Adverbs Grammar Rules

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What Is an Adverb?
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· Grammar
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings

loudly), an adjective (very tall), another adverb (ended too
quickly), or even a whole sentence (Fortunately, I had brought
an umbrella). Adverbs often end in -ly, but some (such as
fast) look exactly the same as their adjective counterparts.
Example
Tom Longboat did not run badly.
Tom is very tall.
The race finished too quickly.
Fortunately, Lucy recorded Tom’s win.
It’s easy to identify adverbs in these sentences.
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Adverbs and verbs
Adverbs often modify verbs. This means that they describe

the way an action is happening.
Example
Phillip sings loudly in the shower.
My cat waits impatiently for his food.
I will seriously consider your suggestion.
The adverbs in each of the sentences above answer the

question in what manner? How does Phillip sing? Loudly. How
does my cat wait? Impatiently. How will I consider your
suggestion? Seriously. Adverbs can answer other types of
questions about how an action was performed. They can also
tell you when (We arrived early) and where (Turn here).
However, there is one type of verb that doesn’t mix well with
adverbs. Linking verbs, such as feel, smell, sound, seem, and
appear, typically need adjectives, not adverbs. A very
common example of this type of mixup is
Incorrect
I feel badly about what happened.
Because “feel” is a verb, it seems to call for an adverb rather

than an adjective. But “feel” isn’t just any verb; it’s a linking
verb. An adverb would describe how you perform the action of
feeling—an adjective describes what you feel. “I feel badly”
means that you are bad at feeling things. If you’re trying to
read Braille through thick leather gloves, then it might make
sense for you to say “I feel badly.” But if you’re trying to say
that you are experiencing negative emotions, “I feel bad” is
the phrase you want.
Adverbs and adjectives
Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. Often,

the purpose of the adverb is to add a degree of intensity to
the adjective.
Example
The woman is quite pretty.
This book is more interesting than the last one.
The weather report is almost always right.
The adverb almost is modifying the adverb always, and

they’re both modifying right.
Example
“Is my singing too loud?” asked Phillip.
My cat is incredibly happy to have his dinner.
We will be slightly late to the meeting.
This bridesmaid dress is a very unflattering shade of puce.
Adverbs and other adverbs
You can use an adverb to describe another adverb. In fact, if

you wanted to, you could use several.
Example
Phillip sings rather enormously too loudly.
The problem is that it often produces weak and clunky

sentences like the one above, so be careful not to overdo it.
Adverbs and sentences
Some adverbs can modify entire sentences—unsurprisingly,

these are called sentence adverbs. Common ones include
generally, fortunately, interestingly, and accordingly. Sentence
adverbs don’t describe one particular thing in the sentence—
instead, they describe a general feeling about all of the
information in the sentence.
Example
Fortunately, we got there in time.
Interestingly, no one at the auction seemed interested in
bidding on the antique spoon collection.
At one time, the use of the word hopefully as a sentence

adverb (e.g., Hopefully, I’ll get this job) was condemned.
People continued to use it though, and many style guides and
dictionaries now accept it. There are still plenty of readers
out there who hate it though, so it’s a good idea to avoid using
it in formal writing.
Degrees of comparison
Like adjectives, adverbs can show degrees of comparison,

although it’s slightly less common to use them this way. With
certain “flat adverbs” (adverbs that look exactly the same as
their adjective counterparts), the comparative and
superlative forms look the same as the adjective comparative
and superlative forms. It’s usually better to use stronger
adverbs (or stronger adjectives and verbs) rather than relying
on comparative and superlative adverbs.
An absolute adverb describes something in its own right:
Example
He smiled warmly
A hastily written note
To make the comparative form of an adverb that ends in -ly,

add the word more:
Example
He smiled more warmly than the others.
The more hastily written note contained the clue.
To make the superlative form of an adverb that ends in -ly,

add the word most:
Example
He smiled most warmly of them all.
The most hastily written note on the desk was overlooked.
Placement of adverbs
Place adverbs as close as possible to the words they are

supposed to modify. Putting the adverb in the wrong spot can
produce an awkward sentence at best and completely
change the meaning at worst. Be especially careful about the
word only, which is one of the most often misplaced
modifiers. Consider the difference between these two
sentences:
Example
Phillip only fed the cat.
Phillip fed only the cat.
The first sentence means that all Phillip did was feed the cat.
He didn’t pet the cat or pick it up or anything else. The second
sentence means that Phillip fed the cat, but he didn’t feed
the dog, the bird, or anyone else who might have been
around.
When an adverb is modifying a verb phrase, the most natural

place for the adverb is usually the middle of the phrase.
Correct
We are quickly approaching the deadline.
Phillip has always loved singing.
I will happily assist you.
When to avoid adverbs
Ernest Hemingway is often held up as an example of a great

writer who detested adverbs and advised other writers to
avoid them. In reality, it’s impossible to avoid adverbs
altogether. Sometimes we need them, and all writers (even
Hemingway) use them occasionally. The trick is to avoid
unnecessary adverbs. When your verb or adjective doesn’t
seem powerful or precise enough, instead of reaching for an
adverb to add more color, try reaching for a stronger verb or
adjective instead. Most of the time, you’ll come up with a
better word and your writing will be stronger for it.
Your writing,
at its best.
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Grammarly stands with Ukraine.

An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb (he sings

Tom is very tall.

The race finished too quickly.

Fortunately, Lucy recorded Tom’s win.

It’s easy to identify adverbs in these sentences.

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines?

WRITE WITH GRAMMARLY

Adverbs and verbs

Adverbs often modify verbs. This means that they describe

My cat waits impatiently for his food.

I will seriously consider your suggestion.

The adverbs in each of the sentences above answer the

Because “feel” is a verb, it seems to call for an adverb rather

Adverbs and adjectives

Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs. Often,

This book is more interesting than the last one.

The weather report is almost always right.

The adverb almost is modifying the adverb always, and

“Is my singing too loud?” asked Phillip.

My cat is incredibly happy to have his dinner.

We will be slightly late to the meeting.

This bridesmaid dress is a very unflattering shade of puce.

Adverbs and other adverbs

You can use an adverb to describe another adverb. In fact, if

The problem is that it often produces weak and clunky

Adverbs and sentences

Some adverbs can modify entire sentences—unsurprisingly,

At one time, the use of the word hopefully as a sentence

Like adjectives, adverbs can show degrees of comparison,

An absolute adverb describes something in its own right:

A hastily written note

To make the comparative form of an adverb that ends in -ly,

The more hastily written note contained the clue.

To make the superlative form of an adverb that ends in -ly,

He smiled most warmly of them all.

The most hastily written note on the desk was overlooked.

Place adverbs as close as possible to the words they are

Phillip only fed the cat.

Phillip fed only the cat.

When an adverb is modifying a verb phrase, the most natural

Phillip has always loved singing.

I will happily assist you.

When to avoid adverbs

Ernest Hemingway is often held up as an example of a great

Works on all your favorite websites

Distributives: Definition and Examples

Distributives: Definition and Examples

“Was” or “Were” in the “If” Clause/Conditional

“Was” or “Were” in the “If” Clause/Conditional

Imperative Verbs in English, Explained

Writing, grammar, and communication

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2022 © Grammarly Inc.

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