Learning Adverbs
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Adverbs
Adverbs are verbs like quickly, slowly, mainly, quietly today. Adverbs tell us more about the verb. They tell us where, when, how or how often something happens.
How are adverbs form?
- Many adverbs are formed by adding – ly to the adjectives. The meanings of most such adjectives and adverbs are very close.
easy – easily happy – happily kind – kindly nice – nicely
quick – quickly slow – slowly
- Adverbs that tell us where , when, and how much something happens usually do not have the – ly ending.
The committee met yesterday. She called me in the afternoon.
- Many verbs have the same form as adjectives.
She ran fast (adv) The next performer is Renu. She worked hard.
- Some adverbs have dual forms. One of them is the same as the adjective and the other is with – ly.
Can you make it quick? She quickly ran to open the door
Where do adverbs come in sentence?
Some adverbs have a fixed position in a sentence. Some adverbs that refer to a whole clause or a large part of a sentence may come at different places in sentence.
At the beginning of a clause Recently I met my old friends in a seminar
At the end of a clause The show ended haphazardly.
Before the verb She often studied at night.
Between the auxiliary and the main verb She could hardly see anything at night.
Before an adverbial She left the school immediately in a huff.
Before an adjective It was a fairly quick decision.
Before an adverb We agreed to meet again soon.
Common errors in the use of adverbs:
- Adverbs of time – always, often , sometimes , never, ever, seldom, merely – are put before the verb they qualify.
I meet him seldom. Incorrect
I seldom meet him. Correct
- Use of adverb ‘ too’ – when ‘too’ is used in the comparative sense it should be followed by ‘to’ or substituted by ‘very’.
He is too old. Incorrect
He is very old. Correct
OR He is too old to walk Correct
- Use of adverb ‘much’ and ‘ very’ ; MUCH is used with (i) comparative degree (ii) and past participle. VERY is used with (i) positive degree (ii) present participle.
It is much easy to handle . Incorrect
It is much easier to handle. Correct
This is much disappointing reply. Incorrect
This is very disappointing reply. Correct
- Adverb ‘AS’ cannot be used with ‘elect’ , ‘appoint’ and consider but it must be used with ‘regard’.
They elected him as their representative. Incorrect
They elected him their representative. Correct
I regard Ramesh my brother. Incorrect
I regard Ramesh as my brother. Correct
- Hardly, scarcely are adverbs and must be followed by verb and later on by ‘when’.
Hardly he went out of the office then it began to rain. Incorrect
Hardly he went out of the office when it began to rain. Correct
- NOT is an adverb and NO is an adjective. Double negatives cannot be used if we want to say something negative.
I forbade him not to watch horror movie at night. Incorrect
I forbade him to watch horror movie at night. Correct
Work lest you should not repent. Incorrect
Work lest you should repent. Correct
I could not hardly work at night. Incorrect
I could hardly work at night. Correct
- WHERE and WHEN are adverbs and cannot be used to introduce noun clauses.
Erosion is where the soil is washed away. Incorrect
Erosion occurs when the soil is washed away. OR Correct
Erosion has occurred where the soil is washed away.
Illiteracy is when a man cannot read or write Incorrect
Illiteracy is the condition of the man who cannot read or write Correct
- Reason why _________ reason that
The word ‘why’ is an adverb; the word ‘that is either a pronoun or an adjective, according to its use.
A common error arises in the use of the adverb ‘why’ for the relative pronoun ‘that’.
The reason why he came is that he needs help. Incorrect
The reason that he came is that he needs help. Correct
Practice Exercise
Directions : (Q. Nos. 1 – 25 ) In this section a number of sentences are given. The sentences are divided into four separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) ,(c).and (d). Read each sentences to find out whether there is an error in any one of the parts. No sentence has more than one error. When you find an error in any one of the parts (a),(b) and (c), indicate your response on the separate Answer Sheet. You may sometimes feel that there is no error in a sentence. In that case option (e) will signify the response.