Adjectives and Adverbs
Descriptions add detail to what we read and help the reader "see" what the writer is thinking. In English we use modifiers to do this. When we know how different modifiers are used, we can better understand their meaning and build our vocabulary. This resource shows how adjectives and adverbs are used to modify a word or phrase. An adjective is a word that describes a noun (a person, a place, or a thing). Adjectives give us information about something so we can better understand it. Similar to an adjective, an adverb describes a verb and offers the reader more information about an action. Read this resource to learn how modifiers are used in English.
Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Learning Objectives
Identify adverbs
Key Takeaways
Key Points
- An adverb is used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
- Adverbs answer these questions: When did something happen? How often did it occur? How was the action performed? Where did it take place?
- Sometimes, adverbs and adjectives are hyphenated to better describe a noun.
Key Terms
- adverb: A part of speech which modifies verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Adverbs
Just as adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. How slimy was that swamp? Extremely slimy. How did she run? She ran quickly. How quickly did she run? Very quickly.
Adverbs are used to answer how, when, and where an action took place. More specifically, consider: When did something happen? How often did it occur? How was the action performed? Where did it take place? Let's explore some examples:
- Describing when: The last time I went shopping was a while ago.
- Describing how often: I visit my friends frequently.
- Describing how: He ran quickly in the race.
- Describing where: She sat down nearby.
Many adjectives can be made into adverbs simply by adding -ly to the end. However, there are other adverbs that do not end in -ly: very, quite, somewhat, most, least, and many others.
Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs
You can use prepositional phrases as adverbs if they modify a verb, adjective, or adverb. For example:
- Don't judge a book by its cover. [The phrase "by its cover" describes the verb "judge".]
- I am tired of this diet. ["Of this diet" describes the adjective "tired".]
The Hyphenated Adverb
Hyphens can be used to combine an adverb and adjective to describe a noun. In this situation, the adverb is describing the adjective, and the adjective is describing the noun. However, when the adverb ends with -ly, a hyphen should not be used. Let's review some examples.
- beautiful-looking flowers
- best-known author
- well-rounded student
- best-paid job
If the hyphen was removed from any of these examples the phrase would take on a different meaning. For example, "best-known author" describes the author who is known the best, whereas "best known author" would describe an author who is, separately, both best and known. The hyphen is what makes sure that "best" describes "known" rather than "author".