Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007

Irregular adverbs of comparison
Introduction
Part II The parts of speech

These irregular forms cause difficulty for some students who use them wrongly and use an adjective instead (He did it good - or performed real bad).

It is a good idea to teach these and establish them in the minds of students early. Use a display, which can be made by the students themselves.

As some of these words can also be adjectives, you may remind students to think about their function in a sentence.

For example:

This is the worst firewood we have had. [adjective qualifying the noun ’firewood’]

It burns worst in wet weather. [adverb modifying the verb ’burns’]

For adverbs modifying other parts of speech, see page 130.

5.1 Activities: kinds of adverbs

1. Some favourite activities involve acting. Suggest an action, such as lifting a heavy weight or chopping down a tree. Then name an adverb of manner. The students do the action in the manner given.

2. ’In the manner of the word’ is another favourite. One student decides on an act they will perform, such as frying an egg, flying an aeroplane, or being a police-officer recording details at the scene of a crime. (Speaking is permitted for this game.)

The other students in turn name an adjective of manner such as ’happily’. The first student performs their act in the manner of that word. The others try to guess what the student is doing.

It is difficult to forget what adverbs are after performing some of these activities.

3. Students have a list of verbs to which they add (or match) suitable adverbs, for example:

dance (beautifully, clumsily)

eat (greedily, daintily)

get married (tomorrow, here)

Encourage students to be adventurous in their choice.

a. singing

b. swim

c. cook

d. read

e. drove

f. swallow

g. laughed

h. shouted

i. will go

j. fell sick

My sister dances beautifully.

4. Students are provided with a short passage to which they add appropriate adverbs. Passages can be chosen at the students’ level, for example young students might have a selection from Thomas the Tank Engine or Harry Potter while older ones might have theirs from Raiders of the Lost Ark or Wuthering Heights.

5. Students are given a chart, or better still they draw one in their grammar exercise books. Sentences, each containing an adverb, are written down the left-hand side. Three columns to the right are headed Time, Place and Manner. Students mark the adverb in each sentence, then enter it into the correct column, for example:

6. Students are given several adverbs to use in their own sentences, for example:

always, where, softly

7. Students draw their own chart for adverbs and fill in their own examples.

Checklist: adverbs

Students should now be able to:

• give an accurate definition of the term ’adverb’

• select adverbs from a given list of words or a passage

• state the category of each adverb given

• give examples of each category of adverb

• supply comparative forms of a regular adverb

• make a chart of comparison for the common irregular adverbs given

• add suitable adverbs to given verbs

• explain clearly the difference between an adjective and an adverb