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Adverbs: Words That Tell How, When, Where and How Much

In one line: An adverb is a word that adds detail to a verb (an action word), an adjective (a describing word) or another adverb, often telling us how, when, where or how much.

Why it works

Adverbs make writing clearer and more interesting. 'The girl ran' is fine, but 'The girl ran quickly outside yesterday' tells the reader exactly how, where and when it happened. Spotting adverbs also helps children understand how sentences are built, which makes their own writing more precise and lively.

Think of it like: Imagine a film director talking to an actor. The script says the action: 'walk'. The director then adds instructions: 'Walk slowly. Walk now. Walk over there.' Those extra instructions are like adverbs: they don't change what the action is, but they tell you how, when and where to do it. (Where this breaks: A director only gives instructions about actions, but adverbs can also describe adjectives and other adverbs. In 'very tall', the adverb 'very' describes the adjective 'tall', and there is no action at all.)

Worked example

Find all the adverbs in this sentence: 'Yesterday, the dog barked very loudly outside.'

  1. Find the verb (the action word): the dog 'barked'.
  2. Ask 'How did it bark?' The answer is 'loudly', so 'loudly' is an adverb.
  3. Ask 'How loudly?' The answer is 'very', so 'very' is an adverb describing another adverb.
  4. Ask 'Where did it bark?' The answer is 'outside', so 'outside' is an adverb of place.
  5. Ask 'When did it bark?' The answer is 'Yesterday', so 'Yesterday' is an adverb of time.

Answer: There are four adverbs: Yesterday (when), very (how much), loudly (how) and outside (where).

Common mistakes

  • Thinking every adverb ends in '-ly' misses words like 'fast', 'soon', 'here' and 'very', so instead ask whether the word tells how, when, where or how much.
  • Thinking every '-ly' word is an adverb is wrong because 'friendly', 'lovely' and 'lonely' are usually adjectives, so check whether the word describes a noun (an adjective) or a verb (an adverb).
  • Using an adjective where an adverb is needed, as in 'She sings beautiful', can be fixed by asking 'how does she sing?' and using the adverb 'beautifully'.
  • Mixing up 'good' and 'well' happens often, so remember 'good' describes a thing (a good song) and 'well' describes an action (she sang well).

Try it · 1 of 3

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Which word is the adverb in this sentence? 'The cat crept quietly across the floor.'

Questions parents ask

What year do children learn about adverbs?

In England, children usually start adding '-ly' to make adverbs in Year 2, then learn adverbs of time, fronted adverbials and adverbs of possibility in Years 3 to 5. In Australia, adverbs are commonly taught from around Year 3, and in the US they are introduced in Grade 2 and explained in more depth in Grade 3.

What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb?

An adjective describes a noun, such as 'a quick fox'. An adverb usually describes a verb, adjective or another adverb, such as 'the fox ran quickly'. A handy test is to ask whether the word describes a thing or an action.

How can I help my child with adverbs at home?

Play 'adverb charades': write actions and adverbs on cards (like 'brush teeth' and 'angrily') and have your child act them out. You can also read together and hunt for words that answer 'how?', 'when?' or 'where?'.

Do all adverbs end in '-ly'?

No. Many adverbs end in '-ly', like 'slowly' and 'carefully', but lots do not, such as 'fast', 'well', 'soon', 'here' and 'very'. Some '-ly' words, like 'friendly', are actually adjectives, so it is better to look at the job the word does in the sentence.