Adverbs

Overview of Adverbs

We can use adverbs to describe a verb, adjective, or other adverbs.

Let's take a look at the most common ways that we use adverbs. We will cover these in more detail in the following lessons.

1. Adverbs tell more about a verb. These are also called adverbs of manner.

These adverbs are often made by adding "-ly" to the end of an adjective. Adjectives that end in "-y" we drop the "y" and add "-ily".

Adjective	Adverb
beautiful	beautifully
quick	quickly
graceful	gracefully
happy	happily

There are some exceptions. The following words have the same adjective and adverb form.

Adjective	Adverb
late	late
fast	fast
hard	hard
early	early

Here are some example sentences.

• We arrived late.
• They danced beautifully.
• The train goes very fast.
• She ran away quickly.
• She kindly asked us to be quiet.
• They loudly entered the room.

Do not use "good" as an adverb. Instead, use "well".

• She can dance well.
• I can cook well.

2. We can also use adverbs to describe adjectives. These are also called intensifiers.

Look at a few examples.

• It is very hot.
• They are really nice.
• The weather is surprisingly cool today.
• We are extremely tired.
• I am physically tired.

3. We can use two adverbs together. We use "intensifier + adverb of manner".

• We work extremely hard.
• She can cook very well.
• The woman is dancing very gracefully in the competition.

4. We can use adverbs of time or frequency to tell when or how often.

• I will go tomorrow.
• She went yesterday.
• I always exercise on Monday.
• He never smokes.
• They often went there when they were young.

5. We can use adverbs of place to tell where, in what direction, or the distance.

• The plane is going up.
• The elevator is going down.
• We are going nowhere.
• She went inside.
• Let's go outside now.
• He lives far away.
• It is nearby.

6. We can use adverbs of certainty to tell how sure we are.

• I will probably go.
• They clearly don't know what they are talking about.
• She surely failed the test.

7. We often use adverbs as the first word of a sentence when we are giving our opinion or commenting on a situation.

• Honestly, I do not know.
• Surprisingly, he passed the test.
• Obviously, we did not prepare enough.
• Personally, I think it is great.

8. "Also" and "too" are two common adverbs that we need to know.

• She likes movies. I like movies too.
• She likes movies. I also like movies.
• He is American. I am American too.
• He is American. I am also American.

There are many different adverbs and different ways that we can use adverbs. In the following lessons, we will cover the most common and important English adverbs in detail. There are also many other lessons to help you learn English grammar, speak fluent English, and learn everything else you want to about the English language.

Intensifiers

Intensifiers make our language stronger or more descriptive. We use them to add emotion or detail to our language. We can put them before adjectives or other adverbs. Sometimes, these are called adverbs of degree.

Look at these examples of intensifiers.

• It is a little hot. (+)
• It is kind of hot. (+)
• It is pretty hot. (++)
• It is very hot. (+++)
• It is extremely hot. (++++)

Here are the most common intensifiers that must know and what degree of strength they show.

a little (+)	kind of (+)	somewhat (+)	sort of (+)
pretty (++)	fairly (++)	quite (++)	rather (++)
very (+++)	really (+++)	so (+++)	too (+++)
extremely (++++)	incredibly (++++)	unbelievably (++++)	awfully (++++)

We can use these with any verb tense.

Here are some examples.

• She is incredibly kind.
• They were kind of annoying.
• The movie was pretty interesting.
• He is sort of tall.
• She is a little strange.
• The weather was quite hot.
• We will be so tired.
• Greg is awfully nice.
• Was it very hot?
• Are you kind of hungry?

Here are a few things we need to remember.

1. The words "terrible" and "awful" mean very bad. But when we use them as adverbs (terribly, awfully) then they have the same meaning as "very". The sentence can have a positive or negative meaning.

• This pizza is awfully good.
• The weather was terribly hot.

2. Some of these intensifiers can be followed by nouns.

• She is kind of a bad person.
• They are sort of friends.

There are many other adverbs like the ones we studied in this lesson. Adverbs are important to know because they add detail and emotion to our language. You can speak basic English without adverbs, but if you want to be an advanced or fluent speaker, then you need to use adverbs.

If you want to practice speaking English, then try making your own sentences for each of the adverbs in the table above. This will help you improve your English quickly and remember this English grammar point for longer.

Adverbs of Frequency

We can use adverbs of frequency to tell how often we do something or how often something happens. Here is a list of the most common adverbs of frequency.

always	frequently	usually	never
hardly ever	normally	occasionally	often
rarely	regularly	seldom	sometimes

We put adverbs of frequency after the subject of a sentence.

Subject + adverb of frequency + verb...

• I always wake up at 8 am.
• She frequently visits her parents.
• They usually play basketball together.
• She never eats dessert.
• I hardly ever drink wine.
• We normally eat dinner at 7.
• He occasionally goes home early from work.
• She often complains about her job.
• We rarely fight.
• I regularly get a health checkup.
• My teacher seldom gets angry.
• They sometimes do not work hard.

We put adverbs of frequency after "be verbs".

Subject + be verb + adverb of frequency...

• She is always tired.
• They are never late.
• It is sometimes cold.
• We are usually tired after playing soccer.
• He is seldom angry.

The words "sometimes" and "occasionally" can be used more freely. We can also put them at the beginning of a sentence.

• Sometimes, it is cold.
• Occasionally, we go on a picnic.

Instead of using an adverb of frequency, it is also possible to tell how often by adding a time phrase at the end of a sentence.

• I exercise every morning.
• We go hiking once in a while. (once in a while = sometimes)
• He works every day.
• They exercise 3 days a week.
• She takes an art class twice a month.
• I visit my family once a year.
• We go there 2 times every 3 months.

These adverbs can help add important information to your sentences. They are used a lot and very important to know. Spend time studying and practicing with these important adverbs.

Improve your English grammar and learn to speak fluently with this simple practice. Finish the sentence below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English fast!

I always _______________.
I always _______________ in the morning.
I always _______________ before I go to bed.
I never _______________.
I never _______________ in the morning.
We often _______________ on the weekend.
He is sometimes _______________.
I am usually _______________ at work.
My family often _______________.
My company rarely _______________.
My friend hardly ever _______________.
My friend is hardly ever _______________.

Adverbs of Certainty

Adverbs of certainty let us describe how sure or certain we are about something. Here are the most common adverbs of certainty.

• definitely – 100% sure
• probably – pretty sure; 70-90% sure
• maybe – 50% sure
• probably not – 70-90% sure of something not happening or being true
• definitely not – 100% sure of something not happening or being true

Here are some other adverbs of certainty that we must know.

• surely
• certainly
• undoubtedly
• clearly

We usually use these with the future tense and the present tense.

• I will definitely good.
• The movie will undoubtedly be sold out.

But it is also possible to use them with the past tense to guess or make assumptions about the past.

• She probably went home.
• He definitely stole the diamonds.

Now, let's see where we put these adverbs. It can be different depending on the verb tense and sentence.

Here is where we put these adverbs in the present tense and past tense.

Subject + adverb + verb...
Subject + be verb + adverb + (not)...

• She definitely works here.
• He probably likes sports.
• She probably doesn't like me.
• I definitely need to shower.
• He definitely went home.
• They probably left early.
• They are definitely brothers.
• It is probably bad.
• The girl is probably not a good student.
• It was probably canceled.

If we are making a negative sentence, we do not use contractions. Put "not" after the adverb.

• The movie isn't probably good.
• The movie is probably not good.

Here is where we put these adverbs in the future tense with "will".

Subject + will + adverb + (not) verb...
Subject + will + adverb + (not) be...

• I will probably go.
• I will probably not go.
• It will definitelyrain tomorrow.
• She will probably not come.
• He will definitely not come.
• It will definitely not be good.
• He will probably not be hungry.
• He will certainly be upset.

If we are making a negative sentence, do not use the contraction "won't" before the adverb. Put "not" after the adverb.

• It won't definitely rain.
• It will definitely not rain.

Many English speakers use the contraction "won't" after the adverb.

• It definitely won't rain.
• She probably won't be at the party.

Adverbs are used freely by most native English speakers. So, do not be surprised if you hear English speakers using the adverbs before "will".

• He definitely will not come.
• She probably will quit.
• She probably won't be angry.
• They surely won't be happy.

If we use the present continuous or "going to + verb" to talk about the future, then we put the adverb after the "be verb". Just like the present or past tense.

• She is probably going to come.
• They are definitely not going to be happy.
• It is definitely not going to rain tomorrow.

Some adverbs of certainty go at the beginning of a sentence.

Put "maybe" at the beginning of a sentence. We can use "maybe" with any verb tense.

• Maybe, I will go.
• Maybe,she went home.
• Maybe, she doesn't like chocolate.
• Maybe,he has never been here before.

Here are some other adverbs of certainty that often go at the beginning of a sentence.

• Surely, you are joking.
• Certainly, he will not do that.
• Probably, he went home.
• Undoubtedly, he is the best player of all time.

Practice speaking English and improve your English grammar by finishing the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English and improve your English fluency fast! Also, do not forget to try using it in real life.

I will definitely _______________ tomorrow.
She will probably _______________ later today.
He will probably not _______________ next week.
My family will probably _______________ during the next holiday.
My best is probably _______________ right now.
They are probably at _______________ right now.
Maybe, I will _______________ later.
Maybe, she will _______________ later.
(Friend's Name) is undoubtedly my best friend.
Surely, _______________ tomorrow.
I am certainly the best _______________ in my family.

Also / Too / Either

Also and "too" can be used in the same way. However, we put them in different places.

We use "also" and "too" in positive sentences and we use "either" in negative sentences.

Here are the rules for "also".

1. After be verbs

• He is tall. I am also tall.
• She is nice. I am also nice.
• He is going to the party. I am also going to the party.
• I am studying English. She is also studying English.

2. Put after a modal and before a verb

• He can go. I can also go.
• He will come. She will also come.
• We should go. We should also go.
• He could help. I could also help.

3. Put after a modal and before the verb "to be"

• He will be tired. I will also be tired.
• She will be okay. He will also be okay.
• The hotel will be cheap. The plane tickets might also be cheap.
• I might go. He might also be going to.
• She is a doctor. He might also be a doctor.

4. Put before regular verbs

• He dances well. I also dance well.
• They work here. I also work here.
• She walks to work. She also walks home.
• We watch movies together. We also go dancing sometimes.

Now, let's look at "too". We can use the word "too" in two ways.

1. Put "too" at the end of the sentence when it has the same meaning as "also".

• He is tall. I am tall too.
• She is nice. I am nice too.
• He is going to the party. I am going to the party too.
• I am studying English. She is studying English too.
• He can go. I can go too.
• He will be angry. She will be angry too.
• I should go. You should go too.
• He could help. I could help too.
• He dances well. I dance well too.
• They work here. I work here too.

2. We can also use "too" in a similar way as "very". When used this way, "too" always has a negative meaning. When we use "too" this way, put it before an adjective (too + adjective).

Look at the difference.

• It is very hot. I love it! Let's go swimming!
• It is too hot. Let's stay inside.


• The cake is very sweet. It is so good.
• The cake is too sweet. I don't want to eat it.

Even with positive words, "too" adds a negative meaning. Sometimes, this is used in joking a way.

• She is too beautiful. I can't stop looking at her. I can't do my work.
• You are too good at basketball. It is not fun to play with you.
• The weather is too nice. I can't focus on my studying.

Now, let's look at the word "either". We can use "either" in two ways.

1. "Either" can be used in a similar way as "also" and "too", but we can only use it for negative sentences. We put "either" at the end of a sentence just like "too".

• He doesn't like pizza. I don't like pizza either.
• He is not nice. She is not nice either.
• It is not hot in Paris. It is not hot in London either.
• It wasn't cold today. It will not be cold tomorrow either.
• It doesn't smell good. It doesn't taste good either.

2. We can also use "either...or" to give choices. We use "either" to connect to words, phrases or sentences.

• We can either go to the mountain or go to the beach.
• I will either study math or science at university.
• She will either be at the coffee shop or the park this afternoon.
• Paula is either at home or at work now.
• Either be quiet or leave.
• He either sleeps or plays video games all day. 

Enough / Too

We can use "enough" and "too" to express the same thing. "Enough" means something is okay or satisfactory. "Too" has a negative meaning and means that something is not okay or satisfactory. By using opposite words, we can express the same idea.

We put "too" before the adjective and "enough" after the adjective.

"Too + adjective" has the same meaning as "not + adjective + enough".

• The bag is too big. = The bag is not small enough.
• It is too hot. = It is not cool enough.
• It is too expensive. = It is not cheap enough.
• The hotel was too expensive. = The hotel wasn't cheap enough.
• Is it too big? = Is it not big enough?
• Is it too hot? = Is it not cool enough?

"Adjective + enough" has the same meaning "not + too + adjective".

• It is big enough. = It is not too small.
• They are powerful enough. = They are not too weak.
• It is cheap enough. = It is not too expensive.
• It is good enough to use. = It is not too bad to use.

However, we cannot do this for every sentence. Look at these examples.

• It is too salty. = It is not bland enough.
• It is not salty enough. = It is not too salty.

The word "salty" does not have an opposite word. So, we can use "too salty" to show that something has too much salt and we can use "not salty enough" to show that something needs more salt.

Here are some more examples.

• I think this idea is good enough to present to our boss.
• It is not hot enough to swim outside. It is too cold.
• I am not good enough at English to feel comfortable speaking with native speakers.
• The boy is not tall enough to ride the roller coaster, but his older brother is tall enough to ride.
• It is too hot outside to go hiking.
• Her English is too good. I hate working with her because I can't understand what she says. She always uses very advanced words.
• Is it too late to call her?
• Is it too early in the morning to eat ice cream?
• It is never too late to start learning English.
• It is not too late to order a pizza.

We can also use "enough + noun" or "verb + enough" to show that the amount of something is okay or satisfactory. We often use a combination "verb + noun + enough".

• There are not enough players.
• There is not enough sugar to make a cake.
• I failed the test because I didn't study enough.
• We don't practice English enough.
• We don't have enough milk.
• He doesn't have enough money to go to university.
• They don't have enough time to do that today.

We can also use "do not/does not + verb + enough" to show that a person should do more of something.

• He doesn't study enough.
• They don't talk to each other enough.
• I don't practice speaking English enough.

We can use "verb + too much" or "verb + too much + noun".

• He talks too much.
• She studies too much.
• They work too much.
• He eats too much cake.
• She drinks too much wine.
• Peter thinks too much about everything.

Improve your English grammar and learn to speak fluently with this simple practice. Finish the sentences below and then practice making your own sentences. It is the best way to learn English fast!

The _______________ was not salty enough.
It is too late to _______________.
I am not good enough at _______________.
It is too hot to _______________.
It is too cold to _______________.
It is not hot enough to _______________.
It is not cold enough to _______________.
It is too early to _______________.
He _______________ too much.
He doesn't _______________ enough.
I don't _______________ enough.

Hardly / Barely

Hardly and "barely" mean only just or almost not.

Take a look at some examples.

• I hardly slept.
  (=I slept very little.)


• We barely arrived on time.
  (=We were almost late.)


• She hardly knows me.
  (=She doesn't know me very well.)


• They will barely have enough money.
  (=They will almost not have enough money.)


• He hardly pays attention in class.
  (=He doesn't really pay attention in class.)

When we use "hardly" like we did above, it has a completely different meaning than the adjective "hard" like "work hard" or "study hard". So, these sentences below are not correct.

• She works hardly.
• I study hardly for my English test.

"Hard" does not change when we use it as an adverb. So, the correct sentences would be the following.

• She works hard.
• I study hard for my English tests.

When we use "hardly" before an adjective, then it means "not at all".

• It is hardly surprising.
  (=It is not surprising at all.)


• She is hardly a good friend.
  (=She is not a good friend at all.)

Improve your English speaking and practice this English grammar by answering these questions and then try making your own sentences.

1. What do you hardly do?
2. What did you do a lot when you were young, but now you barely do?
3. What did you barely do last week?
4. What test did you barely pass?
5. When did you barely avoid an accident?

Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

Many people learn that adverbs only describe or modify verbs. But we can also use them to describe adjectives in more detail.

We do this when we want to add feeling to our language or when we want to be more specific about what we mean.

The word "really" is an easy example of an adverb modifying an adjective.

• It is really hot.

We can do the same thing with more advanced words. We just put the adverb before the adjective.

Take a look at some examples.

• It is surprisingly hot.
  (=I didn't expect it to be this hot.)


• I am physically tired.
  (=My body is tired.)


• I am mentally tired.
  (=My mind is tired.)


• She is amazingly talented.
  (=It amazes me how talented she is.)


• We are unbelievably good friends.
  (=We are very good friends.)

As you continue to study English, you will see the same adverbs and adjective combinations used together. Here are some of the most common ones.

• financially responsible / irresponsible
• emotionally stable / unstable
• physically tired = physically exhausted
• mentally tired = mentally exhausted
• mentally challenging / physically challenging

Remember that we do not need to use this a lot, but it is a great way to add more detail, be more specific, or add some emotion or feeling to our language.

Here are some more example sentences.

• She is not financially responsible, so she shouldn't have a credit card.
• My body feels fine, but I am just mentally tired. I am not sure why.
• The weather was extremely hot.
• She was unbelievably rude to us.
• The jacket was ridiculously expensive.
• The baby was surprisingly well-behaved during the flight.

Here is some extra practice to help you improve your English speaking and English grammar. Answer the questions below with your own answers and then try making your own questions and sentences using the grammar we studied in this lesson. This will help you improve your English.

When are you physically tired?
When are you mentally tired?
When is a time that you were extremely angry?
Are you financially responsible?
Is it unbelievably hot in your country?
What is something that was surprisingly good?
What was something that was ridiculously expensive?