2. Adverbs
Adverbs are words that give more information about the
action of the sentence – i.e., the verb – or about an
adjective or even another adverb. Adverbs often answer
questions like:
How?
Why?
Where?
When?
Under what circumstances?
To what degree or extent? (This is the sense in which adverbs
generally describe adjectives and other adverbs.)
Adverbs often, but do not always, end in -ly
3. Adverbs (2)
“I began to weep bitterly because no one was found
worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.” (Rev 5:4
NRSV)
How was John weeping?
“I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for
my name's sake.” (Rev 2:3 ESV)
How are the believers enduring?
“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly
astonished.” (Matt 19:25 NIV)
To what extent were the disciples astonished?
4. Adverbs (3)
Like adjectives, adverbs can be compared:
Positive: “bitterly”
Comparative: “more bitterly”
Superlative: “most bitterly”
Irregular comparisons also exist:
Well, better, best
Little, less, least
Badly, worse, worst
5. Caution: When adverbs look like
prepositions
“And when he had looked around at
everything, as it was already late, he went out to
Bethany with the twelve.” (Mark 11:11).
“Around” is often used as a preposition, as in “I
heard the voice of many angels around the throne”
(Rev 5:11 NASU). In Mk 11:11, however, “around”
describes the action of “looking” – Where did Jesus
look?
