The Tongue Untied

Adverbs

An adverb modifies--changes, enhances, limits, describes, intensifies, muffles--a verb, an adjective or another adverb.

ANSWERS THE QUESTION HOW?

[In the following examples, the adverb is bold and the word it modifies is underlined.]

  1. It isn't just the practice, studying, running, bad days, great days and traveling that experienced players handle well.
    1. WELL tells us how the players HANDLE things.
  2. They have quickly figured out how to deal with their boss.
    1. QUICKLY tells us how they HAVE FIGURED OUT.
  3. It's nice to have a group that handles the situations better than others have.
    1. BETTER describes how the group HANDLES the direct objects SITUATIONS.
  4. Either they sit quietly and watch, not taking a side, or find themselves actually rooting for one of these two.
    1. QUIETLY describes how they SIT.

INDICATES TO WHAT DEGREE?

  1. This has been a really nice group to work with," Penn State coach Rene Portland said of her team.
    1. To what degree is the group nice? REALLY.
      1. NOTE: NICE is an adjective. This is an example of an adverb modifying an adjective.
  2. How do so-called neutral fans react to this game between two programs they certainly respect but probably can't stand?
    1. What kind of neutral are the fans? SO-CALLED.
      1. NOTE: NEUTRAL is an adjective.
  3. The coach did not sound overly concerned about it.
    1. What is the degree of concern not expressed? OVERLY
      1. NOTE: CONCERNED is a PREDICATE adjective.
  4. She is not sure our crowd will bother them that much.

    To what degree will the crowd bother them? MUCH.

ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHEN?

  1. We are in a busy time now," the mayor said.
    1. When is the busy time? NOW
      1. NOTE: ARE is not a linking verb here. It is intransitive.
  2. "Confident" would not have described the student yesterday.
    1. When was the STUDENT not CONFIDENT? YESTERDAY
  3. Recently, we've allowed her to sneak outside and play the wing.
    1. WHEN has she been allowed? RECENTLY.

ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHERE?

  1. The little girl plays inside quietly.
    1. Where does she play well? INSIDE.
      1. NOTE: QUIETLY is also an adverb telling us how she plays.
  2. Recently, we've allowed her to sneak outside and play.
    1. OUTSIDE tells us where she has been allowed to sneak.
  3. The goat has climbed out.
    1. OUT indicates where THE GOAT has climbed.

An adverb can also introduce sentences or modify entire phrases or sentences.

  1. Thursday, NBC will show the premieres of its best shows.
    1. THURSDAY tells the reader when about the whole sentence.

Adverbs may refer to:

  1. TIME        (He arrived promptly.)
  2. MANNER   (Cougars walk silently.)
  3. DEGREE    (She was quite miserable.)
  4. PLACE      (The book belongs there.)