Adjectives and Adverbs

English language users love to add layers of descriptions. Think about the last time you ate something truly delicious. How many words could you use to describe it that don't use the name of the food at all? You can start simply, with sweet, salty, hot, or cold. But that's not enough, is it? How about delectable, tender, wholesome, flavorful, or pungent? What about describing how you ate it? We could use heartily, greedily, or carefully. We could also mention how it was prepared: freshly, skillfully, or healthily. We could go on and on. Using adjectives and adverbs adds information and interest to a text. Using these words correctly is important for a message to be easy for a reader to understand and visualize. Read these sections on using descriptive words correctly.

Adverbs

Order of Adverbs

Adverbs most commonly describe how, but below is a more comprehensive list of the most common types of adverbs.

Type of Adverb	Example
Adverbs of manner (or how)	Christine sang the song atrociously. No more karaoke for her!
Adverbs of time	Michelle did her homework yesterday, but she did the wrong assignment.
Adverbs of place	I met my friend at the coffee shop, and that's where we saw the first signs of the outbreak.
Adverbs of degree	It's too quiet in here.
Adverbs of frequency	Michael Jordan rarely misses a free throw, but Shaq frequently does.
Adverbs of purpose	I clean the litter box every day to keep the house from smelling.

And like adjectives, adverbs have a "royal order". While you may already have an innate sense of this order, it can be helpful to review the rules.

The Royal Order of Adverbs

Verb	Manner	Place	Frequency	Time	Purpose
Beth swims	enthusiastically	in the pool	every evening	before dusk	to keep in shape.
Dad walks	impatiently	into town	every morning	before work	to get a newspaper.
Joe naps		in his room	every afternoon	after lunch.