6
Adverbs

 

Introducing adverbs

Definition

See page 7.

Forms

Most English adverbs formed from descriptive adjectives add -ly to the adjective.

1. Like adjectives, adverbs may be inflected to show comparison.

The comparative is used to show the similarity or difference between how two people or things do something, or the degree of difference in modifying an adjective or adverb. The superlative compares more than two people or things. There must also be a word to link the two points of comparison.

2. Like adjectives, some adverbs not ending in -ly may take -er and -est in comparisons.

He runs fast, but I run faster.
Mary runs the fastest of all.

3. Some adverbs form their comparison irregularly.

Introducing adverbs

Forms

Most Spanish adverbs formed from descriptive adjectives add -mente to the feminine form of the adjective. Most of these are adverbs of manner.

1. Like adjectives, adverbs may show comparison.

The words used to link the two elements being compared are the same as for adjectives. (See Quick Check on page 49.)

Note that, unlike adjectives, the adverb has only one form.

2. Some of the most common adverbs do not end in -mente and must be learned as vocabulary items. They are compared, however, in the same way as -mente adverbs.

Juana llegó pronto; Juana llegó tan pronto como yo.
Enrique se levanta temprano, pero Francisco se levanta lo más temprano.

3. Four adverbs form their comparison irregularly.

Note that the comparative and superlative forms are identical.

4. When making a comparison of equality (“as much as”) with verbs, use tanto como after the verb.

Introducing adverbs (continued)

Uses

English adverbs are used in the following ways.

1. Adverbs answer the questions how, when, where, or how much about a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Sometimes, a phrase takes the place of a single adverb.

2. Negatives. Some adverbs make a sentence negative. These include words like not, nowhere, and never. In standard English, two negative words in one sentence express a positive, not a negative, idea.

He doesn’t have no friends, but he has too few.

The first clause used alone and intended as a negative is not standard English. Not only are negative adverbs included here, but negative nouns and adjectives as well.

3. Questions. Another group of adverbs introduces questions: when? where? how? and why? The majority of adverbs answer these questions with respect to the verb, but the interrogative words themselves are adverbs too.

When does he arrive?
How do you know that?

4. Relative clauses. The same adverbs that ask questions may also be used to form relative clauses. These clauses tell when, where, how, or why the verb’s action takes place and can be used in the same way.

We are going to the movies when we finish our work.

Adjectives vs. adverbs

To choose the correct word, it is essential to ask yourself the following questions.

1. Am I describing someone/something? → adjective

2. Am I describing how/when/where/why something is done? → adverb

This is especially important for verbs of mental or emotional state and for sensory verbs, which can be followed by either an adjective or an adverb. One of the most common examples is the following.

I feel bad. (= I am sick/unhappy/etc.)
I feel badly. (= My hands are not sensitive.)

Introducing adverbs (continued)

Uses

Spanish adverbs are used in the following ways.

1. See the English on the opposite page.

2. Negatives. In Spanish, the negative word no is an adverb and comes before

a. a single verb.

No hablo inglés.

b. haber, estar, and ser when they are used in compound verb forms.

No he visto a la maestra.
No estamos trabajando mucho.
El ladrón no fue capturado.

c. object pronouns that precede verbs.

No me gusta eso.

Other common negative adverbs that accompany verbs are the following.

Jamás, nunca, nada, and nadie can come either before or after the verb. If one of these negative adverbs follows the verb, no must precede the verb.

Several negatives can be used in a single Spanish sentence—which you can’t do in standard English.

3. Questions (Interrogative adverbs)

¿Cuándo llegaste? Llegué ayer.
¿ Dónde están los libros? Están en la mesa.
¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo Aldo.

4. Relative clauses

Me acuesto cuando termino mi trabajo. (The clause answers the question “when?”)

Adjectives vs. adverbs