Form and Comparison of Adverbs

Adverbs are used to express how something is done (adjectives express how someone or something is). Example: The dog sleeps quietly. The dog is absolutely quiet.

Form
In general: adjective + -ly
adjective slow adverb slowly

Exceptions in spelling exception silent e is dropped in true, due, whole y becomes i le after a consonant is dropped after ll only add y example true truly happy happily sensible sensibly full fully

Adjectives ending in -ic: adjective + -ally (exception: public-publicly)

adjective fantastic adverb fantastically

Adjectives ending in -ly: use in a way / manner or another adverb with similar meaning
adjective friendly likely adverb in a friendly way in a friendly manner probably

Exceptions
adjective good difficult public deep direct hard high adverb (meaning) well with difficulty publicly deep (place) direct hard high (place) adverb (meaning)

deeply (feeling) directly (=soon) hardly (=seldom) highly (figurative)

late most near pretty short The following adjectives are also used as adverbs (without modification):

late most near pretty (=rather) short

lately (=recently) mostly (=usually) nearly (=almost) prettily shortly (=soon)

daily, enough, early, far, fast, hourly, little, long, low, monthly, much, straight, weekly, yearly,

Comparison
Comparison (-er/-est)
Comparative ending in Superlative ending in -er -est harder hardest earlier earliest

one-syllable adverbs (hard) adverbs with the same form as adjectives (early)

Comparison (more / most)

Comparative formed with more adverbs ending in -ly (happily) more happily Superlative formed with most most happily

Irregular comparisons
positive form well badly ill little much far (place + time) far (place) late (time) comparative better worse worse less more further farther later superlative best worst worst least most furthest farthest latest

Position of Adverbs
Adverb of Manner
(e.g.: slowly, carefully, awfully) These adverbs are put behind the direct object (or behind the verb if there's no direct object). subject He He verb(s) drove drove direct object the car adverb carefully. carefully.

Adverbs of Place
(e.g.: here, there, behind, above) Like adverbs of manner, these adverbs are put behind the direct object or the verb. subject I He verb(s) didn't see stayed direct object him adverb here. behind.

Adverbs of Time
(e.g.: recently, now, then, yesterday) Adverbs of time are usually put at the end of the sentence. subject verb(s) indirect object direct object time I will tell you the story tomorrow. If you don't want to put emphasis on the time, you can also put the adverb of time at the beginning of the sentence. time subject verb(s) indirect object direct object Tomorrow I will tell you the story.

Adverbs of Frequency
(e.g.: always, never, seldom, usually) Adverbs of frequency are put directly before the main verb. If 'be' is the main verb and there is no auxiliary verb, adverbs of frequency are put behind 'be'. Is there an auxiliary verb, however, adverbs of frequency are put before 'be'.

subject auxiliary/be I He We I doesn't are have

adver main verb object, place or time b often go swimming in the evenings. always play tennis. usually here in summer. never been abroad.

Word Order in Questions

In questions, the word order subject-verbs-object is the same as in affirmative sentences. The only thing thats different is that you usually have to put the auxiliary verb (or the main verb be) before the subject. Interrogatives are put at the beginning of the sentences: interrogative What auxiliary verb would Did When were subject you you you other verb(s) like to tell have indirect object me direct object a party place in your flat here? time

yesterday?

You dont use an auxiliary verb if you ask for the subject. In this case the interrogative simply takes the place of the subject. interrogative Who verb(s) asked object you?

Direct Object A direct object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or shows the result of the action. It answers the question "What?" or "Whom?" after an action verb. An action verb with a direct object is called a transitive verb. The direct objects on this page are italicized. Notice each question being answered: "Receives what?" "The action"; "Shows what?" "The question"; etc. Indirect Object An indirect object precedes the direct object and tells to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done and who is receiving the direct object. There must be a direct object to have an indirect object. Indirect objects are usually found with verbs of giving or communicating like give, bring, tell, show, take, or offer. An indirect object is always a noun or pronoun which is not part of a prepositional phrase. Example: She gave me the report. (Who received the report? Me.)