Richbaub's Introduction to Middle School Grammar Book 2

Some Adverb Clues
A. You may have noticed that a lot of adverbs have the same “-ly” ending. It’s true; many
“-ly” words are in fact adverbs—but not all “-ly” words are adverbs, so be careful.
B. Remember, if it’s an adverb, it’s answering one of the adverb questions: Where? When?
or How?
Examples:
After the leisurely walk we were totally relaxed. (How relaxed were they?)
The friendly man happily ate his pizza. (How did the man eat his pizza?)
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. Above, leisurely and friendly are adjectives because
they both describe nouns. Adverbs NEVER describe nouns or pronouns.
C. Remember that the words “polluting” verb phrases are adverbs!
Examples:
I will never speed in my new sports car! (When will you speed? Never.)
My friend has completely disappointed me. (How has your friend disappointed
you? Completely.)
D. There are also some words that are ALWAYS adverbs. You might refer to these as
“classic” adverbs—they are VERY common!
not
never
already
almost
also
“Classic” Adverbs
very
really
too
soon
E. Finally, (and this is a lame-sounding strategy but it just goes to show how difficult
adverbs can be) if you’re having real trouble figuring out what part of speech a word is, you’re
probably looking at an adverb!!
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RICHBAUB’S INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL GRAMMAR, BOOK 2