English Grammar - Adverb And Degrees Of Adverb

Adverb

Definition:
An adverb is a word which is modifies the meaning of a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Example:

1. Ahmed runs quickly.
   (quickly shows how (or in what manner) Ahmed runs; i.e, quickly modifies the Verb runs.)
   
2. This is a very sweet mango.
   (very, shows how much (or in what degree) the Mango is sweet; i.e, very modifies the Adjective sweet.)
   
   
3. Sana reads quite clearly.
   (quite shows how far (or to what extent) Sana reads clearly; i.e, quite modifies the Adverb clearly.)

Degrees Or Comparison Of Adverbs:

• Adverbs often tell us how an action was done.
• Like adjectives, adverbs also have three degrees, positive, comparative and superlative.

1. One Syllable: adverbs usually take -er to form the comparative degree and -est to form the superlative degree.(e.g. high — higher — highest).

S.NO.	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1.	Early	Earlier	Earliest
2.	Fast	Faster	Fastest
3.	Hard	Harder	Hardest
4.	High	Higher	Highest
5.	Long	Longer	Longest
6.	Loud	Louder	Loudest
7.	Soon	Sooner	Soonest

Example:

• James ran fast. (Positive)
• Saad ran faster. (Comparative)
• Sam ran fastest of all. (Superlative)
  
  
• I came early this morning. (Positive)
• Sana came earlier. (Comparative)
• Abdul came earliest of all. (Superlative)

2. Two Or More Syllables: The adverbs that have two or more syllables usually form the comparative degree with 'more' and the superlative degree with 'most'. (e.g. smoothly — more smoothly — most smoothly).

S.NO.	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1.	angrily	more angrily	most angrily
2.	bravely	more bravely	most bravely
3.	carefully	more carefully	most carefully
4.	comfortably	more comfortably	most comfortably
5.	easily	more easily	most easily
6.	gently	more gently	most gently
7.	happily	more  happily	most happily
8.	loudly	more loudly	most loudly
9.	noisily	more noisily	most noisily
10.	often	more often	most often
11.	patiently	more patiently	most patiently
12.	probably	more probably	most probably
13.	quickly	more quickly	most quickly
14.	skillfully	more skillfully	most skillfully
15.	swiftly	more swiftly	most swiftly
16.	suddenly	more suddenly	most suddenly
17.	truthfully	more truthfully	most truthfully
18.	wisely	more wisely	most wisely

Example:

• Abdul played skillfully. (Positive)
• Kareem played more skillfully than Abdul. (Comparative)
• Of all the eleven Ahmed played most skillfully. (Superlative)

3. Irregular Degree: Adverbs can have irregular degrees also (e.g. badly — worse — worst)

S.NO.	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1.	badly (or ill)	worse	worst
2.	far	farther  further	farthest  furthest
3.	Late	Later	Latest
4.	little	less	least
5.	much	more	most
6.	near (or nigh)	nearer	next
7.	well	better	best

Example:

• Sara writes well. (Positive)
• Abida writes better than Hira. (Comparative)
• Hameed writes best of all. (Superlative)
  
  
• Do you work much? (Positive)
• I work more than you do. (Comparative)
  
• Ahsan works most of the three of us. (Superlative)

(Note: Only Adverb of Manner, degree and Time admit of comparison.)

4. Adverbs from their nature: cannot be compared, as:
Example: 
Now, then, where, there, once.