Adverbs

Vocabulary

Adverb: a word that describes or modifies another verb, adjective, or adverb

Negative: a word that means “no” or “not”

Double Negative: 2 negatives used together to modify or describe 1 negative idea or thought

Positive: the opposite of a negative, a word meaning “yes”, “some”, or “any”, the positive form of a negative

Notes

• Adverbs that modify verbs answer/describe “how, “when”, or “where” something happened
• Many adjectives that modify verbs end in “-ly” (rapidly, cheekily)
• When describing other adjectives or adverbs, adverbs can answer “to what extent” something happened instead of “how” it happened (a very big group came super fast); very describes big which describes group, and super describes fast which describes came
• Adverbs can be used to make comparisons of adverbs, verbs, and adjectives
• Adverbs can come before or after the target word that they modify
• To compare 2 things use the comparative form of an adverb, for 3 or more things use the superlative form of an adverb

• When you compare actions or qualities that are less rather than more use “less” or “least” instead of “more” or “most”
• If the adverb ends in “-ly”, then add “more” or “most” to make comparisons instead of “-est” or   “-er”
• Don’t combine “-er” with more or “-est” with most
• Some adverbs have irregular superlative and comparative forms

• Some words mean “no” or “not” (negatives), they can reverse the meaning of a sentence or phrase (I did/ I did not)

• Some examples of common negatives are “no, not, none, never, no one, nobody, nothing, and nowhere)
• Don’t use double negatives to describe or modify a negative
• Don’t use double negatives to modify 1 thing or action
• Most negatives have opposites, or positives

• To prevent double negatives, you can replace the negative with a positive form of the negative

• To not get adjectives and adverbs confused with each other, remember that:

1. When an adjective and an adverb sound or look alike the adverb probably ends in “-ly”

1. Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns
2. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
3. Good is an adjective, but well is usually an adverb (it is an adverb when it means “healthy”)
4. You can turn and adjective into an adverb by adding the suffix “-ly” (some adjectives don’t work with this rule)