Seminar Adverbs

Exercise 1: Form adverbs to the given adjectives.

1) perfect
2) quiet
3) careful
4) regular
5) nice
6) terrible
7) heavy
8) good
9) hard
10) fantastic

Exercise 2: Formation of adverbs

The passage below describes a fictional train journey. Use it to find examples of the
following forms of adverb. Some forms will have more than one example.
(a) a compound adverb
(b) an adverb derived from an adjective
(c) an adverb like an adverbial particle (e.g. off)
(d) a fixed phrase functioning as an adverb
(e) a simple adverb (excluding type c above)
(f) any other form of adverb.

Neither in the train to Kirkuk, nor in the Rest House at Mosul, nor last night on the train
had she slept properly. Now, weary of lying wakeful in the hot stuffiness of her
overheated compartment, she got up and peered out. Nothing to see, of course. lust a
long, poor-lighted platform with loud furious altercations in Arabic going on
somewhere. The train, with a terrific jerk, moved slowly forward. (FICT)
- somewhere = (a) a compound adverb

Exercise 3: Underline each adverb in the sentences below and identify its type:
1 They embraced lightly and carefully while Gwen made another set of little sounds.
2 It didn't matter: everyone was insured when he bought a ticket automatically.
3 He understands perfectly well but wears that uncomprehending and
pained look to establish he's not to blame.
4 Sometimes other people in the village glanced at him curiously, as though they
could not quite place him.
5 The bank is so crowded nowadays that many people are moving away altogether.
6 We don't go there very much.
7 He tried to be offhand and not too obviously interested, but the fat boy hurried
after him.
8 He too felt a mounting excitement.
9 Only the frightless gulls wheeled and soared and mewed their plaint over the place
where it had been.
10 Hardly were we out of earshot, however, when Marcus said: 'I'm afraid I can't come
with you this afternoon.'
11 I felt he had some inner reserve of strength which no reverse, however serious, would
break down.
Exercise 4: Complete each sentence with the correct form of the adverb that is in
parentheses.
1. Our father arrived home later than the rest of the family. (late)
2. My sister sang ____________________________ than Amanda did. (beautifully)
3. Your husband, Ken, writes ____________________________ of all. (well)
4. Mrs. Henderson speaks ____________________________ than Mrs. Alarcon. (clearly)
5. Mother prepares turkey ____________________________ than Father does. (well)
6. Alexander and Peter work ____________________________ of all the boys. (hard)
7. He checked his answers ____________________________ than she did. (carefully)
8. Angelica speaks Spanish ____________________________ of all the students. (correctly)
9. Percy talks ____________________________ than Jennifer. (frequently)
10. She danced ____________________________ of all. (gracefully)
11. This math test was ____________________________ than the last one. (hard)
12. I did my homework ____________________________ than my brother. (fast)

Exercise 5: Using inversion, rewrite the following sentences beginning with the
words given.
1. You come to realise the significance of the murder only in the last few pages of the
book.
Only in the last __________________________________________________________
2. The demands of her job are such that she is rarely able to take a holiday.
Such __________________________________________________________________
3. The matter could be explained in no other way.
In ____________________________________________________________________
4. I have seldom heard such beautiful singing.
Seldom ________________________________________________________________
5. Peter didn't realize that he had lost his keys until he got home.
Not ___________________________________________________________________
6. If Mr Chan had been kinder to his employees, his business would not have collapsed.
______________________________________________________________________
7. If an emergency should arise, dial 999.
______________________________________________________________________
8. There are no circumstances where audience members may consume alcohol.
Under no circumstances __________________________________________________
9. They started to argue soon after they had got married.
No sooner _____________________________________________________________
10. You can't use my new car at any time.
At no time _____________________________________________________________

Exercise 6: Rewrite the following sentences using inversion.

1. The gang didn't know that the police had them under surveillance.
Little ____________________________________________________________
2. We won't consider you for the basketball team until you grow up.
Not until _________________________________________________________
3. Nobody has won so many matches for his team since 1994.
Not since ________________________________________________________
4. You will not be allowed to enter the auditorium under any circumstances once
the play has started.
Under no circumstances ____________________________________________
5. He would never play in front of a live audience again.
Never ___________________________________________________________
6. Amy had not enjoyed herself so much since she went to the circus as a child.
Not since ________________________________________________________
7. I have never seen such a terrible performance of Hamlet before.
Never before _____________________________________________________
8. They only realized the painting had been hung upside down when someone
complained at reception.
Only when _______________________________________________________
9. I had been in the room for a few minutes when I realized that everyone was
staring at me.
Only after ________________________________________________________
10. He discovered that he had injured his knee when he tried to run.
Only when _______________________________________________________
11. The new park was hardly finished when vandals destroyed the flowerbeds.
Hardly __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
12. You shouldn't sign a contract you haven't read thoroughly under any
circumstances.
Under no circumstances ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7: Rewrite the complete sentence using the adverb in brackets in its usual
position.
1) Our friends must write a test. (also)
2) I was joking. (only)
3) Did you enjoy the flight? (both)
4) Mary watches TV. (hardly) (ever)
5) He drives his car. (carefully)
6) The children play football. (in the garden)
7) We went to the cinema. (yesterday)
8) John fell off the bike. (almost)
9) Her boyfriend will buy her some flowers. (probably)
10) My uncle is moving to Stockholm soon. (definitely)