Def: The word that qualifies Parts of Speech (except Noun, Pronoun and Interjection), Phrase and any sentence, is called Adverb.
Eg: He walks slowly.
* Adverb qualifying:
a) Verb: He runs fast.
b) Adjective: He is a very good boy.
c) Adverb: He runs very fast.
d) Preposition: He appeared there just after my arrival.
e) Conjunction: He was absent only because he was ill.
f) Participle: The weather is very charming.
g) Sentence: Unfortunately the boy failed.
h) Phrase: The machine is completely out of order.
* Types of Adverb:
1. Simple Adverbs:
a) Adverb of Manner: It shows how a thing is done. Eg: Carefully, Gently, Peacefully, Deeply, Strongly, Honestly, Slowly, etc.
b) Adverb of Time: It shows when a thing happens. Eg: Daily, Soon, Always, Tomorrow, Yesterday, Now, Every day, Never, at dawn, in the evening, at night, etc.
c) Adverb of Place: It shows where a thing happens. Eg: Here, Nowhere, Away, Near, After, Below, There, In, Up, Down, Forward, Backward, Within, Out, etc.
d) Adverb of Reason: It shows why a thing is done. Eg: Therefore, So that, So, Hence, That is why, etc.
e) Adverb of Affirmation and Negation: It expresses affirmation and negation. Eg: Surely, Certainly, Undoubtedly, Not, Yes, No, Never, etc.
f) Introductory Adverb: When ‘Here’ or ‘There’ is used to begin a sentence, then it is introductory adverb. Eg: Here, There.
g) Sentence Adverb: When adverb is placed at the beginning of a sentence and is used to qualify the whole sentence, it is sentence adverb. Eg: Probably, Fortunately, Hopefully, Apparently, Arguably, etc.
h) Intensifier: The adverbs that emphasizes on the verb, are intensifier. Eg: Thoroughly, Indeed, Utterly, Actually, Really, Definitely, Practically, Absolutely, etc.
i) Downtoner: The adverbs that decreases the importance of a verb, adjective or any other adverbs, are called downtoner. Eg: Nearly, Hardly Rather, Somewhat, Scarcely, almost, Seldom, etc.
2. Indicating Adverbs:
a) Interrogative: Adverbs that are used for questioning and are placed at the beginning of a sentence, are interrogative sentence. Eg: When? Where? Why? How? Etc.
b) Relative: Adverbs that joins two clauses with the reference to the noun used in the beginning of a sentence Eg: How, When, Why, Where, etc.
c) Exclamatory: When ‘How’ is used as exclamatory adverb like exclamatory pronoun. Eg: How!
3. Adverbs denoting Number and Amounts:
a) Number: Adverbs that are used to denote the number of happenings of a verb or whether it has happened or not. Eg: Once, Twice, Thrice, Often, Frequently, Repeatedly, etc.
b) Amount: Adverbs that are used to denote the quantity of degree, are adverbs denoting amount. Eg: Almost, Fully, Partly, Rather, Entirely, Enough, Quite, etc.
4. Emphasising Adverbs: Adverbs that are used to emphasize only the words before or after them, are emphasizing adverbs. Eg: Too, Only, Even.
* Rules for the position of Adverbs:
a) The adverb usually follows an Intransitive verb,
Eg: He came early.
He lives there.
But adverb of time, such as, always, seldom, never, ever, often, etc, are placed before all verbs other than the verb ‘to be’.
Eg: He frequently told me this.
He always supports me.
b) The adverb usually follows the object.
Eg: The boy felt it keenly.
He did it quickly.
But for the sake of emphasis, the adverb sometime changes its position.
Eg: Slowly and silently he entered the room.
Cheerfully he gave me the news.
c) The adverb usually comes between helping verb and principal verb.
Eg: I shall never go there.
He has carefully noticed me.
d) The adverb sits before the adjective it qualifies.
Eg: He is a very good student.
I am very happy.
e) An adverb is placed first in a sentence to qualify the whole sentence and for the sake of emphasis.
Eg: Fortunately he was present there.
Down went the Royal George.