Important Rules of Adverbs

1. Position of Adverbs:

   • Manner, Place, and Time: Usually go after the main verb or the object.

     • Example: She sings beautifully.

   • Frequency: Usually go before the main verb but after the verb "to be".

     • Example: She always arrives on time.

2. Formation of Adverbs:

   • Many adverbs are formed by adding “-ly” to adjectives.

     • Example: Quick (adjective) → Quickly (adverb)

3. Comparative and Superlative Adverbs:

   • Comparative: Add “-er” or use “more” before the adverb.

     • Example: He ran faster than his friend.

   • Superlative: Add “-est” or use “most” before the adverb.

     • Example: She speaks the most clearly.

4. Degree of Adverbs:

   • Positive Degree: Basic form of adverb.

     • Example: She sings well.

   • Comparative Degree: Compares two actions.

     • Example: He speaks more clearly than she does.

   • Superlative Degree: Compares three or more actions.

     • Example: He runs the fastest of all the students.

5. Avoiding Double Negatives:

   • Using two negatives to express a single negation should be avoided.

     • Example: Incorrect: He didn’t do nothing. Correct: He didn’t do anything.

6. Adjective vs. Adverb:

   • Do not confuse adjectives with adverbs.

     • Example: He is a quick runner. (adjective) He runs quickly. (adverb)

Additional Rules of Adverbs

1. Adverbs of Degree:

   • Intensify or Modify: Used to show the extent of an action or adjective.

   • Examples: Very, too, quite, almost, fairly.

     • Example: She is very talented. He almost finished the task.

2. Adverbs with Two Forms:

   • Some adverbs have two forms, one ending in "-ly" and one that does not. The meaning can change based on the form.

   • Examples: Hard (with effort) vs. Hardly (barely), Late (not on time) vs. Lately (recently).

     • Example: He works hard. She has hardly any money.

3. Adverbs Modifying Adjectives:

   • Adverbs can modify adjectives and are usually placed before the adjective.

   • Example: The movie was extremely interesting.

4. Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs:

   • Adverbs can also modify other adverbs and are usually placed before the adverb they modify.

   • Example: She sings very beautifully.

5. Adverbs of Certainty:

   • These adverbs express how certain or sure we are about an action.

   • Examples: Certainly, definitely, probably, undoubtedly.

     • Example: She will certainly pass the exam.

6. Order of Adverbs:

   • When multiple adverbs are used, they often follow the order: Manner, Place, Frequency, Time, Purpose.

   • Example: She sang beautifully at the concert every week last year to win the prize.

1. Adverbs of Time:

   • Adverbs of time answer the question "when?"

   • Examples: Now, then, today, yesterday, tomorrow, soon, later, yet, already, recently.

     • Example: She will arrive tomorrow.

2. Adverbs of Place:

   • Adverbs of place answer the question "where?"

   • Examples: Here, there, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere, up, down, near, far.

     • Example: She looked everywhere.

3. Adverbs of Purpose:

   • Adverbs of purpose (or reason) answer the question "why?"

   • Examples: So, because, therefore, thus, hence, consequently.

     • Example: He was late, so he missed the bus.

4. Adverbs in Comparisons:

   • Use "more" or "most" for adverbs ending in "-ly."

     • Example: She sings more beautifully than anyone else.

5. Adverb Placement in Negative Sentences:

   • Adverbs usually come between the subject and the main verb in negative sentences.

     • Example: He does not always arrive on time.

6. Adverbs with Auxiliary Verbs:

   • When auxiliary verbs are used, adverbs are usually placed between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

     • Example: She has already finished her homework.

7. Inversion with Negative Adverbs:

   • When negative adverbs start a sentence, the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted.

     • Example: Never have I seen such a beautiful sunset.

8. Different Meanings with Position Change:

   • The meaning of a sentence can change based on the position of the adverb.

     • Example: Only she loves him (nobody else loves him). She only loves him (she loves nobody else).

Exercises for Spotting Errors

Exercise 1:

Sentence: She speaks (A) very well (B) English (C) for a beginner. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She speaks English very well for a beginner."

Explanation: The adverb "very well" should come after the object "English."

Exercise 2:

Sentence: He did not (A) hardly work (B) on his project (C) yesterday. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He hardly worked on his project yesterday."

Explanation: "Hardly" is a negative adverb and should not be used with "not." Use "hardly worked."

Exercise 3:

Sentence: She always (A) is (B) punctual (C) to class. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She is always punctual to class."

Explanation: Adverbs of frequency (like "always") come after the verb "to be."

Exercise 4:

Sentence: The teacher (A) explained (B) the lesson clear (C) and concisely. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "The teacher explained the lesson clearly and concisely."

Explanation: The adverb form "clearly" should be used instead of the adjective "clear."

Exercise 5:

Sentence: He drives (A) more faster (B) than his (C) brother does. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He drives faster than his brother does."

Explanation: "More faster" is incorrect; "faster" itself is the comparative form.

Exercise 6:

Sentence: She sings (A) more beautiful (B) than anyone else (C) in the choir. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She sings more beautifully than anyone else in the choir."

Explanation: The adverb form "beautifully" should be used instead of the adjective "beautiful."

Exercise 7:

Sentence: They worked (A) hardly (B) to complete the project (C) on time. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "They worked hard to complete the project on time."

Explanation: "Hardly" means scarcely or barely, whereas "hard" means with a lot of effort. Use "hard."

Exercise 8:

Sentence: The manager (A) will explain (B) the details (C) more clear. (D)

Error: (D)

Correction: "The manager will explain the details more clearly."

Explanation: The adverb form "clearly" should be used instead of the adjective "clear."

Exercise 9:

Sentence: She is (A) the most (B) fastest runner (C) in the team. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She is the fastest runner in the team."

Explanation: "Fastest" is already the superlative form, so "most" is redundant.

Exercise 10:

Sentence: He ran (A) quick (B) to catch (C) the bus. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He ran quickly to catch the bus."

Explanation: The adverb form "quickly" should be used instead of the adjective "quick."

Exercise 11:

Sentence: She completed (A) the assignment (B) more efficient (C) than her classmates. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She completed the assignment more efficiently than her classmates."

Explanation: The adverb form "efficiently" should be used instead of the adjective "efficient."

Exercise 12:

Sentence: He can (A) hardly (B) believe (C) what he heard. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Hardly" is correctly used here to mean "barely" or "scarcely."

Exercise 13:

Sentence: She did not (A) reply quick (B) to my email (C) yesterday. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She did not reply quickly to my email yesterday."

Explanation: The adverb form "quickly" should be used instead of the adjective "quick."

Exercise 14:

Sentence: The team performed (A) exceptional (B) during the (C) final match. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "The team performed exceptionally during the final match."

Explanation: The adverb form "exceptionally" should be used instead of the adjective "exceptional."

Exercise 15:

Sentence: He seldom (A) goes (B) to the park (C) on weekends. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Seldom" is correctly placed before the main verb "goes."

Exercise 16:

Sentence: They moved (A) cautious (B) through the (C) dark alley. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "They moved cautiously through the dark alley."

Explanation: The adverb form "cautiously" should be used instead of the adjective "cautious."

Exercise 17:

Sentence: He explained (A) the process (B) very clear (C) to the new employees. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He explained the process very clearly to the new employees."

Explanation: The adverb form "clearly" should be used instead of the adjective "clear."

Exercise 18:

Sentence: She usually (A) is (B) late (C) for meetings. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She is usually late for meetings."

Explanation: Adverbs of frequency (like "usually") come after the verb "to be."

Exercise 19:

Sentence: He reads (A) slow (B) but he (C) understands everything. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He reads slowly but he understands everything."

Explanation: The adverb form "slowly" should be used instead of the adjective "slow."

Exercise 20:

Sentence: The children (A) behaved good (B) during (C) the school trip. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "The children behaved well during the school trip."

Explanation: The adverb form "well" should be used instead of the adjective "good."

Exercise 21:

Sentence: She speaks (A) more fluent (B) than any other (C) student in the class. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She speaks more fluently than any other student in the class."

Explanation: The adverb form "fluently" should be used instead of the adjective "fluent."

Exercise 22:

Sentence: He answered (A) all the questions (B) very (C) good. (D)

Error: (D)

Correction: "He answered all the questions very well."

Explanation: The adverb form "well" should be used instead of the adjective "good."

Exercise 23:

Sentence: She works (A) very hard (B) to finish (C) her tasks quickly. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: The adverbs "very hard" and "quickly" are correctly used.

Exercise 24:

Sentence: The manager (A) reviewed the report (B) thoroughly (C) and provided feedback. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: The adverb "thoroughly" is correctly used to describe how the manager reviewed the report.

Exercise 25:

Sentence: He is (A) too much (B) tired (C) to continue working. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He is too tired to continue working."

Explanation: "Too much" is used for uncountable nouns, whereas "too" is used to modify adjectives.

Exercise 26:

Sentence: He writes (A) too (B) fastly (C) for the students to understand. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He writes too fast for the students to understand."

Explanation: "Fastly" is incorrect; the correct adverb form is "fast."

Exercise 27:

Sentence: She almost (A) finished (B) the exam (C) on time. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Almost" is correctly used to indicate the degree to which she finished the exam.

Exercise 28:

Sentence: They acted (A) very rude (B) at the party (C) last night. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "They acted very rudely at the party last night."

Explanation: The adverb form "rudely" should be used instead of the adjective "rude."

Exercise 29:

Sentence: He works (A) hardly (B) to achieve (C) his goals. (D)

Error: (A)

Correction: "He works hard to achieve his goals."

Explanation: "Hardly" means scarcely or barely, whereas "hard" means with a lot of effort. Use "hard."

Exercise 30:

Sentence: She spoke (A) to him (B) very (C) polite. (D)

Error: (D)

Correction: "She spoke to him very politely."

Explanation: The adverb form "politely" should be used instead of the adjective "polite."

Exercise 31:

Sentence: He will (A) definitely (B) win (C) the competition (D) likely.

Error: (D)

Correction: "He will definitely win the competition."

Explanation: "Likely" is redundant and incorrectly placed; "definitely" already indicates certainty.

Exercise 32:

Sentence: She performed (A) very good (B) in the (C) last performance. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She performed very well in the last performance."

Explanation: The adverb form "well" should be used instead of the adjective "good."

Exercise 33:

Sentence: They have (A) been traveling (B) a lot lately (C) and enjoying it. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Lately" is correctly used to mean "recently."

Exercise 34:

Sentence: He ran (A) quick (B) to catch (C) the bus. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He ran quickly to catch the bus."

Explanation: The adverb form "quickly" should be used instead of the adjective "quick."

Exercise 35:

Sentence: She is too much (A) tired (B) to continue (C) working tonight. (D)

Error: (A)

Correction: "She is too tired to continue working tonight."

Explanation: "Too much" is used for uncountable nouns, whereas "too" is used to modify adjectives.

Exercise 36:

Sentence: They arrived (A) lately (B) to the meeting (C) and missed the introduction. (D)

Error: (A)

Correction: "They arrived late to the meeting and missed the introduction."

Explanation: "Lately" means recently, while "late" means not on time.

Exercise 37:

Sentence: She behaved (A) more responsible (B) after the warning (C) from her manager. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She behaved more responsibly after the warning from her manager."

Explanation: The adverb form "responsibly" should be used instead of the adjective "responsible."

Exercise 38:

Sentence: He can speak (A) English (B) quite good (C) now. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He can speak English quite well now."

Explanation: The adverb form "well" should be used instead of the adjective "good."

Exercise 39:

Sentence: The food was (A) almost (B) cooked perfect (C) at the restaurant. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "The food was almost cooked perfectly at the restaurant."

Explanation: The adverb form "perfectly" should be used instead of the adjective "perfect."

Exercise 40:

Sentence: She sings (A) too loudly (B) to be (C) appreciated by everyone. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Too loudly" is correctly used to indicate that the loudness of her singing is excessive.

Exercise 41:

Sentence: She has (A) already finished (B) her work (C) yesterday. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She finished her work yesterday."

Explanation: "Already" and "yesterday" are redundant; use one to indicate the time.

Exercise 42:

Sentence: He went (A) to the market (B) near every day (C) last month. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He went to the market nearly every day last month."

Explanation: "Nearly" is the correct adverb form to mean "almost."

Exercise 43:

Sentence: They have (A) recently moved (B) to a new (C) neighborhood. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Recently" is correctly used to indicate a recent action.

Exercise 44:

Sentence: He has (A) never been (B) to the beach (C) before. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Never" is correctly used to indicate that he has not been to the beach at any time before.

Exercise 45:

Sentence: She has (A) finished her work (B) already. (C) (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Already" is correctly placed after the main verb "finished."

Exercise 46:

Sentence: He speaks (A) quite fluently (B) the language. (C) (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He speaks the language quite fluently."

Explanation: The adverb phrase "quite fluently" should come after the object "the language."

Exercise 47:

Sentence: She sings (A) beautifully (B) more (C) than anyone else. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "She sings more beautifully than anyone else."

Explanation: Use "more" before adverbs ending in "-ly" to form the comparative.

Exercise 48:

Sentence: She arrived (A) at the party (B) soon. (C) (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She will arrive at the party soon."

Explanation: "Soon" indicates a future action, so the sentence should be in the future tense.

Exercise 49:

Sentence: He looked (A) everywhere (B) for his (C) lost keys. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Everywhere" is correctly used to indicate all places.

Exercise 50:

Sentence: She speaks (A) more politely (B) to her (C) boss than her colleagues. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "More politely" is correctly used to compare how she speaks to her boss versus her colleagues.

Exercise 51:

Sentence: She is (A) almost finished (B) her project. (C) (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She has almost finished her project."

Explanation: Use the present perfect tense "has finished" with the adverb "almost."

Exercise 52:

Sentence: He usually (A) not goes (B) to bed (C) before midnight. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He usually does not go to bed before midnight."

Explanation: "Not" should be used with an auxiliary verb "does" before the main verb "go."

Exercise 53:

Sentence: They will (A) certainly attend (B) the meeting (C) tomorrow. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Certainly" is correctly used to express certainty about attending the meeting.

Exercise 54:

Sentence: He acted (A) as he (B) was really angry. (C) (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He acted as if he was really angry."

Explanation: Use "as if" to indicate a hypothetical situation.

Exercise 55:

Sentence: She has been (A) to the gym (B) lately quite often. (C) (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She has been to the gym quite often lately."

Explanation: "Quite often" should precede "lately" for correct adverb placement.

Exercise 56:

Sentence: He walked (A) slow (B) because he (C) was tired. (D)

Error: (B)

Correction: "He walked slowly because he was tired."

Explanation: Use "slowly" as the adverb form to modify "walked."

Exercise 57:

Sentence: She will (A) soon arrive (B) here. (C) (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Soon" is correctly used to indicate a near-future event.

Exercise 58:

Sentence: He left (A) the room (B) angry. (C) (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "He left the room angrily."

Explanation: Use "angrily" as the adverb form to modify "left."

Exercise 59:

Sentence: She speaks (A) English (B) more better (C) than her sister. (D)

Error: (C)

Correction: "She speaks English better than her sister."

Explanation: "Better" is already the comparative form; "more" is redundant.

Exercise 60:

Sentence: He is (A) quite (B) happy (C) with his new job. (D)

Error: (No error)

Correction: The sentence is correct.

Explanation: "Quite" is correctly used to intensify "happy."

We hope that you must have found this exercise quite useful. If you wish to join online courses on Networking Concepts, Machine Learning, Angular JS, Node JS, Flutter, Cyber Security, Core Java and Advance Java, Power BI, Tableau, AI, IOT, Android, Core PHP, Laravel Framework, Core Java, Advance Java, Spring Boot Framework, Struts Framework training, feel free to contact us at +91-9936804420 or email us at aditya.inspiron@gmail.com. 

Happy Learning 

Team Inspiron Technologies