Simple Past
The simple past expresses an action in the past taking place once, never, several times. It can also be used for actions taking place one after another or in the middle of another action.
Form
irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs
I spoke
regular verbs: verb + ed
I worked
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' :
when the final letter is e, only add d.
Example: love - loved
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: admit - admitted
final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example: travel - travelled
after a consonant, final y becomes i. (but: not after a vowel)
Use
After another or at the same time?
Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?
after another
She came home, switched on the computer and checked her e-mails.
New action or already in progress?
If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress
new action
My mobile rang (when I was sitting in a meeting.)
Only mentioning or emphasising progress?
Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?
just mentioning
Colin played football yesterday
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FORM
[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs
Examples:
You called Debbie.
Did you call Debbie?
You did not call Debbie.
USE 1 Completed Action in the Past
Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.
Examples:
I saw a movie yesterday.
I didn't see a play yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to Japan.
Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.
Did you have dinner last night?
She washed her car.
He didn't wash his car.
USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions
We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.
Examples:
I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.
Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?
USE 3 Duration in Past
The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.
Examples:
I lived in Brazil for two years.
Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
They sat at the beach all day.
They did not stay at the party the entire time.
We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.
A: How long did you wait for them?B: We waited for one hour.
USE 4 Habits in the Past
The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.
Examples:
I studied French when I was a child.
He played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?
She worked at the movie theater after school.
They never went to school, they always skipped class.
USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations
The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."
Examples:
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.
IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when-clauses, and they are very important. The examples below contain when-clauses.
Examples:
When I paid her one dollar, she answered my question.
She answered my question when I paid her one dollar.
When-clauses are important because they always happen first when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is not important whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence. However, the example below has a different meaning. First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her one dollar.
Example:
I paid her one dollar when she answered my question.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You just called Debbie.
Did you just call Debbie?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Tom repaired the car. Active
The car was repaired by Tom. Passive
************************************************************************************************************************************
Past Continuous
Form
past form of 'be' + ing form of verb
I was speakingyou were speakinghe / she / it was speakingwe were speakingthey were speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ing' :
silent e is dropped (but: does not apply for -ee)
Example: come - comingbut: agree - agreeing
after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
Example: sit - sitting
final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English)
Example: travel - travelling
final ie becomes y.
Example: lie - lying
Use
After another or at the same time?
Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?
at the same time
Simon was playing on the computer while his brother was watchin TV.
New action or already in progress?
If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress
action already in progress
Only mentioning or emphasising progress?
Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?
emphasising progress
Yesterday at six o'clock, Colin was playing football
*********************************************************************************
FORM
[was/were + present participle]
Examples:
You were studying when she called.
Were you studying when she called?
You were not studying when she called
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past
Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
Examples:
I was watching TV when she called.
When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
What were you doing when the earthquake started?
I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?B: I was snowboarding.
USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption
In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.
IMPORTANT
In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.
Examples:
Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.I started eating at 6 PM.
Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.
USE 3 Parallel Actions
When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.
Examples:
I was studying while he was making dinner.
While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
Were you listening while he was talking?
I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
What were you doing while you were waiting?
Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.
USE 4 Atmosphere
In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.
Example:
When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.
USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"
The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."
Examples:
She was always coming to class late.
He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.
I didn't like them because they were always complaining.
While vs. When
Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when she called" or "when it bit me." Other clauses begin with "while" such as "while she was sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often followed by the verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while" is usually followed by Past Continuous. "While" expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the examples below. They have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence.
Examples:
I was studying when she called.
While I was studying, she called.
ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You were just studying when she called.
Were you just studying when she called?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store. Active
The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store. Passive
lunes, 23 de marzo de 2009
sábado, 21 de marzo de 2009
The Shawshank Redemption
Movie:
The Shawshank Redemption
Director: Frank Darabont
In 1947, a young banker named Andy Dufresne is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover based on strong circumstantial evidence and is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. At the prison, inmate Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding is rejected for parole after having served twenty years of his life sentence shortly before Andy's arrival. Andy gradually becomes acquainted with Red's circle of friends, and Red himself, who is known for cleverly smuggling in contraband. After a month of adjusting to his new life, Andy approaches Red and asks him to get a rock hammer, intending to pursue a hobby of rock collecting. Red supplies the hammer for ten dollars, and later fills Andy's request for a poster of Rita Hayworth.
One day in 1949, while tarring the roof of Shawshank's license plate factory, Andy overhears the captain of the prison guards, Captain Hadley, bitterly complaining about the taxes he will have to pay on a forthcoming inheritance. Andy approaches Hadley with a solution that will allow him to keep the entire inheritance tax-free; though Hadley nearly throws Andy off the roof initially, Andy's willingness to set up the transaction for the cost of beer for the tarring crew wins Hadley's respect. Prior to this, Andy had frequently been beaten and sexually assaulted by a gang called "The Sisters", led by inmates Bogs and Rooster. After a particularly vicious beating at the hands of the Sisters lands Andy in the infirmary, Bogs returns to his cell from a week in solitary confinement to find Captain Hadley there. Hadley inflicts a brutal nightstick beating on Bogs, which leaves him paralyzed. Bogs is sent away to a state hospital, and the message to the Sisters is clear; Andy is never bothered again.
As other guards begin to come to him for financial help, Andy is given a makeshift office in the prison library to provide tax and financial services. His "clientele" grows to include the entire prison staff, guards from other prisons, and even Warden Norton himself. To keep Andy happy, the Warden provides him with a single cell and allows him to keep an unusual amount of contraband in his cell. Conspicuous amongst the contraband are Andy's posters of "fantasy girlies" - first Rita Hayworth, followed over time by Marilyn Monroe and then Raquel Welch. The Warden also permits Andy's letter-writing campaign on behalf of the prison library; through Andy's budgeting and purchasing activities, the library is expanded and remodeled into the "best prison library in New England". The Warden capitalizes on Andy's skills and devises a program to put prison inmates to work for local construction projects, exploiting the prisoners' free labor for his own personal profit, with Andy acting behind the scenes as a money launderer. Andy uses his knowledge of "the system" to create the false identity of Randall Stevens, which he uses as a straw man to hide the Warden's involvement.
In 1965, a young prisoner named Tommy Williams enters Shawshank on a breaking and entering charge, and quickly becomes part of Red's and Andy's group of friends, with Andy helping him to pass the GED test. He learns of Andy's supposed crime and makes a shocking revelation: Elmo Blatch, one of his old cellmates, had gleefully described murdering two people who fit the description of Andy's wife and her lover, and how her "hotshot banker" husband got blamed for it. Andy hopes that he will be able to get a new trial with Tommy's help, and he approaches Warden Norton for advice and assistance. Fearing exposure of his illegal activities at Shawshank should Andy be set free, Norton sends him to solitary confinement and conspires to have Hadley shoot Tommy as an escapee. After Norton informs Andy of Tommy's death, Andy tries to refuse to launder any more funds for Norton. However, when Norton threatens Andy with the loss of his private cell, loss of his protection against the "Sodomites", and the destruction of his beloved library - complete with a book burning - Andy relents, apparently beaten.
Later, when Andy is back in the prison yard, he tells Red that if he ever gets out of prison he should go to a specific hayfield near Buxton, Maine to find something that has been buried under a volcanic rock. The following morning, Andy is missing from his cell. In a fury over Andy's disappearance, the Warden throws one of Andy's rocks at the poster of Raquel Welch - and is stunned to see the rock tear through the poster, revealing a large hole that Andy had used to escape. In a flashback sequence, it is revealed that Andy spent years chipping away at the wall of his cell with his rock hammer, using the posters of Hayworth, Monroe and Welch to conceal it. After his escape, Andy assumes the identity of Randall Stevens and uses it to withdraw Warden Norton's laundered money - $370,000 worth (over $2.4 million in 2009 dollars). Cashier's checks in hand, Andy sends evidence of Norton's activities to a Portland newspaper. The morning the story runs, Byron Hadley is arrested and Warden Norton commits suicide in his office.
The next year, 1967, Red is finally released on parole after serving 40 years at Shawshank. Red is afraid of "the outside", dreading living in fear, worried that he would end up committing suicide once outside of the prison's strict regime, as fellow prisoner Brooks Hatlen had done. Ironically, he's given the same room and the same job Hatlen had. But instead of committing suicide, Red recalls his promise to Andy and heads to the field in Buxton that Andy told him about. He finds a small metal box containing money and instructions from Andy. He violates his parole and travels to Mexico, eventually reuniting with Andy in Zihuatanejo on the Pacific coast.
Opinion:
A court with juror thinks that the vicrepresidente of a bank, Andy Dufresne is a culprit of the murder of her wife and of the lover of she. In spite of the fact that he insists again and again on his innocence, the indications are sufficient as to condemn him to two perpetual chains. At the beginning of 1947, the former banker is moved to the penitentiary establishment of bad reputation "Shawshank" , to spend the rest of his her days. On having been got by the director of the jail, Norton, this one leaves place to doubts in relation neither to the regime of terror that here reigns, nor to the arbitrariness with which there act the jailers, who ill-treat physics and psychically to the boarders, that they want.
The personage is nice with the rest of the convicts but there are other individuals who want to damage his demurrage in the jail.
A person of Andy Dufresne's sensibility, who gives great importance to the literature and especially to the classic music, has never happened before for the Shawshank's penal one. His way of being supposes a provocation for other prisoners, who answer with maltreatment and with supreme brutality. In the long term, nevertheless, effect that supplies that Andy, is faithful to his beginning, since serene way of being attracts several of the prisoners, especially to (Morgan Freeman), who has happened already twenty years accused of murder. Network has reputation of being capable of obtaining any type of things Without importing the consequences.
The police officers of the prison later discover the mistreatment that he give to Andy, and they ill-treat it physically in order that he does not turn it to doing. In the prison he has a friend who gives him things and help for example a poster of the woman that they saw in a movie.
To the beginning Andy was not accustomed to this life, but soon can defend and handle the different situations that appear in the prision. For Andy's good conduct, he is transferred to the library to work with an old man distributing books to the prisoners.
The Shawshank Redemption
Director: Frank Darabont
In 1947, a young banker named Andy Dufresne is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover based on strong circumstantial evidence and is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. At the prison, inmate Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding is rejected for parole after having served twenty years of his life sentence shortly before Andy's arrival. Andy gradually becomes acquainted with Red's circle of friends, and Red himself, who is known for cleverly smuggling in contraband. After a month of adjusting to his new life, Andy approaches Red and asks him to get a rock hammer, intending to pursue a hobby of rock collecting. Red supplies the hammer for ten dollars, and later fills Andy's request for a poster of Rita Hayworth.
One day in 1949, while tarring the roof of Shawshank's license plate factory, Andy overhears the captain of the prison guards, Captain Hadley, bitterly complaining about the taxes he will have to pay on a forthcoming inheritance. Andy approaches Hadley with a solution that will allow him to keep the entire inheritance tax-free; though Hadley nearly throws Andy off the roof initially, Andy's willingness to set up the transaction for the cost of beer for the tarring crew wins Hadley's respect. Prior to this, Andy had frequently been beaten and sexually assaulted by a gang called "The Sisters", led by inmates Bogs and Rooster. After a particularly vicious beating at the hands of the Sisters lands Andy in the infirmary, Bogs returns to his cell from a week in solitary confinement to find Captain Hadley there. Hadley inflicts a brutal nightstick beating on Bogs, which leaves him paralyzed. Bogs is sent away to a state hospital, and the message to the Sisters is clear; Andy is never bothered again.
As other guards begin to come to him for financial help, Andy is given a makeshift office in the prison library to provide tax and financial services. His "clientele" grows to include the entire prison staff, guards from other prisons, and even Warden Norton himself. To keep Andy happy, the Warden provides him with a single cell and allows him to keep an unusual amount of contraband in his cell. Conspicuous amongst the contraband are Andy's posters of "fantasy girlies" - first Rita Hayworth, followed over time by Marilyn Monroe and then Raquel Welch. The Warden also permits Andy's letter-writing campaign on behalf of the prison library; through Andy's budgeting and purchasing activities, the library is expanded and remodeled into the "best prison library in New England". The Warden capitalizes on Andy's skills and devises a program to put prison inmates to work for local construction projects, exploiting the prisoners' free labor for his own personal profit, with Andy acting behind the scenes as a money launderer. Andy uses his knowledge of "the system" to create the false identity of Randall Stevens, which he uses as a straw man to hide the Warden's involvement.
In 1965, a young prisoner named Tommy Williams enters Shawshank on a breaking and entering charge, and quickly becomes part of Red's and Andy's group of friends, with Andy helping him to pass the GED test. He learns of Andy's supposed crime and makes a shocking revelation: Elmo Blatch, one of his old cellmates, had gleefully described murdering two people who fit the description of Andy's wife and her lover, and how her "hotshot banker" husband got blamed for it. Andy hopes that he will be able to get a new trial with Tommy's help, and he approaches Warden Norton for advice and assistance. Fearing exposure of his illegal activities at Shawshank should Andy be set free, Norton sends him to solitary confinement and conspires to have Hadley shoot Tommy as an escapee. After Norton informs Andy of Tommy's death, Andy tries to refuse to launder any more funds for Norton. However, when Norton threatens Andy with the loss of his private cell, loss of his protection against the "Sodomites", and the destruction of his beloved library - complete with a book burning - Andy relents, apparently beaten.
Later, when Andy is back in the prison yard, he tells Red that if he ever gets out of prison he should go to a specific hayfield near Buxton, Maine to find something that has been buried under a volcanic rock. The following morning, Andy is missing from his cell. In a fury over Andy's disappearance, the Warden throws one of Andy's rocks at the poster of Raquel Welch - and is stunned to see the rock tear through the poster, revealing a large hole that Andy had used to escape. In a flashback sequence, it is revealed that Andy spent years chipping away at the wall of his cell with his rock hammer, using the posters of Hayworth, Monroe and Welch to conceal it. After his escape, Andy assumes the identity of Randall Stevens and uses it to withdraw Warden Norton's laundered money - $370,000 worth (over $2.4 million in 2009 dollars). Cashier's checks in hand, Andy sends evidence of Norton's activities to a Portland newspaper. The morning the story runs, Byron Hadley is arrested and Warden Norton commits suicide in his office.
The next year, 1967, Red is finally released on parole after serving 40 years at Shawshank. Red is afraid of "the outside", dreading living in fear, worried that he would end up committing suicide once outside of the prison's strict regime, as fellow prisoner Brooks Hatlen had done. Ironically, he's given the same room and the same job Hatlen had. But instead of committing suicide, Red recalls his promise to Andy and heads to the field in Buxton that Andy told him about. He finds a small metal box containing money and instructions from Andy. He violates his parole and travels to Mexico, eventually reuniting with Andy in Zihuatanejo on the Pacific coast.
Opinion:
A court with juror thinks that the vicrepresidente of a bank, Andy Dufresne is a culprit of the murder of her wife and of the lover of she. In spite of the fact that he insists again and again on his innocence, the indications are sufficient as to condemn him to two perpetual chains. At the beginning of 1947, the former banker is moved to the penitentiary establishment of bad reputation "Shawshank" , to spend the rest of his her days. On having been got by the director of the jail, Norton, this one leaves place to doubts in relation neither to the regime of terror that here reigns, nor to the arbitrariness with which there act the jailers, who ill-treat physics and psychically to the boarders, that they want.
The personage is nice with the rest of the convicts but there are other individuals who want to damage his demurrage in the jail.
A person of Andy Dufresne's sensibility, who gives great importance to the literature and especially to the classic music, has never happened before for the Shawshank's penal one. His way of being supposes a provocation for other prisoners, who answer with maltreatment and with supreme brutality. In the long term, nevertheless, effect that supplies that Andy, is faithful to his beginning, since serene way of being attracts several of the prisoners, especially to (Morgan Freeman), who has happened already twenty years accused of murder. Network has reputation of being capable of obtaining any type of things Without importing the consequences.
The police officers of the prison later discover the mistreatment that he give to Andy, and they ill-treat it physically in order that he does not turn it to doing. In the prison he has a friend who gives him things and help for example a poster of the woman that they saw in a movie.
To the beginning Andy was not accustomed to this life, but soon can defend and handle the different situations that appear in the prision. For Andy's good conduct, he is transferred to the library to work with an old man distributing books to the prisoners.
domingo, 15 de marzo de 2009
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs of Frequency
The most common adverbs of frequency are always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, and never. The following chart shows the relative frequencies of these adverbs. It is important to understand that the percentages only show approximate frequencies; other sources will have slightly different numbers. What is important is not the absolute number, but only the relative frequency.
Definition
Adverbs are words that modify
a verb (He drove slowly. — How did he drive?)
an adjective (He drove a very fast car. — How fast was his car?)
another adverb (She moved quite slowly down the aisle. — How slowly did she move?)
As we will see, adverbs often tell when, where, why, or under what conditions something happens or happened. Adverbs frequently end in -ly; however, many words and phrases not ending in -ly serve an adverbial function and an -ly ending is not a guarantee that a word is an adverb. The words lovely, lonely, motherly, friendly, neighborly, for instance, are adjectives:
That lovely woman lives in a friendly neighborhood.If a group of words containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb (modifying the verb of a sentence), it is called an Adverb Clause:
When this class is over, we're going to the movies.
When a group of words not containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb, it is called an adverbial phrase. Prepositional phrases frequently have adverbial functions (telling place and time, modifying the verb):
He went to the movies.
She works on holidays.
They lived in Canada during the war.
And Infinitive phrases can act as adverbs (usually telling why):
She hurried to the mainland to see her brother.
The senator ran to catch the bus.
But there are other kinds of adverbial phrases:
He calls his mother as often as possible.
Adverbs can modify adjectives, but an adjective cannot modify an adverb. Thus we would say that "the students showed a really wonderful attitude" and that "the students showed a wonderfully casual attitude" and that "my professor is really tall, but not "He ran real fast."
Like adjectives, adverbs can have comparative and superlative forms to show degree.
Walk faster if you want to keep up with me.
The student who reads fastest will finish first.
We often use more and most, less and least to show degree with adverbs:
With sneakers on, she could move more quickly among the patients.
The flowers were the most beautifully arranged creations I've ever seen.
She worked less confidently after her accident.
That was the least skillfully done performance I've seen in years.
The as — as construction can be used to create adverbs that express sameness or equality: "He can't run as fast as his sister."
A handful of adverbs have two forms, one that ends in -ly and one that doesn't. In certain cases, the two forms have different meanings:
He arrived late.
Lately, he couldn't seem to be on time for anything.
In most cases, however, the form without the -ly ending should be reserved for casual situations:
She certainly drives slow in that old Buick of hers.
He did wrong by her.
He spoke sharp, quick, and to the point.
Adverbs often function as intensifiers, conveying a greater or lesser emphasis to something. Intensifiers are said to have three different functions: they can emphasize, amplify, or downtone. Here are some examples:
Emphasizers:
I really don't believe him.
He literally wrecked his mother's car.
She simply ignored me.
They're going to be late, for sure.
Amplifiers:
The teacher completely rejected her proposal.
I absolutely refuse to attend any more faculty meetings.
They heartily endorsed the new restaurant.
I so wanted to go with them.
We know this city well.
Downtoners:
I kind of like this college.
Joe sort of felt betrayed by his sister.
His mother mildly disapproved his actions.
We can improve on this to some extent.
The boss almost quit after that.
The school was all but ruined by the storm.
Adverbs (as well as adjectives) in their various degrees can be accompanied by premodifiers:
She runs very fast.
We're going to run out of material all the faster
This issue is addressed in the section on degrees in adjectives.
For this section on intensifiers, we are indebted to A Grammar of Contemporary English by Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik. Longman Group: London. 1978. pages 438 to 457. Examples our own.
Using Adverbs in a Numbered List
Within the normal flow of text, it's nearly always a bad idea to number items beyond three or four, at the most. Anything beyond that, you're better off with a vertical list that uses numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Also, in such a list, don't use adverbs (with an -ly ending); use instead the uninflected ordinal number (first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.). First (not firstly), it's unclear what the adverb is modifying. Second (not secondly), it's unnecessary. Third (not thirdly), after you get beyond "secondly," it starts to sound silly. Adverbs that number in this manner are treated as disjuncts (see below.)
Adverbs We Can Do Without
Review the section on Being Concise for some advice on adverbs that we can eliminate to the benefit of our prose: intensifiers such as very, extremely, and really that don't intensify anything and expletive constructions ("There are several books that address this issue.")
Kinds of Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner She moved slowly and spoke quietly.Adverbs of Place She has lived on the island all her life. She still lives there now.Adverbs of Frequency She takes the boat to the mainland every day. She often goes by herself.Adverbs of Time She tries to get back before dark. It's starting to get dark now. She finished her tea first. She left early.Adverbs of Purpose She drives her boat slowly to avoid hitting the rocks. She shops in several stores to get the best buys.
Positions of Adverbs
One of the hallmarks of adverbs is their ability to move around in a sentence. Adverbs of manner are particularly flexible in this regard.
Solemnly the minister addressed her congregation.
The minister solemnly addressed her congregation.
The minister addressed her congregation solemnly.
The following adverbs of frequency appear in various points in these sentences:
Before the main verb: I never get up before nine o'clock.
Between the auxiliary verb and the main verb: I have rarely written to my brother without a good reason.
Before the verb used to: I always used to see him at his summer home.
Indefinite adverbs of time can appear either before the verb or between the auxiliary and the main verb:
He finally showed up for batting practice.
She has recently retired.
The most common frequency adverbs in English are:
Always
Frequently
Usually
Often
Sometimes
Occasionally
Seldom
Rarely
Never
100% of the time
about 90% of the time
about 80% of the time
about 70% of the time
about 50% of the time
about 40% of the time
about 20% of the time
about 10% of the time
about 00% of the time
Note: The percentages here are rough estimates only.
Frequency adverbs can be placed at various points in the sentence, but are most commonly used before the main verbs and after be verbs.
I always come to work on time.
They are seldom home when we call.
He's usually eating breakfast at this time.
She's never been to Maine.
A: Do you come here often?
B: Yes. I'm here occasionally.
A: What do you usually do here?
B: Sometimes I just sit and ponder the meaning of life.
Note: The adverbs seldom, rarely, never and hardly ever are considered negative.
A: Do you always carry a briefcase?
B: (Yes,) I usually do.
No, I usually don't.
No, I rarely do.
No, I hardly ever do.
Other frequency adverbs and expressions are as follows:
Every day/week/month
Every other day/week
Once a week/month/year
Twice a year/day, etc.
(Every) once in a while
Every so often
These expressions are used at the beginning and end of sentences, not before main verbs.
Every once in a while I visit my grandmother in Minnesota.
I visit my grandmother in Minnesota every once in a while.
I every once in a while visit my grandmother in Minnesota. (Incorrect)
Regularly
Normally
Traditionally
(according to schedule)
(commonly nowadays)
(commonly in the past) These words can come at various points in the sentence.
I regularly floss my teeth.
I floss my teeth regularly.
Traditionally, that was considered child's play.
I normally get up around 6 o'clock.
Normally, I get up around 6 o'clock.
The most common adverbs of frequency are always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, and never. The following chart shows the relative frequencies of these adverbs. It is important to understand that the percentages only show approximate frequencies; other sources will have slightly different numbers. What is important is not the absolute number, but only the relative frequency.
Definition
Adverbs are words that modify
a verb (He drove slowly. — How did he drive?)
an adjective (He drove a very fast car. — How fast was his car?)
another adverb (She moved quite slowly down the aisle. — How slowly did she move?)
As we will see, adverbs often tell when, where, why, or under what conditions something happens or happened. Adverbs frequently end in -ly; however, many words and phrases not ending in -ly serve an adverbial function and an -ly ending is not a guarantee that a word is an adverb. The words lovely, lonely, motherly, friendly, neighborly, for instance, are adjectives:
That lovely woman lives in a friendly neighborhood.If a group of words containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb (modifying the verb of a sentence), it is called an Adverb Clause:
When this class is over, we're going to the movies.
When a group of words not containing a subject and verb acts as an adverb, it is called an adverbial phrase. Prepositional phrases frequently have adverbial functions (telling place and time, modifying the verb):
He went to the movies.
She works on holidays.
They lived in Canada during the war.
And Infinitive phrases can act as adverbs (usually telling why):
She hurried to the mainland to see her brother.
The senator ran to catch the bus.
But there are other kinds of adverbial phrases:
He calls his mother as often as possible.
Adverbs can modify adjectives, but an adjective cannot modify an adverb. Thus we would say that "the students showed a really wonderful attitude" and that "the students showed a wonderfully casual attitude" and that "my professor is really tall, but not "He ran real fast."
Like adjectives, adverbs can have comparative and superlative forms to show degree.
Walk faster if you want to keep up with me.
The student who reads fastest will finish first.
We often use more and most, less and least to show degree with adverbs:
With sneakers on, she could move more quickly among the patients.
The flowers were the most beautifully arranged creations I've ever seen.
She worked less confidently after her accident.
That was the least skillfully done performance I've seen in years.
The as — as construction can be used to create adverbs that express sameness or equality: "He can't run as fast as his sister."
A handful of adverbs have two forms, one that ends in -ly and one that doesn't. In certain cases, the two forms have different meanings:
He arrived late.
Lately, he couldn't seem to be on time for anything.
In most cases, however, the form without the -ly ending should be reserved for casual situations:
She certainly drives slow in that old Buick of hers.
He did wrong by her.
He spoke sharp, quick, and to the point.
Adverbs often function as intensifiers, conveying a greater or lesser emphasis to something. Intensifiers are said to have three different functions: they can emphasize, amplify, or downtone. Here are some examples:
Emphasizers:
I really don't believe him.
He literally wrecked his mother's car.
She simply ignored me.
They're going to be late, for sure.
Amplifiers:
The teacher completely rejected her proposal.
I absolutely refuse to attend any more faculty meetings.
They heartily endorsed the new restaurant.
I so wanted to go with them.
We know this city well.
Downtoners:
I kind of like this college.
Joe sort of felt betrayed by his sister.
His mother mildly disapproved his actions.
We can improve on this to some extent.
The boss almost quit after that.
The school was all but ruined by the storm.
Adverbs (as well as adjectives) in their various degrees can be accompanied by premodifiers:
She runs very fast.
We're going to run out of material all the faster
This issue is addressed in the section on degrees in adjectives.
For this section on intensifiers, we are indebted to A Grammar of Contemporary English by Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik. Longman Group: London. 1978. pages 438 to 457. Examples our own.
Using Adverbs in a Numbered List
Within the normal flow of text, it's nearly always a bad idea to number items beyond three or four, at the most. Anything beyond that, you're better off with a vertical list that uses numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). Also, in such a list, don't use adverbs (with an -ly ending); use instead the uninflected ordinal number (first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.). First (not firstly), it's unclear what the adverb is modifying. Second (not secondly), it's unnecessary. Third (not thirdly), after you get beyond "secondly," it starts to sound silly. Adverbs that number in this manner are treated as disjuncts (see below.)
Adverbs We Can Do Without
Review the section on Being Concise for some advice on adverbs that we can eliminate to the benefit of our prose: intensifiers such as very, extremely, and really that don't intensify anything and expletive constructions ("There are several books that address this issue.")
Kinds of Adverbs
Adverbs of Manner She moved slowly and spoke quietly.Adverbs of Place She has lived on the island all her life. She still lives there now.Adverbs of Frequency She takes the boat to the mainland every day. She often goes by herself.Adverbs of Time She tries to get back before dark. It's starting to get dark now. She finished her tea first. She left early.Adverbs of Purpose She drives her boat slowly to avoid hitting the rocks. She shops in several stores to get the best buys.
Positions of Adverbs
One of the hallmarks of adverbs is their ability to move around in a sentence. Adverbs of manner are particularly flexible in this regard.
Solemnly the minister addressed her congregation.
The minister solemnly addressed her congregation.
The minister addressed her congregation solemnly.
The following adverbs of frequency appear in various points in these sentences:
Before the main verb: I never get up before nine o'clock.
Between the auxiliary verb and the main verb: I have rarely written to my brother without a good reason.
Before the verb used to: I always used to see him at his summer home.
Indefinite adverbs of time can appear either before the verb or between the auxiliary and the main verb:
He finally showed up for batting practice.
She has recently retired.
The most common frequency adverbs in English are:
Always
Frequently
Usually
Often
Sometimes
Occasionally
Seldom
Rarely
Never
100% of the time
about 90% of the time
about 80% of the time
about 70% of the time
about 50% of the time
about 40% of the time
about 20% of the time
about 10% of the time
about 00% of the time
Note: The percentages here are rough estimates only.
Frequency adverbs can be placed at various points in the sentence, but are most commonly used before the main verbs and after be verbs.
I always come to work on time.
They are seldom home when we call.
He's usually eating breakfast at this time.
She's never been to Maine.
A: Do you come here often?
B: Yes. I'm here occasionally.
A: What do you usually do here?
B: Sometimes I just sit and ponder the meaning of life.
Note: The adverbs seldom, rarely, never and hardly ever are considered negative.
A: Do you always carry a briefcase?
B: (Yes,) I usually do.
No, I usually don't.
No, I rarely do.
No, I hardly ever do.
Other frequency adverbs and expressions are as follows:
Every day/week/month
Every other day/week
Once a week/month/year
Twice a year/day, etc.
(Every) once in a while
Every so often
These expressions are used at the beginning and end of sentences, not before main verbs.
Every once in a while I visit my grandmother in Minnesota.
I visit my grandmother in Minnesota every once in a while.
I every once in a while visit my grandmother in Minnesota. (Incorrect)
Regularly
Normally
Traditionally
(according to schedule)
(commonly nowadays)
(commonly in the past) These words can come at various points in the sentence.
I regularly floss my teeth.
I floss my teeth regularly.
Traditionally, that was considered child's play.
I normally get up around 6 o'clock.
Normally, I get up around 6 o'clock.
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