Adverbs Exercises

1. We shall start immediately.

2. Henry will meet us to-morrow.

In these sentences immediately and to-morrow tell us the time of starting, and the time of meeting. They are added to the verbs shall start and will meet, to make their meaning more definite. They answer to the questions, When will you start? and, When will Henry meet you?

Words like immediately and to-morrow added to verbs to denote the time of the action are called adverbs of time.

Write five sentences containing adverbs of time.

1. I have always lived here.

2. Everybody was happy there.

In these sentences here tells where I have always lived, and there tells where everybody is happy.

Words like here and there that modify the meaning of a verb or an adjective, and denote the place where, are called adverbs of place.

Write five sentences containing adverbs of place.

1. Mary studies her lessons carefully.

2. John skates very gracefully.

In these sentences carefully and gracefully tell the manner of studying, and of skating. They answer the questions,

How does Mary study? How does John skate?

Words like carefully and gracefully, used to modify verbs, and to tell how a thing is done, are called .adverbs of manner.

Write five sentences containing adverbs of manner.

1. He was quite overcome by the heat.

2. The cause of the delay is now fully known.

In these sentences quite and fully tell the degree or extent to which he was overcome, and to what extent the cause of the delay is known.

Words thus used to denote degree are called adverbs of degree.

Write five sentences containing adverbs of degree.

1. Of course you will be present.

2. He labored in vain.

In these sentences of course modifies will he present by making a future condition nearly certain, and in vain tells how he labored.

Of course and in vain, and similar expressions, are called adverbial phrases.

1. We should go where duty calls.

2. Be ready when he comes.

In the first sentence the clause where duty calls modifies should go, and thus has the force of an adverb.

In the second sentence the clause when he comes modifies ready, and thus has the force of an adverb.

Adverbs are words used to modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

Adverbial phrases and adverbial clauses have the same uses as adverbs.