9 types of Adverbs you need to know

Having learnt the definition of adverbs and how are they different from adjectives, it's time to dive into the fun part – the various types of adverbs that can add that extra zing to your writing. 

So, here are 9 types of adverbs that should totally be on your radar.

#1 Adverbs Of Manner

Adverbs of manner are words that describe how an action is performed. They provide more information about the way something happens, adding details to verbs. 

Eg. Sheila sang beautifully during the concert, mesmerizing the audience with her melodious voice.

In this sentence, the adverb of manner 'beautifully' describes how Sheila sang during the concert. It emphasizes the quality and elegance of her singing, enhancing the description of her performance.

Eg. The chef skillfully chopped the vegetables, creating a finely balanced medley of flavors in the dish.

'Skillfully' is the adverb of manner in this sentence, indicating how the chef chopped the vegetables. It emphasizes the proficiency and expertise with which the chef handled the knife, resulting in finely chopped vegetables.

Eg. The children laughed uproariously at the clown's antics, filling the room with infectious joy.

Here, 'uproariously' is the adverb of manner that describes how the children laughed. It adds intensity to their laughter, suggesting that it was loud, boisterous, and accompanied by great amusement due to the clown's funny actions.

#2 Adverbs Of Time

Adverbs of time are words or phrases that provide information about when an action takes place. They indicate specific points in time or time intervals in relation to the action being described. These adverbs help establish the timing of events and actions in a sentence, providing context and helping readers understand the temporal aspect of the narrative.

Eg. She will arrive shortly to pick up the package.

In this sentence, the adverb of time "shortly" indicates that the arrival of the person to pick up the package will happen in a brief amount of time. It specifies when the action (arrival) will take place.

Eg. They used to meet every Saturday for brunch.

'Every Saturday' serves as the adverbial phrase of time in this sentence. It clarifies that the action of meeting for brunch occurred each Saturday, indicating a recurring event in the past.

Eg. I have an important meeting tomorrow morning.

The adverbial phrase of time 'tomorrow morning' specifies when the important meeting will occur. It adds a temporal context to the action, helping the listener understand the timing of the event.

#3 Adverbs Of Place

Adverbs of place are words or phrases that provide information about the location or position of an action or event. They help to describe where the action is happening, whether it's indoors, outdoors, nearby, far away, or in a specific direction. 

Eg. She looked everywhere for her lost keys.

In this sentence, the adverb of place "everywhere" indicates that the person searched in all possible locations for her lost keys. It gives a sense of the wide range of places she checked.

Eg. The kids played outside in the park until sunset.

'Outside in the park' serves as the adverbial phrase of place, specifying where the kids played. It provides the location context for the action and helps us visualize where the activity occurred.

Eg. He left the package here on the doorstep.

The adverb of place 'here' identifies the location where the package was left, which is on the doorstep. It gives a clear indication of where the action took place and helps in understanding the spatial aspect of the situation.

#4 Adverbs Of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency are words or phrases that provide information about how often an action or event takes place. They convey the regularity or repetition of an action, whether it occurs frequently, occasionally, rarely, always, or never.

Eg. She exercises daily to maintain her fitness.

In this sentence, the adverb of frequency "daily" indicates that the action of exercising happens every day. It specifies how often the action takes place.

Eg. He rarely watches movies in the theater; he prefers streaming at home.

'Rarely' is the adverb of frequency in this sentence. It conveys that the action of watching movies in the theater is infrequent or uncommon for him. It indicates the low frequency of the activity.

Eg. They have weekly meetings to discuss project updates.

The adverbial phrase of frequency "weekly" signifies that the meetings happen once a week. It provides information about how often the meetings are held, establishing a regular occurrence.

#5 Adverbs Of Degree

Adverbs of degree express the intensity, extent, or level of an action, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. They modify these elements to convey how much or to what degree something is happening or is true. 

Eg. She was extremely delighted with the surprise party.

In this sentence, the adverb of degree "extremely" amplifies the intensity of the subject's delight. It emphasizes that her happiness was at a high level due to the surprise party.

Eg. The weather is quite chilly today, so remember to wear a warm coat.

'Quite' is the adverb of degree here, indicating a moderate degree of chilliness in the weather. It suggests that while the weather is indeed cold, it might not be extremely so.

Eg. His argument was somewhat convincing, but I still have my doubts.

The adverb of degree 'somewhat' lessens the force of the adjective "convincing." It implies that the argument had a certain level of persuasiveness, although it didn't fully eliminate the speaker's doubts.

#6 Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs are transitional words or phrases that connect and relate ideas within sentences or between sentences. They act as bridges, helping to clarify relationships like cause-and-effect, contrast, comparison, or sequence. They're often used to create smoother transitions and provide context for the reader to understand how different ideas connect.

Eg. She wanted to go to the party; however, she was feeling unwell.

In this sentence, 'however' is a conjunctive adverb that connects two independent clauses. It indicates a contrast between the desire to attend the party and the reason (feeling unwell) that hindered her from doing so.

Eg. The team worked hard; consequently, they achieved first place in the competition.

'Consequently' serves as a conjunctive adverb here, showing a cause-and-effect relationship between the team's hard work and their achievement of first place. It explains the result that followed the action.

Eg. He studied diligently for the exam; therefore, his performance was outstanding.

The conjunctive adverb 'therefore' links the student's diligent studying with his exceptional performance on the exam. It indicates a logical consequence and helps readers understand the reason behind the outstanding outcome.

#7 Focusing Adverbs

Focusing adverbs are words that emphasise or highlight a specific part of a sentence, drawing attention to a particular aspect. They provide added emphasis, often narrowing down or intensifying the meaning of the verb, adjective, or adverb they modify.

Eg. She specifically asked for a vegan option at the restaurant.

In this sentence, "specifically" is a focusing adverb that emphasizes the particular request the person made. It narrows down the request to a specific type of option, highlighting the precision of the ask.

Eg. He solely took credit for the success of the project.

The focusing adverb "solely" emphasizes that the person took all the credit for the project's success, excluding any contributions from others. It highlights the exclusivity of his claim.

Eg. The company primarily focuses on sustainable business practices.

Here, 'primarily' is a focusing adverb that indicates the main or central focus of the company's efforts. It underscores that sustainable business practices are the most important area of attention for the company.

#8 Interrogative Adverbs

Interrogative adverbs are like question starters in sentences. They introduce questions that seek information about different aspects of an action or event. They help clarify the context of a question by indicating what specific detail is being inquired about.

Eg. Where did you find that rare book?

In this question, "where" is an interrogative adverb that seeks information about the location where the rare book was found. It introduces the question about place.

Eg. Why is she so upset about the decision?

'Why' serves as the interrogative adverb here, inquiring about the reason behind the person's strong emotional reaction to the decision. It introduces the question about the cause.

Eg. How did they manage to complete the project so quickly?

The interrogative adverb 'how' asks for an explanation of the method or manner by which they were able to finish the project rapidly. It introduces the question about the manner or way in which the action occurred.

#9 Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs are words that connect a main clause to a dependent (or relative) clause. They provide additional information about the nouns in the main clause, clarifying aspects like place, time, reason, or manner.

Eg. I visited the park where we used to play as children.

In this sentence, "where" is a relative adverb that introduces a relative clause providing additional information about the park. It specifies the location where the speaker and the person they're referring to used to play as children.

Eg. The reason why she resigned is still unclear.

'Why' serves as a relative adverb here, introducing a relative clause that explains the reason behind her resignation. It provides more information about the cause for her action.

Eg. He showed us how to solve the puzzle.

The relative adverb "how" introduces a relative clause that gives details about the method or manner in which he demonstrated puzzle-solving. It elaborates on the way he provided instruction.