CDS English · Grammar
Adverbs: how, when, where, how often, how much
An adverb tells how, when, where, how often or how much about a verb, an adjective or another adverb. Many end in -ly, but the ending is not the test.
Why this matters
Adverbs are one of the commonest answers in the underlined-word items. The easy ones end in -ly and describe an action. The marks are in the look-alikes: words like first, right and better that carry no -ly, -ly words that are adjectives, and degree words such as very and too.
Concept 1 of 3: An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb
An adjective goes with a noun. An adverb goes with almost everything else: an action (walked slowly), a describing word (very tall) or another adverb (quite slowly). Find the word it goes with and ask which question it answers.
Definition
The kinds, by the question they answer:
- Manner (how?): slowly, abruptly, truthfully, loosely.
- Time (when?): now, thereafter, tomorrow, soon.
- Place (where?): here, outside, everywhere.
- Frequency (how often?): always, never, seldom, often.
- Degree (how much?): very, hardly, nearly, too.
- Relative adverb: where, when, why joining a clause without asking anything (Where there is peace, there will be prosperity).
The method:
- Find the word the underlined word goes with.
- A noun? Then it is an adjective, not an adverb.
- A verb, an adjective or another adverb? Ask how, when, where, how often or how much. If it answers one of these, it is an adverb.
Worked example
Name the part of speech of the underlined word: The guard spoke rudely to the visitors.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — English · Q65Easy
Example 1 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Adverbs
Directions: Each of the following sentences has an underlined word. Read each sentence carefully and determine which word class the underlined word belongs to. Mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
My arms are aching terribly.
'Hardly' does not mean 'in a hard way'
'I can hardly believe it' means 'I can almost not believe it'. 'Hardly' is an adverb of degree. Do not mix it up with the adverb 'hard' (He works hard).
'Where' that asks nothing
In 'Where there is peace, there will be prosperity', 'where' asks no question and stands for no noun. It joins a clause of place: a relative adverb. Choose Adverb, not Interrogative or Relative pronoun.
After a linking verb, an adjective
'She sings sweetly' (adverb: how she sings). 'The song sounds sweet' (adjective: it describes the song, after a linking verb). Check whether the word goes with the action or with the noun.
Concept 2 of 3: Look-alikes: 'first', 'right', 'better' are adverbs; 'timely' is not
Two kinds of word fool the eye. Some adverbs have no -ly at all: fast, hard, late, first. And some adjectives do end in -ly: timely, friendly, costly. The ending tells you nothing. The job tells you everything.
Definition
Terms:
- A flat adverb has the same form as the adjective: fast, hard, late, early, first, right, straight. Run fast (adverb); a fast car (adjective).
- -ly adjectives: timely, friendly, lovely, costly, lonely, likely. They describe nouns: a timely delivery.
- Better and best are the comparative and superlative of both 'good' (adjective) and 'well' (adverb).
The method:
- Ignore the ending.
- Does the word go with a noun? Adjective.
- Does it go with a verb (came first, sings better, works hard)? Adverb.
Worked example
Name the part of speech of the underlined word: Ravi works hard on his farm.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (I) 2026 — English · Q63Moderate
Example 2 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Adverbs
Directions: Each of the following sentences has an underlined word. Read each sentence carefully and determine which word class the underlined word belongs to. Mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
Turn right at the end of the street.
-ly does not mean adverb
'The timely delivery' and 'a friendly smile': each -ly word describes a noun, so it is an adjective. Some words do both jobs: 'a daily paper' (adjective) and 'it is published daily' (adverb).
'Better' after a verb
'She sings much better than I do': 'better' goes with 'sings', so it is the comparative of the adverb 'well'. In 'a better plan' it goes with a noun and is an adjective.
'First' is not only a number
'Who came first?' asks about the order of finishing. 'First' goes with the verb 'came', so it is an adverb. In 'the first prize' it describes a noun and is an adjective.
Concept 3 of 3: Degree words: very, too, extremely, most (intensifiers)
Some adverbs only turn the volume of an adjective or adverb up or down: very cold, too heavy. CDS calls them intensifiers. An intensifier is still an adverb: it is the adverb of degree under a narrower name.
Definition
Terms:
- An intensifier is an adverb of degree that strengthens or weakens an adjective or adverb: very, too, extremely, quite, rather, so, fairly.
- Too means more than is right or possible (too old to run fast). Very only strengthens (very old).
- Most before an adjective (the most beautiful) is an adverb of degree. Most before a noun (most people) is a determiner.
Which label to choose:
- If 'Intensifier' is offered, it is the more exact label for a degree word.
- If it is not offered, choose Adverb.
- Never choose Adjective: the word goes with an adjective, not with a noun.
| Word | In the sentence | It strengthens | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| most | The most beautiful actor of the industry | the adjective 'beautiful' | 2020 (I)Q |
| very | The flower is very beautiful | the adjective 'beautiful' | 2020 (II) |
| extremely | associated with extremely new civil societies | the adjective 'new' | 2021 (II) |
| too | Rakesh is too old to run fast | the adjective 'old' (more than is right) | 2021 (II)Q |
An intensifier is a kind of adverb: pick 'Intensifier' when it is offered, 'Adverb' when it is not.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2020 · CDS (II) 2020 — English · Q86Easy
Example 3 · Grammar · Parts of Speech: Adverbs
Directions: part of speech of the underlined word
The flower is very beautiful.
'Most' before an adjective is not an adjective
In 'the most beautiful actor', 'most' goes with 'beautiful', an adjective. A word that modifies an adjective is an adverb of degree.
Too is not very
'Too old to run' means so old that he cannot run. 'Very old' only means old to a high degree. In a blank, 'too' needs a 'to' or a problem after it.
Two right labels, pick the narrower
When both 'Adverb' and 'Intensifier' are offered for a degree word, choose Intensifier: it is the exact name. When only 'Adverb' is offered, that is correct.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (1)
Degree words: very, too, extremely, most (intensifiers)4 rows
| Word | In the sentence | It strengthens | Sitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| most | The most beautiful actor of the industry | the adjective 'beautiful' | 2020 (I)Q |
| very | The flower is very beautiful | the adjective 'beautiful' | 2020 (II) |
| extremely | associated with extremely new civil societies | the adjective 'new' | 2021 (II) |
| too | Rakesh is too old to run fast | the adjective 'old' (more than is right) | 2021 (II)Q |
An intensifier is a kind of adverb: pick 'Intensifier' when it is offered, 'Adverb' when it is not.
Watch out for (9)
- 'Hardly' does not mean 'in a hard way'→ An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb
- 'Where' that asks nothing→ An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb
- After a linking verb, an adjective→ An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb
- -ly does not mean adverb→ Look-alikes: 'first', 'right', 'better' are adverbs; 'timely' is not
- 'Better' after a verb→ Look-alikes: 'first', 'right', 'better' are adverbs; 'timely' is not
- 'First' is not only a number→ Look-alikes: 'first', 'right', 'better' are adverbs; 'timely' is not
- 'Most' before an adjective is not an adjective→ Degree words: very, too, extremely, most (intensifiers)
- Too is not very→ Degree words: very, too, extremely, most (intensifiers)
- Two right labels, pick the narrower→ Degree words: very, too, extremely, most (intensifiers)
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