Adverbs: Overview

An adverb is a word used to modify, or qualify, a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to adjectives.

ADJECTIVE

ADVERB

normal

normally

happy

happily

bright

brightly

But don’t assume that all words ending in -ly are adverbs or that all adverbs end in -ly. Some adjectives end in -ly: lovely, friendly. Some adverbs don’t: always, here, there. When in doubt, consult a dictionary.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: In the last stage of our experiment, we poured slowly the liquid into the container. Revised sentence: In the last stage of our experiment, we slowly poured the liquid into the container.

ESL: Placement of adverbs

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 1

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 2

Exercise: Adjectives and adverbs 3