KINDS OF ADVERBS
ADVERBS OF DEGREE
Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity or degree of an action, an
adjective or another adverb.
Common adverbs of degree:
Almost, nearly, quite, just, too, enough, hardly, scarcely,
completely, very, extremely.
Adverbs of degree are usually placed:
- before the adjective or adverb they are modifying:
e.g. The water was extremely cold.
- before the main verb:
e.g. He was just leaving. She has almost
finished.
Examples:
She doesn't quite know what she'll do after
university.
They are completely exhausted from the trip.
I am too tired to go out tonight.
He hardly noticed what she was saying.
Enough, very, too
Enough as an adverb meaning 'to the necessary degree' goes after
adjectives and adverbs.
Example:
Is your coffee hot enough? (adjective)
He didn't work hard enough. (adverb)
It also goes before nouns, and means 'as much as is necessary'. In this
case it is not an adverb, but a 'determiner'.
Example:
We have enough bread.
They don't have enough food.
Too as an adverb meaning 'more than is necessary or useful' goes
before adjectives and adverbs, e.g.
This coffee is too hot. (adjective)
He works too hard. (adverb)
Enough and too with adjectives can be followed by 'for
someone/something'.
Example:
The dress was big enough for me.
She's not experienced enough for this job.
The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
We can also use 'to + infinitive' after enough and too
with adjectives/adverb.
Example:
The coffee was too hot to drink.
He didn't work hard enough to pass the exam.
She's not old enough to get married.
You're too young to have grandchildren!
Very goes before an adverb or adjective to make it stronger.
Example:
The girl was very beautiful. (adjective)
He worked very quickly. (adverb)
If we want to make a negative form of an adjective or adverb, we can use
a word of opposite meaning, or not very.
Example:
The girl was ugly OR The girl was not very
beautiful.
He worked slowly OR He didn't work very
quickly.
BE CAREFUL! There is a big difference between too and
very.
Very expresses a fact:
He speaks very quickly.
Too suggests there is a problem:
He speaks too quickly (for me to understand).
Other adverbs like very
These common adverbs are used like very and not very, and are listed in
order of strength, from positive to negative:
extremely, especially, particularly, pretty, rather, quite, fairly,
rather, not especially, not particularly.
Note: rather can be positive or negative, depending on the
adjective or adverb that follows:
Positive: The teacher was rather nice.
Negative: The film was rather disappointing.
Note on inversion with negative adverbs:
Normally the subject goes before the verb:
| SUBJECT |
VERB |
| I |
left |
| She |
goes |
However, some negative adverbs can cause an inversion - the order
is reversed and the verb goes before the subject
Example:
I have never seen such courage.
Never have I seen such courage.
She rarely left the house.
Rarely did she leave the house.
Negative inversion is used in writing, not in speaking.
Other adverbs and adverbial expressions that can be used like this:
seldom, scarcely, hardly, not only .....
but also, no sooner .....
than, not until, under no circumstances.
See also:
Adverbs of Certainty
Adverbs of Attitude
Adopted from English4today
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