adverbs

◊ GRAMMAR

An adverb is a word that gives information about how, when, where, or in what circumstances something happens. For example, `quickly', `well', `now', and `here' are adverbs.

Sit there quietly, and listen to this music.

Everything we used was bought locally.

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For full information on the different types of adverbs used to give information about events and situations, see entry at ↑ Adverbials.

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◊ submodifiers

Some adverbs of degree can be used in front of adjectives and other adverbs. When adverbs of degree are used in this way they are called submodifiers.

...a rather clumsy person.

...an extremely disappointed young man.

He prepared his speech very carefully.

We were able to hear everything pretty clearly.

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Submodifiers which are used in front of an adjective to reinforce it and make it more emphatic are sometimes called intensifiers.

They're awfully brave.

The other girls were dreadfully dull.

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The following adverbs are intensifiers:

awfully, dreadfully, exceptionally, extremely, greatly, highly, horribly, incredibly, really, remarkably, terribly, very

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Note that `greatly' is only used in front of adjectives ending in `-ed' and the adjectives `different' and `superior'.

He was not greatly surprised to learn that she had left.

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The following submodifiers indicate a small or moderate degree of a quality. They are arranged from `low degree' to `higher degree'.

faintly,

a bit, a little, slightly,

rather, quite, fairly, somewhat, relatively, moderately,

reasonably,

pretty

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Note that `quite' can also be used to emphasize adjectives. See entry at ↑ quite.

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`A bit' and `a little' can only be used in front of an adjective when the adjective is being used after a verb such as `be'. You cannot use them with an adjective that is in front of a noun. For example, you say `It was a bit unpleasant', but you do not say `It was a bit unpleasant experience'. For more information, see entries at ↑ bit and ↑ little - a little.

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You use emphasizing adverbs to modify adjectives such as `astonishing', `furious', and `wonderful' which indicate an extreme degree of a quality.

...a quite astonishing ignorance of human nature.

I think he's absolutely wonderful.

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The following emphasizing adverbs are used in front of adjectives:

absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, perfectly, quite, simply, totally, utterly

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`Purely' is used in front of classifying adjectives and noun group complements to indicate that something is of only one kind. It is not used in front of qualitative adjectives.

The action had been purely instinctive.

...something that appears at first glimpse to be a purely local issue.

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◊ adding to a description

In writing, adverbs formed from qualitative adjectives can be used in front of an adjective to add to a description of someone or something. For example, if someone is confident and cool, you can describe them as `coolly confident'.

...her nervously polite manner.

...these proudly individual characters.

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