Adverbs, Adverbial Phrases, and Conjunctive Adverbs

1. Adverbs, Adverbial Phrases, and Conjunctive Adverbs Written Carefully By: Sam Mueting

2. Adverbs • Modify: • Verbs • Ex. He drove carefully. • Adjectives • Ex. He drove very fast. • Other Adverbs • Ex. He drove quite carelessly • Adverbs tell when, where, why, or under what conditions something happens or happened.

3. Adverbial Phrases • Types: • Adverbial Phrases • Contain subject and verb • After I have eaten, I will go to the store. • Prepositional Phrases • Do not contain subject and verb • I stared at my car. • Infinitive Phrases • Usually tell why • Start with to… • I ate early to work on my homework.

4. More Common Uses • Emphasizers: • I simply don’t understand. • Amplifiers: • That completely bored me. • Downtoners: • I mildly disapprove.

5. Another Categorization • Adverbs of Place • I will eat later. • Adverbs of Time • I live there. • Adverbs of Purpose • I eat vegetables to stay healthy. • Adverbs of Manner • I speak quickly. • Adverbs of Frequency • I frequently use the restroom

6. Conjunctive Adverbs • Link two parts of a sentence like a conjunction • Weaker than a conjunction (and, so, etc.), so it requires a semicolon before and a comma after. • Example: I ate all of my food; nevertheless, I was still hungry. • A few other examples: accordingly, furthermore, moreover, similarly, still, anyway, however, etc.

7. Things to Avoid Involving Adverbs • Weak Adverbs: not precise, so weakens the writing • Very, extremely, really • Good v. Well • You did well. You didn’t do good (because that’s not correct English). • Incorrect Modification • Adverbs modify adverbs, not the other way around • Example: I ran real fast. I ran really fast.  broke a different rule as well. • Numbering in a paper • Use first second third, not firstly secondly thirdly.