The Parts of Speech

1. The Parts of Speech Warriner, John E., Mary E. Whitten and Francis Griffith. Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition Third Course. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977. Print.

2. The Adverb

3. Definition An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

4. You know that nouns and pronouns are modified by adjectives. • Verbs and adjectives may have modifiers, too, and their modifiers are called adverbs. • Adverbs may also modify other adverbs.

5. Adverbs Modifying Verbs • Sometimes an adverb makes the meaning of a verb more definite. • They modify verbs by answering one of the following questions:

6. When? • Where? • How? • To What Extent?

7. When? • I moved immediately. • Sleep later. • Did you go daily?

8. Where? • I moved forward. • Sleep here. • Did you go there?

9. How? • I gladly moved. • Sleep well. • Did you go quietly?

10. To What Extent? • I barely moved. • She scarcely sleeps. • Did you go far?

11. Adverbs may precede or follow the verbs they modify. • They sometimes interrupt the parts of a verb phrase. • Adverbs may also introduce questions.

12. How on earth will we ever finish our work on time? • The adverb how modifies the verb phrase will finish. • Notice, too, the adverb ever, which interrupts the verb phrase and also modifies it.

13. Fill in the blanks with adverbs. • Play ____. • I can swim ____. • Mr. Thomas ____ changes his opinions. • Does your sister practice ____? • Around the campfire we ____ told spooky stories.

14. They won ____. • I ____ want to send letters, but I ____ like to get them. • Could she listen ____? • The girl rowed ____ and yelled ____. • He sighed ____ as he ____ waited for the telephone to ring.

15. Adverbs Modifying Adjectives • Sometimes an adverb modifies an adjective.

16. Ruth is an unusually good goalie. • The adjective good modifies the noun goalie. • The adverb unusually modifies the adjective good, telling “how good.”

17. During the burglary our dog stayed strangely quiet. • The adverb strangelymodifies the adjective silent, which in turn modifies the noun dog.

18. Probably the most frequently used adverbs are too and very. • In fact, these words are overworked. • Try to avoid using them in speaking and particularly in writing; find more precise words to take their place.

19. The following adverbs frequently modify adjectives: • extremely • dangerously • definitely • quite

20. entirely • rather • completely • terribly • unusually • especially • surprisingly • dreadfully

21. Add an adverb to modify the adjectives in these sentences:(don’t use too or very) • a clever remark • beautiful sunsets • an easy question • dangerous waters

22. a sharp blade • Toni seemed happy. • My allowance is small. • Robert became sick. • Had Beth been safe? • The test was difficult.

23. Find the adverb that modifies an adjective in the following sentences. • Plato, a Greek philosopher, wrote a book called the Republic nearly three thousand years ago. • In the Republic, Plato describes the organization of a perfectly just government.

24. Plato’s government was for a very small state, such as the city-states which were common in Greece in his time. • But his ideas are quite universal and could also apply to larger governments.

25. Each citizen of Platos’ government belongs in one of three completely distinct classes: workers, military, or rulers. • All citizens study music and athletics, but the most promising students receive additional education.

26. Guardians who protect the laws of Plato’s ideal state are trained to be always fair in their decisions. • A definitely important concept in the Republic is that women and men are equal.

27. Women receive an education exactly equal to men and fight alongside men in wars with neighboring states. • Does this extremely brief description of Plato’s state persuade you to accept or reject his ideas of government?

28. Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs • Sometimes an adverb modifies another adverb. • Let’s look at some.

29. Roy is always hungry. • They had met before. • She saw it recently. • Roy is almostalways hungry. • They had met longbefore. • She saw it ratherrecently.

30. Find the adverbs that modify other adverbs. • Changes in our economy have occurred somewhat rapidly. • Cancer research has advanced rather dramatically in the last few years. • Pam reached the meeting too late to hear the complete discussion.

31. If you handle this material very carefully, you will be in no danger. • To our surprise, Father took the news quite calmly. • She always complete re-writes the first draft of her novels. • We all finally agreed that Earl Campbell had done extremely well.

32. Usually it seems that each month goes more rapidly than the month before. • Arguments on both sides were most cleverly presented. • Although they are extremely young, these students measure up surprisingly well.

33. Forms of Adverbs • You have probably noticed that many adverbs end in –ly. • You should remember, however, that many adjectives also end in –ly: the daily newspaper, an early train, an only child, her untimely death, a friendly person.

34. Moreover, words like now, then, far, wide, fast, high, already, somewhat, not and right, which are often used as adverbs, do not end in –ly. • In order to identify a word as an adverb, do not depend entirely upon the ending.

35. Instead, ask yourself: Does this word modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb? • Does it tell when, where, how, or to what extent?