Even those who claim that English is difficult can't help but agree that English adverbs are incredibly easy to understand. They are built simply, and there are very few exceptions to the rules.
What is an adverb?
You can't start explaining the construction of adverbs without understanding what it actually is. It is not difficult for us, Russian-speaking people, to learn how to use this part of speech, primarily because the Russian language already has similar words that are built on the same principle.
If we turn to the Russian dialect, it means a sign of the action of the subject, its quality and condition. It answers the following questions: how? when? why? how many? where? where? how long? An adverb can also refer to an adjective and even to another adverb, describing their features. In a word, this part of speech is very capacious, without it the Russian language would be significantly impoverished.
English dialects
The use of adverbs is not a very difficult task, because we do it perfectly in our native speech. Adverbs in English do not differ radically from Russian"brothers", so their assimilation is very accessible and does not require much effort.
All adverbs in the English language are divided into three main groups, namely: simple (consisting of one word that you just need to learn, like any other English), complex and derivatives. Let's take a closer look at them.
Types of adverbs in English
- Simple adverbs that are represented by one word, and no endings or suffixes need to be added to them, for example: often, now, never.
- Derived adverbs, or adverbs formed by adding a suffix or ending. Such suffixes are: ly, ward(s), like. For example, cold + ly - coldly - cold, slow + ly - slowly - slowly. Examples of using other suffixes are as follows: backwards - backwards, clockwise - clockwise.
- Complex adverbs consisting of two words that are written either separately or together. For example, sometimes - sometimes, everywhere - everywhere, everybody - everything, everyone, forever - forever.
After studying the table, you will understand that there is nothing easier than adverbs in English! The table is shown below.
| simple adverbs | compound adverbs | complex adverbs |
| only one word, which does not change | add suffix | connect two words |
Exceptions
Words that strongly resemble adverbs do exist in English. However, there are not many of them, andthey are easy to remember.
For example, the word hardly is very similar to an adverb, although it actually means "barely" in translation, while the word hard is a simple adverb and is translated as "hard".
There are also a number of words that look like adjectives but are actually adverbs. Among such words are the following: friendly - friendly, silly - stupid, lovely - cute, olderly - elderly.
A quite logical question arises: how not to get confused and start using an adverb instead of an adjective in speech and vice versa?
In fact, everything is very simple: you just need to remember that in English everything is very clear, and every word has its place in the sentence. If the questionable word is before a noun, it is an adjective; if it is before a verb, then it is an adverb. For a clear understanding, here are some examples:
They are so freindly people! In this case, a noun is being described, so friendly is an adjective.
He is driving very quickly - He is driving very fast. In this example, quickly characterizes the verb, being, in turn, an adverb.
Adverb as circumstance
Adverbs can be subdivided not only according to their structure, but also according to the type of circumstance in which they are expressed.
- Temporal adverbs express temporary characteristics, for example: now - now, now, seldom - rarely. Adverbs of time in Englishlanguage are responsible for temporal indicators and are a very important part of speech.
- Adverbs indicating location: behind - behind, there - there, here - here.
- Adverbs characterizing how this or that action happens: loadly - loudly, sadly - sadly, quietly - quietly.
- Adverbs characterizing quantity and degree: little - little, quite - completely.
Without such words, speech would look poor and meager, but, fortunately, they exist and greatly decorate the English language!
Coincidence of adverbs and adjectives
Very often, adverbs are completely similar to adjectives, differing only in their place in the sentence, which helps to determine what is in front of us in this case.
For example, cheap is both an adjective ("cheap") and an adverb ("cheap").
Consider examples:
- This car was very cheap. This car was very cheap. In this case, cheap refers to a noun, thus being an adjective.
- I have eaten very cheap - I ate very cheaply. In this sentence, cheap characterizes an action and is an adverb.
Comparing adverbs
It turns out that English adverbs can be compared just like adjectives.
The principle of action is the same, namely: there are the same two degrees of comparison - comparative and superlative, which are formed in exactly the same way as in the case of adjectives. Isn't this a gift?
- The comparative degree can be obtained by adding the ending -er to the adverb if the word is simple. For example, hard+-er - harder. And of course, an example of usage in a sentence: You should study harder and harde to learn French. - To learn French, you have to study harder and harder. If the adverb is long, then more is added. For example: You look more happy than yesterday. - You look happier than yesterday.
- The superlative degree is formed by analogy with the same degree as for adjectives, namely, by adding the ending -est for short words and most for long ones. For example: he has run the fastest - He ran the fastest. Just don't forget about the definite article the! Its presence is mandatory before the superlative degree of comparison.
- However, even here there are exceptions. Consider them in the form of a table:
| adverbs | comparative degree | superlatives |
|
well badly - badly little - little far - far away |
better worse - worse less - less farther |
the best the worst the least the farthest |
As you can see from the table, all exceptions almost exactly repeat the exceptions of degrees of comparison of adjectives.
Adverbs in English can and should be memorized and used to improve themassimilation.
Let's practice? Yes, it's a must! Compile in order the degrees of comparison for the following adverbs:
- slowly;
- easily;
- perfectly;
- little;
- fast.
Undoubtedly, you did great. Congratulations! Using adverbs in English should no longer be a problem, and congratulations!
