A short presentation about what adverbs are and what they do.

1. Adverbs

2. Examples
The man spoke quietly.
They started the race slowly.
Fortunately nothing was stolen.

3. Use
Adverbs describe a verb, an
adjective, another adverb, or a whole
situation.

4. Use
A verb
Examples:
The race started slowly. (Slowly
describes how the race started.)
They talked quietly about the match.
(Quietly describes how they talked.)

5. Use
An adjective
Examples:
The plate was really hot. (Really
describes how hot the plate was.)
The food tasted surprisingly good.
(Surprisingly describes how good the
food tasted.)

6. Use
An adverb
Examples:
The race started really slowly. (Really
describes how slowly the race started.)
They talked very quietly about the
match. (Very describes how quietly they
talked.)

7. Use
Whole situations
Examples:
Fortunately nothing was stolen.
(Fortunately describes how fortunate it
was that nothing was stolen.)
Perhaps Sarah is working late.
(Perhaps describes how likely it is that
Sarah is working late.)

8. Use
The -ly ending.
We often form an adverb from an
adjective + ly.
Examples:
polite -> politely
quick -> quickly
safe -> safely

9. Use
Special Spelling Rules
We do not leave out e
Example: nice -> nicely
y -> ily after a consonant
Example: easy -> easily
le -> ly
Example: possible -> possibly
ic -> ically
Example: dramatic -> dramatically
Note: There are some exceptions to these rules.

10. Use
Exceptions (1)
Some adjective already end in -ly. In
those cases we use way or manner to
make an adverb.
Example:
Friendly -> He spoke to us in a friendly
manner.
Silly-> They looked at us in a silly way.

11. Use
Exceptions (2)
Some words can be used as an
adjective and an adverb.
Example:
We did some hard work. (adjective)
We worked hard. (adverb)

12. Use
Exceptions (3)
There a some pairs of adverbs that have
different meanings.
Examples:
I tied hard, but didn’t succeed.
I have got hardly any money left. (Hardly
means almost none.)

13. Use
Exceptions (4)
Sometimes adjectives have an adverb
that is a completely different word.
Example:
Natasha is a good pianist. (adjective)
She plays the piano very well. (adverb)

14. Use
Exceptions (5)
There are some adverbs that don’t end
in ly.
Example:
Perhaps Sarah is working late
Maybe he is not going to show up at all

15. The Comparison of Adverbs
Some adverbs have the same form as an
adjective. They also get er and est
Example:
earlier, faster, harder, higher
Many adverbs are an adjective + ly. When used
in a comparison we use more and most (or
less and least).
Example:
We could do this more easily with a computer.
He planned his tactics most carefully.

16. The Comparison of Adverbs
(2)
Some adverbs have their own form.
Example:
well-better-best
badly-worse-worst
far-farther-farthest

17. Questions?
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