What Is an Adverb? Examples, Definition & List

Adverbs can be used to modify or describe verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and complete sentences. Typically, adverbs end in the suffix “-ly” (e.g., “honestly”), but there are many exceptions to this general pattern. A group of words that function together as an adverb is called an adverbial clause or adverbial phrase.

Adverbs can convey manner (e.g., “loudly”), place (e.g., “here”), time (e.g., “tomorrow”), and degree (e.g., “completely”).

How are adverbs used in sentences?

Adverbs delineate the manner, timing, location, and degree of an event. They modify not only verbs but also adjectives and other adverbs.

A sentence adverb can modify an entire independent clause, expressing an opinion about its content (e.g., “Regrettably, there are no tickets available”). Sentence adverbs are usually set off with commas.

Adverbs vs adjectives

Whereas an adverb can be used to describe a verb, adverb, adjective, or sentence, an adjective can modify only a noun or pronoun (e.g., “an orange cat”).

Many adverbs are derived from adjectives, with the only difference being an “-ly” ending or one of the variations illustrated in the following table.

Flat adverbs are spelled exactly like their adjective counterparts (e.g., “late,” “hard,” “low”). There are also adverbs that don’t correspond to any adjective (e.g., “together,” “forward,” “perhaps”).

Adverbs and linking verbs

Linking verbs, also called copular verbs, describe a state of being or becoming. They connect the subject of a sentence with words that describe it.

Adverbs typically don’t follow linking verbs (e.g. “be,” “seem,” “feel”). In most cases, adjectives should be used instead in this context.

Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner describe “how” an action occurs. They typically follow the main verb.

Adverbs that describe transitive verbs (which have direct objects) should be placed before the verb or at the end of the sentence. It is important to avoid placing an adverb between the verb and its direct object. In the examples that follow, “the instructions” is the direct object of the transitive verb “gave.”

Adverbs of degree

An adverb of degree describes the extent or intensity of an action or quality. Adverbs of degree include terms such as “exceedingly,” “totally,” “moderately,” “quite,” and “sufficiently.”

Adverbs of place

Adverbs of place describe where an action takes place (e.g., in terms of direction, distance, or position). An adverb of place usually follows the sentence’s main verb.

Adverbs of time

An adverb of time denotes when something occurs (e.g., “last year,” “next Tuesday,” “this evening”). Adverbs of time usually come at the end of a sentence.

Adverbs of duration express how long something will continue to happen (e.g., “briefly,” “eternally,” “temporarily”).

Adverbs of frequency

Adverbs of frequency express how regularly something occurs. There are two kinds of adverbs of frequency that differ in terms of their specificity.

Adverbs of unspecified frequency include words like “regularly,” “occasionally,” and “consistently.” They provide a general sense of how often something happens but don’t indicate when. These adverbs typically occur before the main verb.

An adverb of definite frequency describes precisely how often something happens (e.g., “annually,” “nightly”). Adverbs of definite frequency are usually placed at the end of a sentence.

Adverbs of purpose

An adverb of purpose (or adverb of reason) explains why something occurs. Adverbs of purpose frequently also serve as conjunctive adverbs, linking independent clauses.

Adverbial phrases (e.g., “so that,” “in order to”) can also be adverbs of purpose.

Other types of adverbs

There are many types of adverbs, and the following are a few of the most important:

• Relative adverbs
• Conjunctive adverbs
• Focusing adverbs
• Interrogative adverbs

Relative adverbs

A relative adverb introduces a relative clause (or dependent clause), which has a subject and verb but can’t stand alone as a sentence. There are just three relative adverbs: “when,” “where,” and “why.”

Conjunctive adverbs

A conjunctive adverb can also be called a linking adverb because it joins two independent clauses, making the second clause function as an adverbial modifier of the first clause. Conjunctive adverbs are transition words that present condition, clarification, contrast, or consequence.

Focusing adverbs

A focusing adverb highlights the importance of a word or phrase in a sentence. Focusing adverbs typically occur directly beside the word or phrase they emphasize. Examples include “specifically,” “solely,” “mainly,” and “exactly.”

Interrogative adverbs

Interrogative adverbs include “how,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “to what extent.” They ask questions about place, time, reason, manner, or degree.

Adverb list

Below is a short list of the most common types of adverbs along with some examples.

Frequently asked questions about adverbs

What are the different types of adverbs?

Adverbs can be classified in many ways. Depending on context, some adverbs fall into more than one of the categories.

Examples of adverb types include the following:

• Adverbs of manner
• Adverbs of time
• Adverbs of place
• Adverbs of purpose
• Adverbs of frequency
• Adverbs of degree
• Interrogative adverbs
• Relative adverbs
• Conjunctive adverbs
• Focusing adverbs

What is a relative adverb?

A relative adverb is a type of adverb that introduces a dependent clause (i.e., a group of words with a subject and a verb that cannot stand on its own as a sentence).

There are three relative adverbs in English:

• Where (e.g., “The restaurant where we ate last Friday was really good”)
• When (e.g., “Do you remember that time when Sonia sang karaoke?”)
• Why (e.g., “The reason why I was late was traffic”)

Can you end a sentence with an adverb?

Yes, sentences can end with adverbs, which are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., “I run slowly”).

Sentences can also end with an adverbial phrase (e.g., “after dinner”) or adverbial clause (e.g., “after she eats lunch”).