Adverb and its kinds

An adverb is a word that adds something to the meaning of a verb, an adjective or another adverb.

1.      The traveller walked briskly.

2.      Today I faced a very difficult situation.

3.      She faced the interview quite confidently.

In the above sentences, the words printed in bold letters are all adverbs.

In sentence 1, the adverb briskly adds to the meaning of the verb walked. It tells how the traveller walked.

In sentence 2, difficult is an adjective describing the noun situation. The adverb very adds to the meaning of the adjective difficult. It tells how difficult the situation was.

In sentence 3, confidently is an adverb describing the verb faced. The adverb quite adds to the meaning of the adverb confidently. It tells how confidently she faced the interview.

Adverbs are of following kinds:

1.      Adverbs of manner:

They show/tell how an action takes place.

For example:

Birbal acted wisely.

Revati behaved foolishly.

A horse runs fast.

Our jawans fight bravely.

2.      Adverbs of place:

These adverbs tell us where an action is done.

For example:

The children are playing outside.

The police looked for the thief everywhere.

Go away.

3.      Adverbs of time:

These adverbs tell us when an action takes place.

For example:

Children come to play daily.

Our guests left early.

The officer is coming immediately.

Sheenu is coming soon.

4.      Adverbs of number:

They tell us how often an action is done/takes place.

For example:

The policeman struck the thief twice.

We often do our work together.

The minister visited our colony once.

5.      Adverbs of degree:

They tell how much or to what extent a thing is done.

For example:

We were extremely tired.

After the races, the children were quite worn out.

Is he entirely dependent on his son?

6.      Interrogative adverbs:

They help us in framing/asking questions.

For example:

When did they come?

How are you, Neeru?

Why are you sad?

Where is your mother?

Position of adverbs:

1.      Adverbs of manner, place and time are placed after the verb if the verb is intransitive and after the object if the verb is transitive:

The thief ran fast.

It rained heavily.

The artist played her part efficiently.

We took this decision yesterday.

2.      For emphasis, adverbs of time may also be placed in the beginning of the sentence:

We went to the museum yesterday.

Yesterday we went to the stadium.

3.      (a) Adverbs of frequency (always, sometimes, often etc.)

(b) Adverbs of degree (almost, nearly, quite, just etc.) and

(c) Sometimes adverbs of manner are placed

(i)                 After the verb if the verb is is/am/are/was/were:

She is often absent from the school.

We were quite in time for the match.

(ii)               Between the subject and the verb if the verb consists of one word.

Sandhya never forgot to send me new year greetings.

His uncle nearly lost his life in the war.

(iii)             After the first word if the verb consists of more than one word:

We should never disobey the rules.

The postman has just delivered the mail.

(iv)             Before the verbs have to and used to:

We often had to work on Sundays.

He always used to visit me during the summer vacation.

4.      When an adverb modifies an adjective or another adverb, it is placed before the adjective or the adverb:

The bride looked very beautiful.

They agreed to the plan quite happily.

5.      But the adverb enough is always placed after the word it modifies:

She is intelligent enough to understand the problem.

The teacher spoke loud enough to be heard by everybody.

6.      The word only should be placed immediately before the word it modifies. Notice how in the following sentences the meaning changes on changing the position of the word only.

Only he promised to give me books. (only he and nobody else)

He only promised to give me books. (promised but did not give)

He promised to give me only books. (books and nothing else)

7.      When there are two or more adverbs after a verb (and its object), the normal order is: adverb of manner, adverb of place, adverb of time.

She sang sweetly (manner) in the concert (place) last evening (time).

The train arrived at the platform (place) at 6 p.m. (time).

Correct use of some adverbs:

1.      Fairly, rather

(a)    Both fairly and rather mean moderately. Fairly is used with favourable adjectives and adverbs (clever, wise, intelligent etc.); rather is used with the unfavourable ones (foolish, ugly etc.):

This child is fairly clever for his age.

She did fairly well in the interview.

This shirt is rather expensive.

He is fairly rich but his uncle is rather poor.

(b)   Some words (like hot, cold, fast, slow, high, low) in themselves are neither favourable nor unfavourable. In such cases fairly suggests the idea of approval, rather that of disapproval:

This tea is fairly hot. (I like it that way.)

This tea is rather hot. (I don’t want it that hot.)

2.      Very, much:

(a)   We use very with adjectives or adverbs in the positive degree, much with the comparative degree:

She is a very intelligent girl.

She ran very fast.

Today she is looking much weaker than usual.

(b)   Very is used with present participles, much with past participles:

She is very charming.

Her dancing was much praised.

The young boy was very daring.

The girl was much loved by her parents.

However, now it is quite common to use very with the following past participle forms: tired, satisfied, pleased, surprised, delighted, grieved, pained, annoyed, disappointed, worried, bored, shocked:

I am very tired.

I am very satisfied to see your work.

(c)    We do not use very with words like afraid, obliged, alike; we use  

much with them:

I am much obliged to you for your help.

The two are much alike.

3.      Too

(a)    The word too suggests excess of some kind, more than what is desirable, natural or proper. It should not be used instead of very or much:

Do not say: It is too hot today. Say: It is very hot today.

Do not say: It is too good. Say: It is very good.

(b)   Too generally has a negative sense and is than followed by an infinitive:

I am too tired to walk further. (I am so tired that I cannot walk further.)

(c)    However it is correct to say: She talks too much. This sentence means: She talks more than she should.

Similarly, it is correct to say: He takes things too seriously. This sentence means: He takes things more seriously than he should.

4.      Enough:

Enough means sufficient. It is always used in the positive sense. It is placed after the adjective or adverb but before a noun:

She is old enough to go alone.

She ran fast enough to overtake me.

There is enough food for both of us.

5.      Quite:

With adjectives that do not have a comparative and superlative degree, quite means completely, entirely, fully. It does not mean very:

She is quite right. (She is fully right.)

It is quite impossible. (absolutely impossible.)

With other adjectives or adverbs, quite means to a fairly great extent, to a greater extent than average:

He sings quite well.

She speaks English quite fluently.