Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
78 Adverbs of manner and degree: He listened carefully. I’m extremely tired
Quick reference
• We use an adverb of manner to describe ’how’ someone does something.
He walked slowly. She sings beautifully. They waited patiently.
• We use an adverb of degree to talk about ’to what degree’ or ’how much’.
• The sentence adverbs unfortunately, fortunately, actually, clearly, perhaps modify a whole clause. Unfortunately I can’t come. Perhaps he’s gone on holiday.
• Note the difference between hard/hardly, late/lately, high/highly, free/freely.
She worked hard (= with a lot of effort) She hardly did any work. (= almost no work)
I arrived late. (= the opposite of early) I haven’t seen him lately (= recently) He hit the ball high into the sky. (= a long way up) It’s highly dangerous. (= very)
I got into the park free. (= I didn’t pay) She spoke freely about it. (= without restriction)
• Note the meaning of nearly. I nearly fell into the river. (= I didn’t fall, but f almost fell.)
• The adjectives early, fast, first, long, low, right, straight, wrong are also adverbs.
They arrived right in the middle of dinner. (= exactly) / went straight home. (= directly)
/ didn’t stay long at the party. She drives fast.
• Adverbs of manner normally go in mid-position, or in end position for emphasis.
They quickly changed their clothes. He spoke to me angrily
Sentence adverbs usually go in front position, but certainly, definitely, probably usually go in midposition.
Fortunately it stopped raining.
I'll probably see you tomorrow. I’ll certainly phone you.
In negative sentences, we put certainly, definitely, probably, simply before the auxiliary.
He probably won’t arrive till 7. I definitely can’t see you tomorrow.
We usually put well and badly in end position. Did you sleep well?
1 Kate and Tess have just met at a French class. Read the dialogue, and use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits in the space in the same line.
(1) Tess: Do you come to these classes ...?
(2) Kate: Yes, every week. I’ve studied the grammar ...,
(3) and I can write French reasonably ..., but I still
(4) speak it very ... .
(5) Tess: I can ask questions in French quite ...,
(6) but ... I’m not very good at understanding the reply!
(7) Kate: I’m ... going to go to France to learn to speak French
(8) ...
(9) Tess: I’II ... find myself a French boyfriend.
(10) That’s the best way to learn ...
REGULAR
CAREFUL
GOOD
BAD
EASY
FORTUNATE
DEFINITE
PROPER
PROBABLE
QUICK
2 Bill Yates is 65. He has just retired from the job he had all his life. Use each of the words in the box to complete what Bill says.
straight
late (x2)
lately
hard
hardly
highly
free
freely
early
right
first
1 I’ve worked ... all my life.
2 I’ve ... missed a day’s work in 35 years.
3 I worked ... as a salesman.
4 I knew it was the right job lor me ... from the beginning.
5 I was always ... motivated.
6 The sales manager always let me speak ... about any problems I had.
7 When I left, the company gave me a car. I got it ... It didn’t cost me anything.
8 I used to get up ... every day, usually at about 6.30.
9 And I never arrived ... at work.
10 But I haven’t been getting up early ...
11 And I don’t go to bed ... now either.
12 I usually go to bed ... after the 10 o’clock news.
3 Put the adverbs in brackets into the sentences. Mark (*) their correct position. Sometimes there is more than one possible position.
1 Sarah Wright’s been getting a lot of junk mail. (lately)
2 Every day she gets letters trying to sell her double-glazed windows or medical insurance. (nearly)
3 They’ve found her address in the telephone book. (probably)
4 Or her name and address is on a national computer database. (perhaps)
5 Sarah thinks it’s a ridiculous waste of paper. (absolutely)
6 It makes her furious. (actually, really)
7 She throws all the letters into the bin. (angrily, straight)
8 She’s asked the companies to stop writing to her. (politely)
9 But she won’t be able to stop them. (probably)
10 It’s happening more and more in Britain. (unfortunately)
11 Sarah doesn’t want double glazed windows or medical insurance. (definitely)
12 She can’t afford to pay for them. (simply)
4 Think of five things you do and the reaction you get from other people. Write sentences, using various adverbs.
Examples: In the morning I often stag too long in the bathroom and this makes mg sister extremely annoyed. When I come in late at night, I don’t always come in quietly and my mother reacts very angrily when I wake her up.
Check your sentences with a teacher.