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TYPES OF ADVERBS

1. Adverbs of time:

Answer a Question "when?". They indicate when an action takes place.

 

again (otra vez), 
at first (al principio), 
before (antes),
late (tarde), etc.
today (hoy), 
tomorrow (mañana), 
last week (la semana pasada),
next month (el mes que viene),
already (ya), 
eventually (finalmente), 
still (todavía)  
soon (pronto), 
yet (aún),  
now (ahora), 
later (luego)…, etc.

They usually go to the beginning or end of the sentence.

 

Examples:

    *I already finished my homework.

    (Ya he acabado los deberes.)
    *See you later!

     (¡Hasta luego!)

 

Note: “Yet” always goes to the end of the sentence.“Still” goes before the verb, except with the verb “to be” that will go after it. 

Examples:

    *I haven’t finished yet.

     (No he acabado todavía.)
    *He still needs to eat his breakfast.

     (Todavía necesita acabar su desayuno.)
    *I am still studying.

     (Todavía estoy esperando.)

 

2. Adverbs of place

Answer a Question "where?". They indicate the place where an action is performed.

 

around (alrededor),
far (lejos),
near (cerca), 
 here (aquí), 
 there (allí), 
 everywhere (en todas partes), 
 nowhere (en ninguna parte)…, etc.
 

In general, the adverbs of place after the object or the verb.

 

Examples:

After the object

     Are you here?

     (Estás aquí?)

After the verb

     I have searched everywhere but I can’t find my keys.

    (He buscado por todas partes pero no puedo encontrar mis llaves.)

 

3. Adverbs of degree 

Does it answer the question of "to what extent" or "in what quantity?". Express the amount of something or the intensity with which the action is performed.

 

completely (completamente),
extremely (extremadamente), 
greatly (grandemente),
little (poco),
much (mucho),
too (demasiado),
very (muy, mucho),
really (realmente), 
almost (casi),
hardly (apenas), 
quite (bastante),
barely (apenas)…, etc.

 

These go before the word they modify

 

Examples:

    *We are very happiness this week.

     (Estamos muy felices esta semana.)
    *I really hope she passes the exam.

     (Realmente espero que pase el examen.)

4.  Adverbs of mode 

Answer a Question "how?". They express how an action is performed. Most usually end in -ly (equivalent to the Spanish adverbial ending 'mind').

 

loudly (en voz alta),
well (bien),
carefully (cuidadosamente),
softly (suavemente),
beautifully (hermosamente),
fast (rápido)
hard (duro)…, etc.

 

They go behind the direct object and if there is not, they go after the verb.

 

Examples:

Behind the object
     You speak English perfectly.

     (Hablas inglés perfectamente.)
Behind the verb
     He learns fast.

     (El aprende rápidamente.)

5. Adverbs of frequency:

Does it answer the questions of "how often" or "how many times?" Indicant with what periodicity an action is carried out.

always (siempre),
often (a menudo),
frequently (frecuentemente),
usually (usualmente),
sometimes (a veces),
rarely (raramente),
seldom (casi nunca), 
never (nunca)…, etc.
Algunos indican posibilidad como:
maybe (quizá),
perhaps (quizá, tal vez),
possibly (posiblemente),
probably (probablemente)..., etc.

 

They go before the verb, an exception of use with the verb "To be" that was put behind.

 

Examples:
     *We are frequently late.

     (Frecuentemente llegamos tarde.)
     *She usually does exercise.

     (Por lo general hace ejercicio.)
     *We never sleep in other houses.

     (Nunca dormimos en otras casa.)
     *Maybe tomorrow we can go out together.

     (Quizás mañana podamos salir juntos)

 

6. Interrogative adverbs

 

They are used to ask questions.

 

when? (cuándo?),
where? (dónde?),
why? (por qué?),
how? (cómo?), etc.

 

They always go to the beginning of the question

 

Examples:

    *When you will come back?

     (Cuándo volverás?)
    *Why do you love her?

     (Por qué la amas?)
    *How are you?

     (Cómo estás?)

 

7. Relative adverbs

The adverbs related to English are those words that introduce or present sentences that relate a place, a moment or a specific explanation. These types of adverbs are also known as relative pronouns.

 

when (cuando),
where (donde), 
why (por que)

 

Examples:

     *The college is a place where you can study.

      (La universidad es un lugar donde puedes estudiar.)
     *My aunt came when I was in the bathroom.

      (Mi tía vino cuando estaba en el baño)

     *That is the reason why they swim...

     (Esta es la razón por la que ellos nadan...)

 

8. Ordinal adverbs

They come from or arise from those known as ordinal adjectives. They refer to a precise and delimited chronological order, which is easily discernible

 

firstly (en primer lugar),
secondly (en segundo lugar),
finally (finalmente)..., etc.

 

Examples:

          *I finally understood the whole lesson.

          (Finalmente entendí toda la lección.)
          *You're the first to tell me.

          (Tú eres el primero en decirme)

 

9. Adverbs of affirmation

 

certainly (ciertamente),
naturally (naturalmente),
of course (por supuesto),
surely (seguramente), etc.

 

Examples:

           *Surely she is tired

            (Seguramente ella está cansada)
           *Of course I love you

            (Por supuesto que te quiero)

 

10. Adverbs of negation

 

no, not (no),
never (nunca),
not at all (en absoluto)

 

Examples:

          *I do not like paprika at all

           (No me gusta el pimentón en absoluto)
          *I will never get tattooed

           (Nunca me tatuaré)


¡WARNING!

Adverbs never go between the verb and the object..

 

Examples:

     You speak English perfectly.  EXCELLENT
     You speak perfectly English.  NEVER

 

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