Meaning & use
adverbs
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“adverbs” is a form of “adverb”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, often telling how, when, where, or how much.
Grammar: This is the plural form; the singular is 'adverb'.
Patterns
- adverbs of manner
- adverbs of frequency
- adverbs of time
In the sentence 'She sings beautifully,' the word 'beautifully' is one of the adverbs.
Adverbs like 'quickly' and 'carefully' tell us how an action is done.
The teacher asked us to underline all the adverbs in the paragraph.
Word forms
| singular | adverb |
|---|
Common combinations
- adverbs of manner
- Adverbs of manner, such as 'slowly', describe how something happens.
- adverbs of frequency
- Words like 'always' and 'never' are adverbs of frequency.
- form adverbs
- You can form adverbs by adding -ly to many adjectives.
- use adverbs
- Good writers use adverbs sparingly to avoid weak prose.
Synonyms and how they differ
- modifiers
- A broader term that includes adjectives and other words that describe or limit meaning; adverbs are a specific type of modifier.
Word family
- adverb noun
- A word that describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
- adverbial adjective
- Relating to or functioning as an adverb.
- adverbially adverb
- In a way that relates to an adverb.
Commonly confused: adverbs or adjectives?
adverbs vs adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns (a quick runner), while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (he runs quickly).
Practice
Which word in the sentence 'He speaks English fluently' is an adverb?
Choose one answer.
'Fluently' describes how he speaks, so it is an adverb. 'He' is a pronoun, 'speaks' is a verb, and 'English' is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adverbs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.