Oh no it’s the “garbage” category!! Be afraid! Adverbs are hard!! Or so the The Canadian Writers Handbook says!
Any word that cannot be accounted for in any other category is automatically assumed to be an adverb.
Kinds and Functions of Adverbs
Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs and whole sentences or independent clauses. Adverbial modifiers answer the questions such as how? When? Where? Why? and To what degree? Here’s an example...
Fully expecting to fail, he slumped disconsolately in his seat and began the exam.
To what degree? fully. The adverb of degree modifies the verbal phrase expecting to fail. Slumped how? Disconsolately. The adverb of manner modifies the verb, slumped. Slumped where? In his seat. The prepositional phrase functions as an adverb of place or location modifying the word slumped.
Adverbs as Condensed Clauses
Did you know....... that these cool single word adverbs can be thought as reduced forms of clauses?? (not Santa Clauses! Too much Christmas Music for you!!!)
EXAMPLE: Fortunately (it is fortunate that), James did not play piano this week.
Unfortunately ( I think it is unfortunate that) Sophie came to class today.
When possible (When it is possible), James does his homework. Other Kinds of Adverbs
Relative adverbs such as where and when, conjunctive adverbs which join whole causes and interrogative adverbs such as why and how. Here are our examples ....
Relative James returned to town where he had been born. (modifies town)
interrogative Where are you going? Why? How soon? When will you return? (Sound Familiar??!)
conductive The tornado almost flattened Windsor; no one, however, was seriously injured
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