The Adverb Questions
Knowing the adverb questions will help you understand and identify adverbs.
Before we look at the questions, we need to make sure that you remember what adverbs are!
Quick Refresher
Adverbs modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Let’s look at what that means.
Adverbs modify verbs.
The baby crawled slowly.
Slowly is an adverb telling us more about the verb crawled.
Adverbs modify adjectives.
Her face is extremely red.
Extremely is an adverb telling us more about the adjective red.
Adverbs modify other adverbs.
The baby crawled very slowly.
Very is an adverb telling us more about the adverb slowly.
What Are the Adverb Questions?
Adverbs usually answer one of the following questions about the verb, adjective, or adverb that they are modifying.
The Adverb Questions
How?
When?
Where?
To what extent?
Why?
Using The Adverb Questions
Now we’ll look at some examples of the adverb questions at work. Here we go!
How?
Teachers work very hard.
- How do teachers work? hard
Hard is an adverb modifying the verb work.
- How hard do teachers work? very
Very is an adverb modifying the adverb hard.
When?
Students study daily.
- When do the students study? daily
Daily is an adverb modifying the verb study.
Where? To what extent?
Partially completed assignments go here.
- Where do partially completed assignments go? here
Here is an adverb modifying the verb go.
- To what extent are the assignments completed? partially
Partially is an adverb modifying the adjective (participle) completed.
Why?
This question is a little bit complicated because it’s usually answered by phrases or clauses that are acting as adverbs rather than by one-word adverbs.
Students study to gain knowledge.
- Why do students study? to gain knowledge
To gain knowledge is an adverb. It’s an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb, and it’s modifying the verb study. All of the words in that phrase (to gain knowledge) are coming together to perform the job of an adverb. Isn’t that crazy?
AGH / Jan 2020