Meaning & use
adverb describing another adverb
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Meanings
phrasecountabletechnical
An adverb that changes or makes clearer the meaning of another adverb, usually by showing degree or manner.
Grammar: Usually appears directly before the adverb it describes, as in 'extremely well' or 'quite slowly'.
Patterns
- adverb describing another adverb + adverb
- an adverb describing another adverb
In the phrase 'very quickly', 'very' is an adverb describing another adverb.
The teacher asked the class to find an adverb describing another adverb in each sentence.
Words like 'almost', 'quite' and 'extremely' often work as adverbs describing another adverb.
phrasecountabletechnical
A word or phrase that tells how, when, where, or to what degree another adverb applies.
Grammar: Used when talking about grammar rules, not as a normal everyday phrase.
Patterns
- identify an adverb describing another adverb
- use an adverb describing another adverb
She explained that 'really' can be an adverb describing another adverb in 'really well'.
The exercise focuses on adverbs describing another adverb rather than adjectives.
An adverb describing another adverb can make the meaning stronger or weaker.
Common combinations
- adverb describing another adverb
- The phrase 'adverb describing another adverb' came up in today's grammar lesson.
- find an adverb describing another adverb
- Can you find an adverb describing another adverb in this paragraph?
- use an adverb describing another adverb
- Try to use an adverb describing another adverb in your next sentence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- adverb modifier
- A more technical term for any word that changes an adverb's meaning; it can include adverbs and some other words, so it is broader than this phrase.
Word family
- adverb noun
- A word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
- adverbial adjective
- Relating to or functioning as an adverb.
Commonly confused: adverb describing another adverb or adjective describing an adverb?
adverb describing another adverb vs adjective describing an adverb
Adjectives do not normally describe adverbs; they describe nouns. If a word describes an adverb, it is usually an adverb itself.
Practice
Which sentence contains an adverb describing another adverb?
Choose one answer.
'Almost' describes 'never', which is an adverb, so it is an adverb describing another adverb. In 'He is very tall', 'very' describes an adjective, not an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adverb describing another adverb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.