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What is an adverb?

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Quick answer

An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb — telling you how, when, where, or to what degree something happens. Many adverbs end in '-ly', like 'quickly', 'softly', and 'happily'. An adverb modifies a verb (run quickly), an adjective (very tall), or another adverb (quite slowly).

Key things to understand

  1. An adverb modifies a verb (run quickly), an adjective (very tall), or another adverb (quite slowly).
  2. It answers how, when, where, or to what extent.
  3. Many — but not all — adverbs end in '-ly' (quickly, gently); others include 'often', 'here', 'very', 'now'.
  4. Adverbs add detail about an action: not just 'she sang', but 'she sang beautifully'.
  5. The word 'very' is a common adverb that strengthens adjectives and other adverbs.

People also ask

What is an adverb, in simple terms?
An adverb is a word that describes how, when, or where something happens — usually describing a verb, like 'he ran fast' or 'she spoke softly'.
Do all adverbs end in -ly?
No. Many do (slowly, loudly), but plenty don't — words like 'often', 'never', 'here', 'very', and 'soon' are adverbs too.
What's the difference between an adjective and an adverb?
An adjective describes a noun (a loud noise); an adverb describes a verb, adjective, or adverb (he spoke loudly). One describes things, the other describes actions and qualities.