MORE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE Adverbs are describing words. Like adjectives, they tell us more about another word. Adjectives modify or describe nouns or pronouns. Unlike adjectives, adverbs modify or describe three other parts of speech verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Adverbs are busy words! Adverbs are not verbs. Instead, they help answer questions about the verbs they describe. How? When? Where? To what extent (how long or how much?) They can show up in many different places in a sentence. You can even have adverbs that answer different questions about the same verb in one sentence. Sound hard? It s not. Let s look at some examples. Adverbs that answer how. Mary Beth danced gracefully. How did Mary Beth dance? Gracefully. Gracefully describes or tells us more about how Mary Beth danced. Gracefully is an adverb. Adverbs that answer when. Mary Beth danced yesterday. When did Mary Beth dance? Yesterday. Yesterday tells more about when Mary Beth danced. Yesterday is an adverb. Adverbs that answer where. Mary Beth danced away. Where did Mary Beth dance? Away. Away tells more about where Mary Beth danced. Away is an adverb.
MORE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE (Cont d) Adverbs that answer to what extent. Mary Beth danced quite long. How long did Mary Beth dance? Quite long. Quite tells us more about how long Mary Beth danced. Quite is an adverb that modifies long. Adverbs that tell how, when and where modify verbs. They tell us more about the action word in the sentence. Adverbs that tell how much, how long or to what extent modify adjectives and adverbs. These adverbs come right before the word they modify.
MORE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE Questions A. Let s Review adverbs. 1. are describing words. 2. What other parts of speech do adverbs modify or describe?,, 0r 3. Adverbs often answer questions to tell us more about another part of speech. Write the four questions most often answered by adverbs.,, B. Look at the underlined adverbs. If the adverb tells how, write H on the line. If the adverb tells when, write W on the line. 1. Aimee dives beautifully. 2. My class played catch yesterday. 3. Mr. Jacob s writes slowly. 4. We went to the store first. 5. Yesterday, Martha baked a cake. 6. Stop, immediately! Mother said. 7. Our class walked quietly down the hall. 8. Mark yells loudly at football games.
MORE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE Questions (Cont d) C. Read the sentences below. Look at the underlined words. Do they answer the question of where or to what extent? If the adverb answers the question of where, write a W on the line. If the adverb tells how long, how much, or to what extent - write an H on the line. 1. Claire walked outside. 2. That cat meows anywhere. 3. Terry jumped backwards off the diving board. 4. The soup is very salty. 5. Bobby eats amazingly fast. 6. This puzzle is really complicated. D. Complete the sentences below using your own adverbs. Use adverbs that answer the questions How? When? Or Where? Only use one adverb in each sentence. 1. Pete writes. 2. Crystal dives. 3. we went to the zoo. 4. My class will go to the swimming lake. 5. How did the cat get there? 6. We visit Grandma. E. Is an adverb a verb?
MORE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE Answers A. 1. Adverbs are describing words. 2. What other parts of speech do adverbs modify or describe? Verbs, Adjectives or Other Adverbs. 3. Adverbs often answer questions to tell us more about another part of speech. Write the four questions most often answered by adverbs. How, When, Where or To what extent? (Students could also answer by using how much or how long.) B. 1. _ H Aimee dives beautifully. 2. W My class played catch yesterday. 3. H Mr. Jacob s writes slowly. 4. W We went to the store first. 5. W Yesterday, Martha baked a cake. 6. W Stop, immediately! Mother said. 7. H Our class walked quietly down the hall. 8. H Mark yells loudly at football games. C. 1. W Claire walked outside. 2. W That cat meows anywhere. 3. W Terry jumped backwards off the diving board. 4. H The soup is very salty. 5. H Bobby eats amazingly fast. 6. H This puzzle is really complicated. D. Answers will vary. E. Is an adverb a verb? No