Topic Page: Adverb
Adverbs modify other parts of speech and answer questions such as how? (adverbs of manner): • quietly • greedily; when? (adverbs of time): • then • tomorrow; where? (adverbs of place): • there • outside. They can modify verbs: • She wrote neatly; adjectives: • extremely hot; other adverbs: • fairly well; whole clauses or sentences: • Anyway, it doesn't matter now – or can be used to link clauses or sentences: • I dislike him; nevertheless, I feel responsible for him. Adverbs are frequently formed by adding -ly to an adjective: • darkly • wisely, but this does not apply to all adverbs: • to work late • to jump high.
It is usually acceptable to place an adverb between parts of a verb: • I have often spoken about the matter, but adverbs should not come between a verb and its direct object. Whether the adverb is positioned after the object or before the verb depends on the length of the object clause: • They tortured the prisoners cruelly. • They cruelly tortured the political prisoners who had been arrested for demonstrating against the regime. Careful positioning of the adverb is sometimes necessary in order to avoid ambiguity in a sentence: • She disliked intensely sentimental films. If intensely relates to disliked, it should be placed before the verb. See also adjectives; sentence adverb; split infinitive.