Adverb

An adverb is a part of speech that usually serves

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to modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, clauses, and sentences. Adverbs typically answer such questions as how?, when?, where?, in what way?, or how often? This function is called the adverbial function, and though typically taken up by adverbs, adverbials may also be realized by other forms, such as adverbial phrases or an adverbial clauses or other types of phrases or words that are not members of the adverb class.

Related Topics:
Verb - Adjective - Clause - Sentence - Adverbial - Adverbial phrase - Adverbial clause - Phrase - Word

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In English, adverbs are often derived from adjectives by using the suffix -ly. The -ly is a common, but not reliable, marker of a word being an adverb, since many adjectives also end in -ly. In some cases, the suffix -wise may be used to derive adverbs from typically nouns. Historically, -wise competed with a related form -ways and won out against it. In a few words, like sideways, -ways survives; words like clockwise show the transition. Again, it is not a foolproof indicator of a word being an adverb. There is a number of other suffixes in English that derive adverbs from other word classes, and there are also many adverbs that are not morphologically indicated at all.

Related Topics:
English - Suffix

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Formally, adverbs in English are inflected in terms of comparison, just like adjectives. The comparative and superlative forms of adverbs are generated by adding -er and -est. Many adverbs are also periphrastically indicated by the use of more or most. Adverbs also take comparisons with as ... as, less, and least. The usual form pertaining to adjectives or adverbs is called the positive.

Related Topics:
Comparison - Adjective - Comparative - Superlative - Periphrastically - Positive

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