Parts of Speech · Today with Benny

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I'm Benny, and I modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. I tell how, when, where, and to what extent. Stick with me, because the right detail protects the play.

Meet the Adverbs!

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Many adverbs add -ly to an adjective, like quick becoming quickly, but not all of them do. An adverb answers one of four questions: how, when, where, or to what extent.

One adverb answers each question I ask.

Tells How

I studied all the answers carefully.

Tells When

Dany will celebrate her birthday tomorrow.

Tells Where

The apple fell nearby.

To What Extent

Julian whispered very quietly.

Adverbs Tell How

An adverb that tells how shows the way an action happens, like carefully or loudly. Ask how the action got done, and the word that answers is the adverb.

In a sentence

Ask how the sketching and the barking happened. The highlighted words answer.

Hank expertly sketched a pegasus on the cover of his workbook.

Katie barked loudly when someone stepped on her tail.

Library

Now you try

Tell me HOW the band played, and that's your adverb. You could try sweetly, or badly, or perfectly. That's your call.

Adverbs Tell Where and When

Where

Adverbs of place tell where something happens, like here, there, or outside.

Come here!

When

Adverbs of time tell when something happens, like today, tomorrow, or never.

Winfield is going to come over for lunch tomorrow.

Now you try

This seat wants an adverb that tells WHEN practice starts. You could try soon, or tomorrow, or early. Name it.

Adverbs Tell To What Extent

An adverb can tell to what extent, measuring how strong another word is. Words like very, quite, and really turn the dial up or down.

In a sentence

The degree adverb measures the word right beside it.

Julian whispered very quietly.

The hallway stayed remarkably quiet.

Now you try

This adverb tells TO WHAT EXTENT the soup was hot. You could try very, or quite, or really. Crank it up.

Where the Adverb Sits

An adverb can come before or after the word it modifies, and the meaning stays the same. Read the sentence both ways and pick the seat that sounds best.

In a sentence

The same adverb takes two different seats in the same sentence.

Lynn loudly knocked on the front door until it opened.

Lynn knocked loudly on the front door until it opened.

Now you try

Drop an adverb in right after the verb to tell how the kicker waited. You could try patiently, or quietly, or nervously. Name it.

Building Adverbs with -ly

Many adverbs are built by adding -ly to an adjective: quick becomes quickly, and careful becomes carefully. Some spellings shift first, like happy becoming happily.

In a sentence

Careful became carefully, and happy became happily. Both adverbs started life as adjectives.

Dev carefully laced up his cleats.

Mia smiled happily after the relay.

Now you try

Build the adverb off an adjective like angry, firm, or tight. You could try angrily, or firmly, or tightly. Heads up: angry changes its y to i first.

Identifying Adverbs

Modifying a verb

An adverb can modify a verb, telling how the action happens.

Emily gazed proudly at her amazing work.

Modifying an adjective

An adverb can modify an adjective, measuring how much.

Mom was really tired last night.

Modifying another adverb

An adverb can even modify another adverb, strengthening it.

Julian whispered very quietly.

Library

Now you try

This adverb makes the adjective stronger. You could try very, or extremely, or quite. Crank it up.

Adjective or Adverb?

Adjective (Jake's)

When the word describes a noun or a pronoun, it is an adjective, and that one is Jake's.

The quick runner won the race.

Adverb (mine)

When the word modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, it is an adverb, and that one is mine.

The runner ran quickly around the track.

Now you try

Danced is a verb, so its partner is an adverb. You could try joyfully, or badly, or quickly. That's your call.

Comparative and Superlative Adverbs

Comparative

Comparative adverbs compare how two people do something. For short adverbs (1 syllable), add -er (faster). For longer adverbs, use more (more quickly).

I can dance more obnoxiously than you.

Betty threw the ball farther than I did.

Superlative

Superlative adverbs compare three or more. For short, add -est. For longer, use most. Irregular forms: well/better/best, badly/worse/worst.

I can dance the most obnoxiously of all.

Betty threw the ball the farthest of anyone on the whole team.

Now you try

Compare the two runners with one adverb. You could try sooner, or faster, or more quickly. Make the call.

Relative Adverbs

Where, when, and why can take a second job: each one can start a clause that tells more about a noun. Where points to a place, when points to a time, and why points to a reason.

In a sentence

Each highlighted word introduces a clause and points it back at a noun.

We met at the gym where the team trains.

Saturday is the morning when the bus leaves for the meet.

Nobody questions the reason why we stretch first.

Now you try

The clause explains a reason, so give me the relative adverb that fits. You could try why. That's the call.

Irregular Forms and the Good-Versus-Well Call

A few adverbs do not take -er, more, -est, or most. Well climbs to better, then best. Badly climbs to worse, then worst. And here is the big call: you did well, not you did good, because did is a verb, and a verb takes an adverb.

In a sentence

Watch the ladders climb without a single -er or -est in sight.

The morning practice went well, but the afternoon practice went better.

Of all the team's games this season, the last one went the best.

Rico's kazoo solo went badly on Monday, worse on Tuesday, and the worst of all at the big recital.

Now you try

Played is a verb, so it takes an adverb; good stays back with Jake's adjectives. You could try well, or badly. Make the call.

The Four Squads

Manner

The manner squad tells how an action is done.

Mara stacked the chairs neatly after the meeting.

Time

The time squad tells when.

The council votes tomorrow.

Place

The place squad tells where.

The echo carried everywhere in the marble hall.

Degree

The degree squad tells to what extent, measuring another word.

The hallway stayed remarkably quiet.

Now you try

Pull an adverb straight from the manner squad to tell how they marched. You could try briskly, or cautiously, or solemnly. Show me.

Precise Pairs

Adjective (Jake's)

When the word describes a noun, use the plain adjective, like real or sure.

The medal is real gold.

I am sure the bus will come.

Adverb (mine)

When the word measures a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, add the -ly, like really or surely.

The medal is really heavy.

The bus will surely come.

Now you try

Talented is an adjective, so it takes an adverb to power it up. You could try really, or surely. Name it.

Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

A modifier works on the word next to it, so its seat decides the meaning. Put it beside the word it should serve, or the sentence claims something you did not mean.

In a sentence

Two cases on the docket: a modifier in the wrong seat, and a modifier serving somebody who isn't there. Read what each version actually claims.

Misplaced: Rosa nearly packed every snack in the pantry. (Nearly sits beside packed, so the packing almost happened and no snack moved.)

Transferred: Rosa packed nearly every snack in the pantry. (Now nearly serves every snack, and the pantry is almost empty. The seat changed, so the claim changed.)

Dangling: After practicing for an hour, the solo finally sounded ready. (Who practiced? The player never made the sentence, so the modifier hangs with no one to serve.)

Fixed: After practicing for an hour, Imani finally had the solo ready. (Transfer the doer into the sentence, and the modifier has someone to serve. The phrase's inner wiring is the Sentence Factory's floor; the seating is mine.)

Now you try

A limiting adverb that means Theo read MOST of it. You could try nearly, or almost, or practically. Make the call.

The Full Diagnosis

Frequency adverbs

Some time-squad veterans tell how often, and they have a name of their own: frequency adverbs, like always, usually, often, rarely, and never.

The night nurse rarely misses a reading.

Conjunctive adverbs

A conjunctive adverb has a day job in the joining business, linking whole ideas. The semicolon it leans on belongs to Sheriff Semicolon.

The bus was late; however, the team arrived ready.

Therefore, the drill moved indoors.

Now you try

A frequency adverb tells how often champions do it. You could try rarely, or never, or seldom. Name it.

The Bench

Before you keep an adverb, run the test: does it add news? If the adverb only repeats what the verb already says, it is padding. Sometimes one strong verb does the whole job, and the adverb rides the bench until a sentence needs it.

In a sentence

Every adverb faces one test before it takes the field: what does it add that the verb can't say alone?

Padding: The crowd shouted loudly. (Shouting is already loud; the adverb repeats the verb.)

News: The crowd shouted hoarsely. (Hoarsely tells you something shouted can't say alone. It plays.)

Bench call: The recruits ran quickly to the line. Revision: The recruits sprinted to the line. (One strong verb does the whole job. Quickly heads to the bench, ready the day a sentence needs its news.)

Now you try

One adverb that adds news the verb can't carry alone. You could try publicly, or stiffly, or sincerely. Show me.