Adverb
/ˈædvɜrb/
nounB1
Definition
An adverb is a part of speech that describes or changes the meaning of a verb (action word), an adjective (describing word), or another adverb. It explains details like the way something happens (how), the time (when), the place (where), or the degree (how much).
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⚡ See It in Action
Word describing how an action happens
- •She runs quickly to catch the bus.
- •He spoke softly during the meeting.
- •They worked hard all day.
Word modifying an adjective or another adverb
- •The movie was very interesting.
- •She sings quite beautifully.
- •It is too cold outside.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "adverb" like "very" or "quickly," simple words you already know that add more detail to actions or descriptions.
- ✓Picture a runner: the verb is "run," and the adverb is "fast"—it tells us how the running happens.
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to explain more about an action, like "She sings beautifully"—you want to show how she sings.
- ✓Sounds like "ADD-verb" → imagine adding (ADD) extra information to a verb or word to make it clearer.
- ✓Think of a story where someone moves quietly at night; "quietly" is an adverb telling how they move.
- ✓NOT like a noun (name of a thing) or adjective (describes a noun); adverbs describe actions or qualities.
- ✓NOT like a verb (action itself); adverbs tell more about the action, not do the action.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Modifier: a word that changes the meaning of another word (Use when you want a general term for words like adjectives and adverbs)
- •Descriptor: a word that describes something (Use when focusing on description, but less specific than adverb)
- •Qualifier: a word that limits or changes meaning (Use in grammar or writing contexts when explaining word functions)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: "ad-" (to, toward) + "verb" (action word) → means a word added to a verb
- •Etymology: From Latin "adverbium," meaning "to the verb" or "added to the verb"
- •Historical development: Used since the 14th century in English grammar to name words that modify verbs
- •Modern usage: Common term in grammar for words that give more information about actions, qualities, or other adverbs
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How does adding an adverb change the meaning of a sentence or action?
•Can you think of situations where using an adverb is very important to make your meaning clear?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.An adverb often tells us ___ something happens, like quickly or slowly.
2.When we say "She is very happy," the word "very" is an adverb that changes the ___.
3.Adverbs can describe verbs, adjectives, or ___.
4.The adverb "never" tells us about the ___ of an action.
5.Words like "quickly" and "loudly" are adverbs because they describe ___.
6.Sometimes adverbs come ___ the verb they describe, like "He always smiles."
7.If a sentence has no adverb, it might not explain ___ or how well something is done.