Adverbs
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Adverbs mainly add to a verb, telling us how/when/where.
The fox ran quickly.
Quickly tells us how fast the fox ran. Notice that ‘quick’ is an adjective; adding -ly makes an adverb.
Adverbs can also be applied to adjectives and other adverbs.
The fox ran very quickly.
Here, ‘very’ tell you how quickly – and quickly is an adverb.
The fox ran away very quickly.
This time, ‘away’ modifies the verb ‘ran’; it tell us ‘where’ the fox ran.
The general rule
The general rule with adverbs, like adjectives, is to use them sparingly. If you choose to include an adverb it has to be for a good reason!
Often, an adverb with a verb can be better expressed using a stronger verb, and being more specific.
- ran fast = raced
- walked slowly = strolled
We look at strong verbs later – when we want to consider replacing weak verbs.
