Mastering Adjectives and Adverbs: Usage and Examples
Understanding Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives: Adjectives are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking much more specific, and a whole lot more interesting.
- They live in a big, beautiful house.
- Since it’s a hot day, Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt.
- The mountaintops are covered in sparkling snow.
Coordinate Adjectives
Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that appear in sequence with one another to modify the same noun. For example, the adjectives in the phrases bright, sunny day and dark and stormy night are coordinate adjectives.
- The teacher is a short, thin, and beautiful woman.
- Forecasters warned of another day of hot, windy conditions across Southern California.
Collective Adjectives
They are used to refer to a group of people based on a characteristic that they share.
“The rich are usually powerful.”
“The French are the best chefs.”
“The elderly need proper care.”
Understanding Adverbs
An adverb is a word that is used to change or qualify the meaning of an adjective, a verb, a clause, another adverb, or any other type of word or phrase with the exception of determiners and adjectives that directly modify nouns.
- When? She always arrives early.
- How? He drives carefully.
- Where? They go everywhere together.
- In what way? She eats slowly.
- To what extent? It is terribly hot.
Adverbs of Time
Adverbs of time tell us when an action happened, but also for how long, and how often.
- Goldilocks went to the Bears' house yesterday.
- I'm going to tidy my room tomorrow.
- I saw Sally today.
- I will call you later.
Adverbs of Place
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens. Adverbs of place are usually placed after the main verb or after the clause that they modify.
- John looked around but he couldn't see the monkey.
- I searched everywhere I could think of.
- I'm going back to school.
- Come in!
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They are usually placed either after the main verb or after the object.
- He swims well.
- He ran quickly.
- She spoke softly.
- James coughed loudly to attract her attention.
- He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object)
Adverbs of Degree
Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of something. Adverbs of degree are usually placed before the adjective, adverb, or verb that they modify, although there are some exceptions. The words "too", "enough", "very", and "extremely" are examples of adverbs of degree.
- The movie is quite interesting.
- The water was extremely cold.
- She has almost finished.
- You are walking too slowly.