


Basic examples

In this sentence, the adverb slowly modifies the verb tied:

He slowly tied his shoes.

In this sentence, the adverb dimly modifies the adjective lit:

The machines are stored in a dimly lit room.


He runs really fast.

Here, directly modifies the preposition above:

The plane flew directly above our heads.

And here, the adverb right modifies the conjunction when:

Right when I got there, everyone started yelling.

Forming adverbs

From most adjectives


From -ic adjectives


From adjectives ending in -le


From adjectives ending in -y


From adjectives ending in -ly





We should talk friendlily and frankly with our partners in Turkey. [Today’s Zaman]

The infrequency of such examples suggests that –lily adverbs aren’t generally considered acceptable, even if they are technically correct.


Flat adverbs


Comparative and superlative adverbs

Like adjectives, adverbs in English have three degrees:


Forming comparative and superlative adverbs


Irregular comparative and superlative adverbs


badly – worse – worst

far – further/farther – furthest/farthest

little – less – least

much – more – most

well – better – best

Adverb placement

Adverbs splitting verb phrases








Adverbs modifying non-verbs


The text was extremely purple.

We traveled far beyond the border.

Adverbs and intransitive verbs


The leaves fall slowly to the ground.

The birds chirped languidly.


The dog only rarely barks.

seldom go running these days.


  1. Grammar Guru says:


    Old-fashioned grammarians would object to both forms of that sentence as they know that the primary meaning of the adverb “presently” is “soon” not “currently.”

    An old-fashioned grammarian, who disagrees with much of this discussion of adverbs.

    • Grammarist says:

      Both meanings are many centuries old, and both are commonly used throughout the English speaking world, so there’s no good basis for saying either is right or wrong. We are all free to have our preferences, though.

    • Linguistic Obsessor says:

      I don’t see how you derive “currently” from “presently” in the example given above. In other words, how is it indicated that “currently” is being used instead of “soon” in the two examples?

  2. Linguistic Obsessor says:

    I’m trying to understand adverb placement.

    You talk about miscues in the “Adverb Placement” section above, but wouldn’t the placement of “immediately” at the beginning of the sentence have meaning, albeit different than the beginning-placement used in your example? And could you please explain the meaning of both placements? (If you think the end-placement is incorrect, please still explain the beginning-placement).


    I am not a grammarian, so I can’t figure out how either version– ” you are presently employed” or “you presently are employed” –splits an infinitive. “You are employed” seems like a subject with an inflected “to be” verb and subject complement OR a subject with a passive past -tense verb, but neither seems like it uses the infinitive “to be” or “to employ.” What am I missing?

  4. GrammaristFan says:

    The comparative and superlative explanations are not clear. If adverbs of two or more syllables use “more” and “most,” then why is it “early, earlier, earliest” and not “early, more early, most early”? There is nothing in the rules stated here that distinguishes between early and quickly. Did you mean to indicate that adverbs that are also adjectives use the adjective endings? I personally do not know the rule, which is why I am looking it up here. (Also, the example should be “He arrived earlier than I.”) Thank you.

  5. In the sentence: I knew that help was near. The word near is an adjective modifying the word help. Do you consider that the correct understanding?

  6. Lanya Hasan says:

    Hi what is that adverb that come after an adjective

  7. “I felt bad about it.” OR “I felt badly about it.” Many will say the second is correct, but I doubt they would they say, “I felt coldly in the snow.”

  8. Christian Fudge says:

    Hey im homeschooled and I would like to know is the word aren’t an adverb?

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