Types of Adverbs What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a part of speech that tells more about a verb, an adjective, or an adverb itself. 

• Rashmi walks slowly. 
• Darshan is very naughty. 
• The baby cried quite loudly. 

Adverbs can ask the following questions about verbs:

Arjun politely asked his questions to the teacher. (How did he ask the questions?)	Lata ate a lot of ice cream yesterday. (When did Lata eat?)
Daniel threw the ball far.  (Where did he throw the ball?) The book was slightly torn at the corners. (How much torn was the book?)	Manisha always wakes up late.  (How often does she wake up late?)

Types of Adverbs

Simple Adverbs

 Adverb of Time – answers the question ‘when’

• These flowers bloom annually in the valley.
• Shanti goes to guitar class daily.
• We are ready for the recital now.
• I saw a huge owl near my window today.

 Adverb of Place – answers the question ‘where’

• I am not going anywhere without my dog.
• Please come in.
• Where did you hide the money?
• They all moved backwards.

 Adverb of Manner – answers the question ‘how’

• They paid an enormously huge price for the antique door.
• The muse elegantly posed for the artist.
• The water flowed gently down the hill.
• He ingeniously devised the plan to outwit the burglars.

 Adverb of Degree – answers the question ‘to what extent’

• The baby almost fell out of the crib.
• Mother was deeply hurt by Alston’s behavior.
• I wasn’t fully prepared for the surprise test.
• We have highly qualified teachers in our team.

 Adverb of Frequency – answers the question ‘how often’

• Gauri regularly wrote letters to grandpa.
• Father rarely scolded his children.
• The weather is normally pleasant in summers.
• Monish seldom checks his bag before leaving the house.

Adverbs can also be used in question statements. 

Interrogative Adverbs

When an adverb is used in asking questions, it is called an interrogative adverb.

• Where did the lady vanish? (Interrogative adverb of place)
• Why is the closet empty? (Interrogative adverb of reason)
• How many boys were present? (Interrogative adverb of number)

Adverbs are also used in relative clauses.

Relative Adverbs

 The relative adverb where is used to refer to places and means ‘in which’ or ‘at

which’.

• This is the laboratory where radium was invented.
• That is the annex where the Franks hid for two years.

 The relative adverb when is used to refer to time and means ‘in which’ or ‘at

which’.

• Spring is the season when flowers blossom.
• I can’t tell you when dad will return home.

 The relative adverb why is used to refer to a reason and means ‘for which’.

• This is the reason why children fall ill.
• Now I know why it is so hot in Mumbai.

Recap

 An adverb modifies another adverb, an adjective, or a verb.

• Adverbs of Time answer the question ‘when’ in relation to the verb.
• Adverbs of Place answer the question ‘where’ in relation to the verb.
• Adverbs of Manner answer the question ‘how’ in relation to the verb.
• Adverbs of Degree answer the question ‘to what extent’ in relation to an adjective, a verb or an adverb.
• Adverbs of Frequency answer the question ‘how often’ in relation to a verb.

Interrogative adverbs (when, where, how, why) are used for asking questions.

Relative adverbs (why, when, where) refer back to the action in the sentence.