Adverb

An adverb is word that describes or gives more information about a verb, an adjective, another adverb,  a phrase or a sentence.

An adverb tells more about a verb, verb phrase. An adverb tells how, where, when, or how may times an action takes place.

• Adverb that tells how: She put up posters quickly.
• Adverb that tells where: She put up posters everywhere.
• Adverb that tells when: She put up posters yesterday.
• Adverb that tells how many times: She put up posters twice.

Examples:

• The man spoke softly.
• She folded the clothes neatly.
• Some birds can fly backwards.
• All the contestants stepped forward.
• Crowds cheered him wildly.

Adverbs that tell more about adjectives tell how much, how little, and to what degree.

• That is a very powerful car. (Very tells how powerful the car is.)
• The perfume is too expensive for me. (Too tells how expensive it is.)

Examples:

• Sarah was an exceptionally good singer.
• It was too good to be true.
• It was fairly bright in the room.
• The engine is rather unsafe.
• The Chinese system of writing is very complex.

Adverbs that tell more about other adverbs tell how much, how little, how often, and to what degree.

• Sam played fairly well. (Fairly tells how well.)
• He hit the ball especially hard. (Especially tells how hard.)

Examples:

• The scared child ran extremely quickly. 
• The people left very quickly.

Knowing when to use Adjectives or adverbs.

Use adjectives to tell more about nouns or pronouns.

• The proud student accepted the prize.

Use adverbs to tell more about verbs and verb phrases, adjectives and adverbs.

• The student proudly accepted the prize.

Use adjective good to tell more about a noun or a pronoun.

• I just read a good book.

Use the adverb well to tell more about a verb or a verb phrase.

• The author writes well.

Adverbs are also used to compare the actions of two or more people or things. When the actions of only two people or things are compared, use more or less before the adverb. When the actions of more than two people or things are compared, use most or least before the adverb.

• Mithu speaks more clearly than the other parrot.
• Of all those parrots, Mithu speaks most clearly.

Add -er to a few short adverbs to compare the actions of two people or things. Add - best to those same adverbs to compare the actions of two people or things. Add - best to those same adverbs to compare the actions of more than two.

• Mithu can fly higher than that other parrot.
• Of all the parrots, Mithu can fly the highest.

The forms of the adverb well are well, better and best.

Use better to compare the actions of two people or things.

Use best to compare the actions of more than two things.

• My dog behaved better than your pet cat.
• Of all the pets in the show, my dog behaved best.

Use worse to compare actions of two people or things.

Use worst to compare the actions of more than two people or things

• Your cat behaved worse than my dog.
• Of all the pets in the show, your cat behaved worst.