ANSWERS THE QUESTION HOW?

[In the following examples, the adverb is bold and the word it modifies is underlined.]

• It isn't just the practice, studying, running, bad days, great days and traveling that experienced players handle well.
  • WELL tells us how the players HANDLE things.
    
    
• They have quickly figured out how to deal with their boss.
  • QUICKLY tells us how they HAVE FIGURED OUT.
    
    
• It's nice to have a group that handles the situations better than others have.
  • BETTER describes how the group HANDLES the direct objects SITUATIONS.
    
    
• Either they sit quietly and watch, not taking a side, or find themselves actually rooting for one of these two.
  • QUIETLY describes how they SIT.

INDICATES TO WHAT DEGREE?

• This has been a really nice group to work with," Penn State coach Rene Portland said of her team.
  • To what degree is the group nice? REALLY.
    • NOTE: NICE is an adjective. This is an example of an adverb modifying an adjective.
      
      
• How do so-called neutral fans react to this game between two programs they certainly respect but probably can't stand?
  • What kind of neutral are the fans? SO-CALLED.
    • NOTE: NEUTRAL is an adjective.
      
      
• The coach did not sound overly concerned about it.
  • What is the degree of concern not expressed? OVERLY
    • NOTE: CONCERNED is a PREDICATE adjective.
      
      
• She is not sure our crowd will bother them that much.
  • To what degree will the crowd bother them? MUCH.
    
    

ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHEN?

• We are in a busy time now," the mayor said.
  • When is the busy time? NOW.
    • NOTE: ARE is not a linking verb here. It is intransitive.
      
      
• "Confident" would not have described the student yesterday.
  • When was the STUDENT not CONFIDENT? YESTERDAY
    
    
• Recently, we've allowed her to sneak outside and play the wing.
  • WHEN has she been allowed? RECENTLY.
    
    

ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHERE?

• The little girl plays inside quietly.
  • Where does she play well? INSIDE.
    • NOTE: QUIETLY is also an adverb telling us how she plays.
      
      
• Recently, we've allowed her to sneak outside and play.
  • OUTSIDE tells us where she has been allowed to sneak.
    
    
• The goat has climbed out.
  • OUT indicates where THE GOAT has climbed.
    

An adverb can also introduce sentences or modify entire phrases or sentences.

• Thursday, NBC will show the premieres of its best shows.
  • THURSDAY tells the reader when about the whole sentence.

Adverbs may refer to:

• TIME        (He arrived promptly.)
• MANNER   (Cougars walk silently.)
• DEGREE    (She was quite miserable.)
• PLACE      (The book belongs there.)

To do a practice worksheet on adverbs, go to the next page.