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Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT PDF Download

Function of an adverb:

Adverbs are used to give more information about the action in a sentence. They mainly modify verbs. They tell us how, where, when...etc something happens or is done.

 

Carol drives carefully. (How does she drive?)
I looked for her everywhere. (Where did you look for her?)
She came to London yesterday. (When did she come to London?)


Adverbs are generally divided into seven groups: 

1) Manner: slowly, bravely, carefully, simply, quietly...
2) Place: there, here, up, down, near...
3) Time: yesterday, tomorrow, now, yet, still...
4) Frequency: never, always, often, once, twice...
5) Sentence: actually, really, obviously, evidently...
6) Degree: very, quite, rather, fairly, hardly...
7) Focus: just, only, simply, even, also...

 

Forming Adverbs


They are generally made from adjectives. 


Many adverbs of manner and degree are formed by putting -ly at the end of an adjectives. 

Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT

I don’t know why, but they spoke to me coldly
The weather was awfully cold. 
You should treat people gently
Please, drive the car slowly


When an adjective ends in consonant + y, it becomes -ily. 

busy - busily
happy - happily
easy - easily
heavy - heavily

She is working busily.
Chuck passed the test easily.
 


When an adjective ends in -le, we omit -e and add -(l)y 

noble - nobly
possible - possibly
simple - simply
gentle - gently 

Ex: My mom brushes my hair gently every day. 


When an adjectives ends in -e, we keep -e and add -ly. 

extreme - extremely
free - freely
brave - bravely
safe - safely

His political ideas are extremely dull.
Our army fought bravely.
 



When an adjective ends in -ic, we add -ally. 

Systematic - systematically 
Phonetic - phonetically 

We searched the attic systematically.
Mrs. Burns wanted us to write the words phonetically.

 

Degrees of Adverbs

 

  1. Positive : Expresses a quality without a comparison. 

    Ivan walks slowly
     
  2. Comparative : Expresses a higher or lower degree than the positive. 

    Ida walks faster than Ivan.
     
  3. Superlative : Expresses the highest or the lowest degree when comparing more than two things/persons.

    Brad walks the slowest



1. Adverbs having the same form as adjectives: 

Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT



They came earlier than me.
Kenyans always win prizes in marathons because they run the fastest of all.
My parents’ plane will arrive later than my uncle's. 


2. Adverbs formed with –ly. 

Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT

Linda drives more carefully than her husband.
Elizabeth speaks English the most fluently


3. Irregular adverbs 

Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT

Who speaks English the best?
They do everything worse than us. 

The document Adverbs - English Grammar Basics | Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT is a part of the CAT Course Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC).
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FAQs on Adverbs - English Grammar Basics - Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC) - CAT

1. What are adverbs?
Ans. Adverbs are a type of word that modifies or describes verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs in a sentence. They provide information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed. For example, in the sentence "She quickly ran to the store," the adverb "quickly" describes how she ran.
2. What is the function of adverbs in a sentence?
Ans. The function of adverbs in a sentence is to provide additional information about the verb, adjective, or other adverb. They can answer questions such as how, when, where, or to what extent. Adverbs can modify the verb itself (e.g., "He ran quickly"), an adjective (e.g., "She is very intelligent"), or another adverb (e.g., "He speaks extremely fluently").
3. Can adverbs be used to compare actions or qualities?
Ans. Yes, adverbs can be used to compare actions or qualities. Adverbs can have comparative and superlative forms, just like adjectives. For example, the adverb "quickly" can be compared as "more quickly" (comparative) or "most quickly" (superlative), as in "She ran more quickly than him" or "She ran the most quickly of all the participants."
4. Can adverbs be used to negate a statement?
Ans. Yes, adverbs can be used to negate a statement. Adverbs such as "not" or "never" can be used to indicate the absence or opposite of an action. For example, in the sentence "He did not answer the phone," the adverb "not" negates the action of answering the phone.
5. How can I identify adverbs in a sentence?
Ans. To identify adverbs in a sentence, look for words that describe how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed. Adverbs often end in "-ly," but this is not always the case. Some common adverbs that do not end in "-ly" include "soon," "well," and "often." Additionally, some words can function as both adjectives and adverbs depending on their usage in a sentence.
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