Adverbs

These adverbs act like conjunctions, connecting two independent clauses. They are crucial for creating complex sentences and showing the logical relationship between two ideas, such as cause and effect, contrast, or addition.

• Example 1: He was tired; therefore, he decided to take a nap. (Shows cause and effect)

It shows the cause-and-effect relationship between the two clauses.It connects the first clause (He was tired) with the result (he decided to take a nap). Words like therefore, thus, hence, consequently are all adverbs that indicate reason or result.

• Example 2: The weather was terrible; nevertheless, they went to work. (Shows contrast) 

It shows a contrast between the two clauses.

• First clause: The weather was terrible (situation)
• Second clause: They went to work (unexpected action)

Function: It connects the clauses and indicates that the second action happened despite the first situation.

• Example 3: The test was difficult; however, Ahmad performed well. (Shows contrast)

Adverbial Phrases and Clauses

Beyond single words, groups of words can also function as adverbs. The main distinction lies in whether the group contains a subject and a verb.

• Adverbial Phrase: A group of words that acts as an adverb but does not contain a subject and a verb. It is often a prepositional phrase or an infinitive phrase.

• Example 1: He ran with great speed. (with great speed tells how he ran).
• Example 2: Bilal drove to the farm to pick apples. (to pick apples tells why he drove).

• Adverbial Clause: A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and acts as an adverb to modify a main clause. It is always a dependent clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction.

• Example 1: I’ll call you when I arrive. (when I arrive tells when I’ll call).
• Example 2: Shauna is tired because she didn’t sleep well. (because she didn’t sleep well tells why she is tired).

The difference between a relative adverb and a conjunctive adverb is often a source of error. A person can differentiate them by their function. 

A relative adverb introduces a dependent clause that modifies a noun (e.g., the place where we met). 

It essentially combines the role of a pronoun and an adverb. A conjunctive adverb, however, links two complete, independent sentences to show a relationship between them (e.g., He was tired; therefore, he took a nap.). 

A person must understand this subtle but critical distinction to correctly punctuate and structure complex sentences.

How Do Adverbs Form?

Many adverbs are formed by a simple rule, but several important exceptions can trip up a student in an exam.

From Adjectives

The most common way to form an adverb is by adding the suffix -ly to the end of an adjective.

• quick → quickly
• careful → carefully
• beautiful → beautifully

There are a few important spelling rules to remember:

• If the adjective ends in -y, a person should replace the y with i and add -ly (happy → happily).
• If the adjective ends in -le, replace the -e with -y (terrible → terribly).
• If the adjective ends in -ic, a person should add -ally (energetic → energetically).

Irregular Forms (Flat Adverbs)

Some adverbs have the same form as their adjective counterparts and do not take the -ly suffix. These are called flat adverbs, and they are a major source of confusion.

• fast is both an adjective and an adverb. (A fast car vs. He drives fast.)
• hard is both an adjective and an adverb. (A hard exam vs. He works hard.)
• well is the adverbial form of the adjective good. (He is a good student vs. He studies well.)

Word	Sentence as Adjective	Type of Adjective	Sentence as Adverb	Type of Adverb
Fast	He bought a fast car.	Descriptive	She runs fast.	Manner
Hard	It was a hard exam.	Descriptive	He worked hard.	Manner
Late	We missed the late bus.	Descriptive	He arrived late.	Time
Early	I caught the early train.	Descriptive	She woke up early.	Time
Daily	The daily schedule is fixed.	Descriptive	He studies daily.	Frequency
Weekly	A weekly test is held.	Descriptive	We meet weekly.	Frequency
Yearly	The yearly plan was approved.	Descriptive	They gather yearly.	Frequency
Near	The near village is quiet.	Demonstrative	Come near and see.	Place
Far	He traveled from a far land.	Descriptive	The stars shine far.	Place
High	The kite is very high.	Descriptive	The bird flew high.	Place
Low	The low price shocked us.	Descriptive	The plane flew low.	Place
Straight	This is a straight road.	Descriptive	She walked straight home.	Direction
Right	He made the right decision.	Descriptive	You guessed right.	Manner
Wrong	That was the wrong answer.	Descriptive	You heard wrong.	Manner
Tight	He tied a tight knot.	Descriptive	Hold it tight.	Manner
Wide	The wide street is busy.	Descriptive	Open your eyes wide.	Degree/Manner
Close	He is a close friend.	Descriptive	Stand close to me.	Place
Clear	The sky is clear today.	Descriptive	Speak clear and loud.	Manner
Clean	She wore a clean dress.	Descriptive	Drive clean and safe.	Manner
Long	It was a long journey.	Descriptive	They waited  long for him.	Time

Negative Adverbs

Words like hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, and rarely have an inherent negative meaning. 

A person must understand that these words express a quantity that is close to zero or an action that is done very little. 

For example, hardly means “almost not” or “with difficulty,” and seldom means “not often.” This is a significant point of confusion for many Pakistani students because in many local languages, a double negative is used for emphasis. 

English grammar, however, sees two negative words as canceling each other out, often creating a positive meaning or simply a grammatical error. 

A student must be aware that these adverbs are already negative and should not be used with another negative word like not, no, or never.

Position of Adverbs

The position of an adverb in a sentence is not fixed; it is flexible and can change the emphasis or meaning. A person can place an adverb in three main positions: at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.

• Beginning (Front Position): This is often used for emphasis or to provide a smooth transition. A comma is typically used after the adverb.
• Example: Quietly, he entered the exam hall. (This places emphasis on the manner of his entry.)

• Middle (Mid Position): This is the most common and neutral placement, usually before the main verb or after the auxiliary verb.
• Example: He quietly entered the exam hall.

• End (End Position): This is the most neutral and common position for adverbs of manner, place, and time.
• Example: He entered the exam hall quietly.

The M-P-T Rule

When a person uses more than one adverb in a sentence, there is a preferred order to follow to ensure clarity and natural flow. 

The standard order is Manner, then Place, and finally Time (MPT).

• Example: She studied quietly (Manner) in the library (Place) yesterday (Time).

Adverbs with Auxiliaries and Modals

The placement of adverbs of frequency (always, never, often) is a key rule. These adverbs typically go before the main verb but after the auxiliary or modal verb.

• Incorrect: He never has visited the Swat Valley.
• Correct: He has never visited the Swat Valley.

• Incorrect: She will always be my friend.
• Correct: She will always be my friend.

A common dialogue in a classroom about this rule might be:

• Student: “Sir, is ‘He always will be my friend’ grammatically correct?”
• Teacher: “Good question. While it’s understandable, the standard position for always is after the modal verb will. The correct sentence is, ‘He will always be my friend.’ This rule is vital for a strong grip on grammar.”

Emphasis and Stylistic Flexibility

The position of a focusing adverb like only can significantly change a sentence’s meaning.

• Example 1: Zainab only eats mangoes in summer. (This means she does nothing else but eat mangoes.)

• Example 2: Zainab eats only mangoes in summer. (This specifies that the thing she eats is mangoes, but she may be doing other things.)

Comparison

Just like adjectives, adverbs can be used to compare two or more actions. This is another area where common errors occur.

Regular Comparison

For most adverbs that end in -ly, a person uses more for the comparative form and most for the superlative.

• Positive: Ali writes beautifully.
• Comparative: Sajid writes more beautifully than Ali.
• Superlative: Faheem writes the most beautifully of all.

Irregular Comparison

Many common adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms that do not follow the standard rules. A person must memorize these forms to avoid mistakes. A major error, such as saying “more faster” is an example of a double comparative that should be avoided.

The table below provides a concise list of these important irregular forms.

Adverb	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
well	better	best
badly	worse	worst
far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
little	less	least
hard	harder	hardest
fast	faster	fastest
early	earlier	earliest
late	later	latest

Adjectives and Adverbs with Comparative & Superlative Forms

Word	Use	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
well	Adjective	well (healthy)	better	best
	Adverb	well (manner)	better	best
far	Adjective	far	farther / further	farthest / furthest
	Adverb	far	farther / further	farthest / furthest
little	Adjective	little	less	least
	Adverb	little	less	least
hard	Adjective	hard	harder	hardest
	Adverb	hard	harder	hardest
fast	Adjective	fast	faster	fastest
	Adverb	fast	faster	fastest
early	Adjective	early	earlier	earliest
	Adverb	early	earlier	earliest
late	Adjective	late	later	latest
	Adverb	late	later	latest

Note:

1. Some words like well and far have irregular forms.
   
2. Comparative/superlative forms are the same whether used as adjectives or adverbs in most cases.
   
3. Far has two forms:
   
   • Farther / farthest → usually physical distance
   • Further / furthest → usually metaphorical or abstract distance
     
4. Little distinguishes between amount and size:
   
   • Adjective: “a little boy” (size/amount)
   • Adverb: “He talks little” (extent/quantity)

Functions Adverb

The primary function of an adverb is to modify a verb, but its versatility extends far beyond that. Understanding all four of its roles is essential for a complete grasp of the part of speech.

Modifying Verbs

This is the most well-known function, where an adverb describes an action.

• Example: The bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, hit the stumps precisely.

Modifying Adjectives

Adverbs of degree often perform this function, adding intensity to an adjective.

• Example: The hills around Mingora are incredibly beautiful.

Modifying Other Adverbs

Adverbs can add an extra layer of detail by modifying another adverb.

• Example: He ran the race quite slowly compared to the other runners.

Modifying Whole Sentences

Called “sentence adverbs,” these words express the speaker’s attitude or a general perspective on the entire statement.

• Example: Interestingly, the government agreed to the student’s demands.

Common Mistakes 

Mistake 1: Adjective vs. Adverb Confusion

• Incorrect: He runs quick to catch the bus.
• Correct: He runs quickly to catch the bus.

The word quickly is an adverb that modifies the verb runs. An adjective (quick) should not be used to describe a verb. The word fast is a special case that can function as both an adjective and an adverb, but most other adverbs must take the -ly suffix.

Mistake 2: Double Negatives

• Incorrect: He doesn’t go nowhere after class.
• Correct: He doesn’t go anywhere after class.

The words doesn’t and nowhere are both negative. In formal English, two negatives cancel each other out, creating an unintended positive meaning. A person should only use one negative word per clause.

Mistake 3: Misuse of hardly, rarely, and seldom

• Incorrect: I don’t have hardly any money left in my pocket.
• Correct: I have hardly any money left in my pocket.

Words like hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom, and rarely already have a negative meaning. Using them with another negative word, such as not or never, is grammatically incorrect.

Mistake 4: Wrong Placement of only

• Incorrect: She only eats mangoes in summer.
• Correct: She eats only mangoes in summer.

The placement of a focusing adverb like only changes the meaning of a sentence. 

In the first sentence, only modifies the verb eats, suggesting that she performs no other action besides eating. 

In the second sentence, only modifies the noun mangoes, specifying that she eats no other fruit. The placement must be precise to convey the intended meaning.

Mini-Activities

These activities are designed to be used in a classroom to make learning about adverbs interactive and fun.

• Adverb Placement Race: Write a simple sentence on the whiteboard, such as “The teacher smiled.” Divide the class into two teams. Each team sends one student to the board to write an adverb in a different position. For example, Team A writes “Happily, the teacher smiled,” and Team B writes “The teacher smiled happily.” The first team to write a grammatically correct sentence with a new adverb gets a point. This helps students practice adverb positions in a competitive way.

• Convert Adjectives to Adverbs: Give students a list of adjectives on a worksheet, such as quick, easy, happy, and careful. The students’ task is to convert each adjective into its adverbial form and then use the new adverb in a complete sentence. This reinforces the formation rules.

• Identify the Adverb Type: Provide a worksheet with a list of sentences. For each sentence, a student must underline the adverb and then write its type (e.g., Manner, Time, Place) next to it. This activity directly tests their understanding of the different categories.

• Error Correction Worksheet: Create a worksheet with sentences containing the common mistakes listed in this guide (e.g., adjective/adverb confusion, double negatives). Students must identify and correct the error in each sentence and provide a brief explanation for their fix.

Practice Section

This section is designed to test your knowledge of adverbs.

MCQs: Identify the Error

Directions: Choose the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error.

1. He runs (A)/ more faster (B)/ than his cousin (C)/ when they race. (D) No Error (E)
2. Zainab does not (A)/ have hardly (B)/ any friends (C)/ in her new school. (D) No Error (E)
3. The students looked at the problem (A)/ hard (B)/ because it was (C)/ too difficult. (D) No Error (E)
4. She speaks (A)/ good (B)/ when she (C)/ is on stage. (D) No Error (E)
5. Ayesha sings (A)/ beautifuller than (B)/ her sister (C)/ at the morning assembly. (D) No Error (E)
6. The team worked (A)/ diligent (B)/ to meet the project deadline, (C)/ collaborating seamless to ensure every detail was accounted for and polished. (D) No error (E)
7. She quietly (A)/ will leave (B)/ the room (C)/ after the lecture ends. (D) No Error (E)
8. I don’t (A)/ know nothing (B)/ about the (C)/ upcoming test. (D) No Error (E)
9. He described the (A)/ place vivid (B)/ that inspired in us (C)/ a wish to visit the same. (D) No Error (E)
10. The FPSC question (A)/ was quite (B)/ too simple (C)/ for me to answer. (D) No Error (E)
11. He seldom (A)/ doesn’t visit (B)/ his hometown (C)/ in Peshawar. (D) No Error (E)
12. I often (A)/ would have to (B)/ wake up early (C)/ for my morning prayers. (D) No Error (E)
13. Bilal drove the car (A)/ too fastly (B)/ on the motorway (C)/ to get to the city. (D) No Error (E)
14. The athlete ran (A)/ few impressively (B)/ than anyone else (C)/ in the race. (D) No Error (E)
15. He said he was (A)/ very much bored (B)/ with the lecture (C)/ on English grammar. (D) No Error (E)

MCQ Key + Explanations

1. (B) more faster is a double comparative. The correct form is faster.
2. (B) hardly is a negative word and should not be used with not. The correct phrase is have hardly.
3. (B) hard is both an adjective and an adverb, but hardly is a different word with a negative meaning. The original sentence is correct.
4. (B) good is an adjective. The adverb well should be used to modify the verb speaks.
5. (B) beautifuller is not a word. The correct comparative form for adverbs ending in -ly is more beautifully.
6. (B) diligent is an adjective. The adverb diligently is needed to modify the verb worked.
7. (A) quietly is an adverb of manner and should come after the modal verb will. The correct sentence is She will quietly leave….
8. (B) don’t and nothing are both negative. The correct word is anything to avoid a double negative.
9. (B) vivid is an adjective. The adverb vividly is needed to modify the verb described.
10. (B) quite and too have similar meanings and should not be used together before an adjective. One should be removed.
11. (B) seldom is a negative word. It should not be used with doesn’t. The correct sentence is He seldom visits….
12. (A) The adverb of frequency often should be placed after the modal verb would. The correct sentence is I would often have to….
13. (B) fastly is not a word in standard English. The correct form is fast.
14. (B) few is an adjective. The adverb less is needed to modify the adverb impressively. The correct phrase is less impressively.
15. (B) We use very much before -ed forms. The sentence is grammatically correct as written.

Fill in the Blanks

Directions: Complete the sentences with the correct adverb.

1. She worked ___________ to pass her CSS exam. (hard/hardly)
2. He came ___________ to the class again. (late/lately)
3. The children played ___________ in the park. (happy/happily)
4. I have ___________ finished my homework. (almost/most)
5. The refugees ___________ need food and medicine. (bad/badly)
6. The team ran so ___________ that they won the race. (fast/fastly)
7. I don’t know ___________ he left so suddenly. (why/when)
8. He speaks English ___________ because he has practiced a lot. (good/well)
9. He could ___________ hear the professor’s voice in the big hall. (hardly/hard)
10. The teacher explained the concept ____________. (clear/clearly)

Answers

1. hard
2. late
3. happily
4. almost
5. badly
6. fast
7. why
8. well
9. hardly
10. clearly

Identify the Type of Adverb

Directions: Underline the adverb and identify its type (e.g., Manner, Time, Place).

1. Bilal drove his car carefully.
2. The train will arrive soon.
3. The boys are playing cricket outside.
4. The students always submit their assignments on time.
5. The question was too difficult for me.
6. When will the exam results be out?
7. The principal is sitting there.
8. We rarely visit our cousins in Karachi.
9. She cried bitterly after hearing the news.
10. The show was extremely interesting.

Answers

1. carefully – Manner
2. soon – Time
3. outside – Place
4. always – Frequency
5. too – Degree
6. When – Interrogative
7. there – Place
8. rarely – Frequency
9. bitterly – Manner
10. extremely – Degree

Rewrite Sentences with Correct Placement

Directions: Rewrite each sentence with the adverb in the most correct or natural position.

1. He drives always his car fast.
2. I went yesterday to the market.
3. He came home tiredly.
4. He only plays cricket on weekends. (Meaning: he does nothing else on weekends)
5. He went there happily yesterday.

Answers

1. He always drives his car fast.
2. I went to the market yesterday.
3. He came home tired. (Note: tired is an adjective used here as a subject complement) or He came home tiredly. (To describe how he came home.)
4. He plays only cricket on weekends.
5. He went there happily yesterday. (The M-P-T rule is correctly applied here.)

Tables & Checklists

Types of Adverbs with Examples

Type	Question Answered	Examples
Manner	How?	beautifully, quickly, patiently
Place	Where?	here, there, outside, nearby
Time	When?	now, today, tomorrow, soon
Frequency	How often?	always, often, rarely, never
Degree	To what extent?	very, too, quite, almost
Interrogative	To ask a question	When? Where? Why? How?
Relative	To link clauses	where, when, why
Conjunctive	To connect clauses	however, therefore, moreover

Adverb Position Chart

Adverb Type	Beginning	Middle	End
Manner	(Emphasis)	(Emphasis)	✓ (Most Common)
Place	(Emphasis)		✓ (Most Common)
Time	✓ (Emphasis)	(Frequency Only)	✓ (Most Common)
Frequency	(Emphasis)	✓ (Most Common)	(Can be used)

Comparative and Superlative Adverbs Table

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
beautifully	more beautifully	most beautifully
quickly	more quickly	most quickly
well	better	best
badly	worse	worst
far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
little	less	least
hard	harder	hardest
fast	faster	fastest

FAQs

• What is the difference between an adverb and an adverbial phrase? 

An adverb is a single word (e.g., quickly) that modifies a verb. An adverbial phrase is a group of words that performs the same function as an adverb (e.g., with great speed) but does not contain a subject and a verb.

• Can an adverb modify a preposition? 

No, an adverb cannot modify a preposition. However, an adverb can modify a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb. For example, in the sentence “The ball went right over his head,” the adverb right modifies the entire prepositional phrase over his head.

• Is “fastly” a real word? 

No, fastly is not a word in standard English. The word fast functions as both an adjective and an adverb.

• What’s the difference between hard and hardly? 

Hard can be an adjective (a hard exam) or an adverb (works hard), meaning “with great effort.” Hardly is a negative adverb that means “almost not” or “barely” (He hardly studies). A person should avoid confusing the two.

• What is the MPT rule? 

The MPT rule is the standard order for adverbs of Manner, Place, and Time when they appear together in a sentence.

• When should I use very? 

A person uses very before an adjective or another adverb to add emphasis. It means “to a great degree.” It is not used with verbs unless it is part of a phrase like very much liked.

• Can an adverb go at the beginning of a sentence? 

Yes, adverbs can be placed at the beginning of a sentence, especially for emphasis. For example, “Yesterday, we had a big test”.

Glossary

• Adverb: A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
• Adjective: A word that describes a noun or pronoun.
• Prepositional Phrase: A phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with an object. It can act as an adverb or an adjective.
• Auxiliary Verb: A helping verb (e.g., be, do, have).
• Modal Verb: A type of auxiliary verb that expresses possibility or necessity (e.g., can, will, should).
• Conjunctive Adverb: An adverb that links two independent clauses.
• Relative Adverb: An adverb that introduces a clause to modify a noun.
• Flat Adverb: An adverb that has the same form as its corresponding adjective (e.g., fast, hard, late).
• MPT Rule: The standard order for adverbs: Manner → Place → Time.

Main Points

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, answering questions like how, when, where, and to what extent.
• The placement of an adverb can change a sentence’s emphasis and meaning. Adverbs of manner, place, and time follow the MPT order when used together.
• Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective, but a person must be careful with irregular “flat” adverbs like fast and hard that have the same form as their adjectives.
• Words like hardly, scarcely, seldom, and rarely have a negative meaning and should not be used with other negative words like not or never.
• Understanding the different functions of adverbs—modifying a verb, an adjective, or another adverb—is crucial for writing with precision and for excelling in exams.