Adverbs
Adverbs perform a wide range of functions. They typically modify verbs
(or verb phrases), adjectives (or adjectival phrases), or other adverbs (or
adverbial phrases) However, adverbs also sometimes qualify noun phrases (only
the boss; quite a lovely place); pronouns and determiners (almost all);
prepositional phrases (halfway through the movie); or whole sentences, to
provide contextual comment or indicate an attitude (Frankly, I don't believe
you). They can also indicate a relationship between clauses or sentences (He
died, and consequently I inherited the estate).
Many English adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding the ending
-ly, as in hopefully, widely, theoretically (for details of spelling and
etymology, see -ly). Certain words can be used as both adjectives and adverbs,
such as fast, straight, and hard. The adverb corresponding to the adjective
good is well (note that bad forms the regular badly, although ill is
occasionally used in some phrases).
There are also many adverbs that are not derived from adjectives,[14]
including adverbs of time, of frequency, of place, of degree and with other
meanings. Some suffixes that are commonly used to form adverbs from nouns are
-ward[s] (as in homeward[s]) and -wise(as in lengthwise).
Most adverbs form comparatives and superlatives by modification with
more and most: often, more often, most often; smoothly, more smoothly, most
smoothly (see also comparison of adjectives, above). However, a few adverbs
retain irregular inflection for comparativeand
superlative forms: much, more, most; a little, less, least; well,
better, best; badly, worse, worst; far, further (farther), furthest(farthest);
or follow the regular adjectival inflection: fast, faster, fastest; soon,
sooner, soonest; etc.
Adverbs indicating the manner of an action are generally placed after
the verb and its objects (We considered the proposal carefully), although other
positions are often possible (We carefully considered the proposal). Many
adverbs of frequency, degree, certainty, etc. (such as often, always, almost,
probably, and various others such as just) tend to be placed before the verb
(they usually have chips), although if there is an auxiliary or other
"special verb" (see Verbs above), then the normal position for such
adverbs is after that special verb (or after the first of them, if there is
more than one): I have just finished the crossword; She can usually manage a
pint; We are never late; You might possibly have been unconscious. Adverbs that
provide a connection with previous information (such as next, then, however),
and those that provide the context (such as time or place) for a sentence, are
typically placed at the start of the sentence: Yesterday we went on a shopping
expedition.
A special type of adverb is the adverbial particle used to form phrasal
verbs (such as up in pick up, on in get on, etc.) If such a verb also has an
object, then the particle may precede or follow the object, although it will
normally follow the object if the object is a pronoun (pick the pen up or pick
up the pen, but pick it up).
Adverb phrases
An adverb phrase is a phrase that acts as an adverb within a sentence.
An adverb phrase may have an adverb as its head, together with any modifiers
(other adverbs or adverb phrases) and complements, analogously to the adjective
phrases described above. For example: very sleepily; all too suddenly; oddly
enough; perhaps shockingly for us.
Another very common type of adverb phrase is the prepositional phrase,
which consists of a preposition and its object: in the pool;after two years;
for the sake of harmony.
