Week 6: Parts of Speech

Adverbs
 An adverb is a word that modifies (describes, gives more information about) a
verb, adjective, or other adverb.
Yesterday the quite relieved soldier very quickly ran out of the woods when he saw
his comrade frantically waving at him.
 The adverbs in that sentence are yesterday (modifies the verb ran), quite
(modifies the adjective relieved), very (modifies the adverb quickly), quickly
(modifies the verb ran), and frantically (modifies the verb waving).
 Adverbs are a class of words which perform a wide range of functions. They
are especially important for indicating the time, manner, place, degree and
frequency of an event, action or process.
 If you still need help finding adverbs, try this. Ask yourself if the word you are
wondering about answers one of these questions:
 How? • When? • Where? • Why? • Under what circumstances? • How much? •
How often? • To what extent?
 In the example above, yesterday answers the question when?; quite answers
the question to what extent?; very answers the question to what extent? (or
how much?); quickly answers the question how? (or to what extent?); and
frantically answers the question how?
Adverbs Tell Where It Happened

 Some adverbs describe the location of an action. Examples of adverbs like this would include:
 Downstairs: The engineering class often holds meetings downstairs.
 Everywhere: Wekesa looked everywhere for his missing keys.
 Here: She will plant her garden here.
 In: We stayed in to watch a movie instead of attending the party.
 Inside: When it's hot and humid, Anna likes to read inside.
 Outside: The children love to play outside.
 Somewhere: I want to go fishing somewhere warm and sunny.
 There: We went to Mombasa for my cousin's wedding and stayed there for three nights.
 Underground: The warthog began burrowing underground.
 Upstairs: I went upstairs to see my grandma who was on bed rest.
Adverbs Tell When It Happened

 Examples of adverbs that describe when an action occurred include:

 Early: She arrived early for the meeting.
 First: When I bake, I make cookies first.
 Last: When I clean, I do laundry last.
 Later: I will stop by later to see how you are doing.
 Never: He never wants to go to the park with me.
 Now: The movie is starting now.
 Regularly: Writing regularly in my journal is soothing.
 Today: I have many things to accomplish today.
 Tomorrow: Tomorrow, we are going to the movies.
 Yesterday: She came over for a visit yesterday.
Adverbs Tell the Extent of the Action

 Adverbs also describe the extent to which something was done, including:
 Almost: I almost stopped at Nyeri Grill for lunch, but I was running late.
 Also: A talented singer, Omondi also enjoys playing the drums.
 Enough: Daniel is finally tall enough to ride the bicycle.
 Only: I only take the Matatu to work on Mondays.
 Not: He is not running that race today.
 Quite: I was quite pleased to see my son's progress in school this year.
 Rather: I am rather tired after spending the day at the farm.
 So: I am so hungry, I could eat a horse.
 Too: It is too loud in here for me to concentrate.
 Very: Baby Halima was very tired after missing her afternoon nap.
Adverbs Are Intensifiers

 Another function of adverbs is to intensify the meaning of the word it is

modifying. It does this by putting more or less emphasis on the word,
amplifying the meaning of the word, or toning down the feeling of the word.
 Here are some sentences with the emphasizing adverb in bold:
He literally wrecked his car.
I am certain of the facts, for sure.
You simply don't understand.
I really don't care what you think.
 Sentences that amplify would be like:
 He completely rejected his proposal.
I heartily endorsed the new restaurant.
He totally gets me.
I absolutely refuse to stay here any longer
 Adverbs and adverb phrases that tone down the feeling or mood include:
You can improve on this to some extent.
The boss almost quit his job after that.
I somewhat understand what you are saying.
She mildly disapproved of his actions.
 Adjectives and adverbs are frequently based on the same word.
 Most adverbs have the form of their related adjective plus -ly ending:
She’s a beautiful girl. (adjective) She sings beautifully. (adverb)
They were careful not to wake the baby. (adjective) They walked carefully across the
narrow bridge. (adverb)
 Other suffixes which denote adverbs are -ward(s) and -wise:
homeward(s), northward(s), onward(s) ,outward(s), lengthwise, clockwise, edgewise.
 A number of adverbs have the same form as adjectives
(e.g. hard, outside, right, straight, late, well).
 A number of adverbs (e.g. just, quite, so, soon, too, very) are not related to
adjectives all
Adjective and adverb homomorphs

 - There is a certain overlap between the adjective and adverb classes.

In English grammar, they are referred to as flat adverbs, bare adverbs,
or simple adverbs -  is an adverb that has the same form as the
corresponding adjective ( Today these forms may be stigmatized and are not in
frequent use)
a slow car - drive slow
 Similarly, long and short, for example, can be used as both adjective and
adverb:
Long stick Vs It took Kamau a long time to reach his destination,
had short hair - Did you have to wait until she cut her hair short?
 Whereas there is no adverb *longly, there is an adverb shortly, but with a
different meaning 'soon', as in I'll be back shortly.
Conjunctive Adverbs

 Conjunctive adverbs are in a category of their own. These words join

independent clauses into one sentence. (You’ll also see them in lists of
transitional words and phrases.)
 A conjunctive adverb, adverbial conjunction, or subordinating adverb is
an adverb that connects two clauses by converting the clause it introduces
into an adverbial modifier of the verb in the main clause. For example, in "I
told him; thus, he knows", thus is a conjunctive adverb
 Some examples:
Accordingly, also, besides, consequently, finally, furthermore, hence, however,
incidentally, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, nevertheless, next,
otherwise, still, therefore, thus,
 Use conjunctive adverbs to join short sentences into more complex thoughts;
however (did you notice the conjunctive adverb there?), be sure that:
1. You have a complete thought on either side of the conjunctive adverb.
2. You put a semicolon before it and a comma after it.
3. You are joining two closely related thoughts.
4. You have used the right conjunctive adverb.
 A small group of adverbs known as intensifiers or qualifiers (very is the most
common intensifier) increase the intensity of the adjectives and other
adverbs they modify. Other common intensifiers are:
awfully, extremely, kind of, more, most, pretty (as in pretty happy), quite, rather,
really (as in really sad), somewhat, sort of, and too.
Comparisons with Adjectives and
Adverbs
 Sometimes you need to show how something compares with or measures up to
something else.
You may want to let your friends know if a new scary movie you’ve seen is scarier than
another one you’ve all recently watched together or perhaps even the scariest movie
you’ve ever seen.
 In writing comparisons, you can use one of three different forms (called degrees)
of adjectives and adverbs:
1) The positive degree simply makes a statement about a person, place, or thing.
2) The comparative degree compares two (but only two) people, places, or things.
3) The superlative degree compares more than two people, places, or things.
Positive Comparative Superlative
blue bluer bluest
dirty dirtier dirtiest
tall taller tallest
happy happier happiest
Positive Comparative Superlative
awkwardly more awkwardly most awkwardly
comfortable more comfortable most comfortable
qualified Less qualified least qualified
 Here are a couple of rules to help you in forming the comparative and superlative:
1) One-syllable adjectives and adverbs usually form their comparative form by adding –er
and their superlative form by adding –est.
2) Adjectives of more than two syllables and adverbs ending in –ly usually form
comparative forms by using more (or less) and superlative forms by using most (or
least).
3) Confusion sometimes takes place in forming comparisons of words of two syllables only.
Here’s the rub: Sometimes two-syllable words use the –er, est forms, and sometimes
they use the more, most (or less, least) forms.
sleepy sleepier sleepiest
tiring more tiring most tiring

So how do you know whether to use the –er, est form or the more, most form? You have to use a
dictionary (a large dictionary, not a paperback one) if you’re not sure. If there are no comparative
or superlative forms listed in the dictionary, then use the more, most form.
 There are a few exceptions to the above rules; these include:
bad worse worst
far farther/further farthest/furthest
good better best
little littler littlest
Less lesser least
many more most
much more most
old (persons) elder eldest old (things) older oldest
 One common mistake in both writing and speaking is to use the superlative form
when the comparative should be used. Remember that if you’re comparing two
persons, places, or things, you use only the comparative form (not the superlative).
adverbial genitive 

 an adverbial genitive is a noun declined in the genitive case that functions as an adverb.

 In Old and Middle English, the genitive case was productive, and adverbial genitives were
commonplace. While Modern English does not fully retain the genitive case, it has left various relics,
including a number of adverbial genitives. Some of them are now analyzed as ordinary adverbs,
including the following:
Always (from all way)
afterwards, towards, and so on (from their counterparts in -ward, which historically were adjectives)
once, twice, and thrice (from the roots of one, two, and three)
hence, thence, and whence (related to the roots of here, there, and where)
 Some words were formed from the adverbial genitive along with an additional parasitic -t:
Amidst (from amid)
Amongst (from among)
Midst from mid)
Whilst  (from while)
Adverb Phrases

 Adverb phrases function like adverbs, modifying a verb or adjective. They add more information to a
sentence, telling us when, how, where, and to what extent. Adverb phrases don't always contain an
adverb and can start with a preposition or the infinitive form of a verb.
 Here's a list of sentences with the adverb phrase in bold:
He lived in the north of Germany.
We went out today to buy a new car.
She goes to the movies every week.
She made me laugh wildly and uproariously.
I stacked the books where the students can reach them.
She looked for wildflowers yesterday afternoon.
He moves so slowly in the morning.
I went to bed much later than usual.
Please stay as long as possible.
We cheered loudly and crazily to support the team.
More reading related to Adverbs

•Conjunctive
•Flat
•Genitive
•Interrogative
•Locative
•Prepositional
•Pronominal
•Relative
 THANKS A LOT
AHSANTENI SANA