What is an adverb of manner?
Adverbs of manner describe how something happens. For example, it is possible to walk or run at different speeds. The words used to describe walking or running at different speeds (quickly or
slowly for example) are excellent examples of adverbs of manner. They help the reader gain greater insight into the way a written scene is playing out.
Comparing the following sentences will help you to understand how these adverbs change the overall meaning of the sentences they’re found in.
The boys ran. (There is no adverb of manner in this sentence, so we can only imagine how fast the boys are running.)
The boys ran quickly. (The adverb of manner is quickly. It tells us that the boys are in a hurry.)
The boys were tired, so they ran more slowly than before. (The adverb of manner is
slowly. It tells us that the boys are running, but they aren’t covering as much ground as they were before.)
There are a few rules to remember regarding adverbs of manner:
- When using these adverbs, be careful not to place them between the object and the verb. They often fit best after the sentence’s object or main verb.
- If there is a preposition before the object, the adverb of manner may be placed either before the preposition or after the sentence’s object.
- Add emphasis by placing an adverb of manner before both the verb and object, and when these adverbs are placed at the beginning of a sentence, they catch the reader’s attention.
As you read the following examples of adverbs of manner, you will notice how the same adverb can lend different meanings
to sentences containing nearly the exact same set of words.
Examples of Adverbs of Manner
The adverb of manner in each example has been italicized for easy identification.
He quickly agreed to go to the store for milk. (His agreement was quick)
He agreed to go to the store for milk quickly. (He would go to the store quickly)
She quietly asked me to leave the room. (Her request was quiet)
She asked me to leave the room quietly. (I am not going to make noise when I leave)
The doctor woke the gently sleeping patient. (The patient was sleeping gently)
The doctor gently woke the sleeping patient. (The doctor was gentle while waking the patient)
Adverbs of Manner Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how adverbs of manner work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The excited baby pounded the table _______________.
a. Badly
b. Hungrily
c. Normally
d. Variously
Answer: B. The excited baby pounded the table
hungrily.
2. Walk ______________ or you may miss the bus.
a. Quickly
b. Slowly
c. Personally
d. Happily
Answer: A. Walk quickly or you may miss the bus.
3. Reading ______________ helps you to understand concepts better.
a. Rapidly
b. Briefly
c. Carefully
d. Always
Answer: C. Reading carefully helps you to understand concepts better.
4. Playing music too _______________ can damage your hearing.
a. Slowly
b. Cheerfully
c. Carelessly
d. Loudly
Answer: D. Playing music too loudly can damage your hearing.
5. A tortoise walks _______________.
a. Mostly
b. Slowly
c. Happily
d. Eagerly
Answer: B. A tortoise walks slowly.
Adverbs of Manner List
The following list of adverbs of manner contains 125 single-word adverbs of manner; this is just a sample, as adverbs of manner actually form the largest of all groups of adverbs.
accidentally
angrily
anxiously
awkwardly
badly
beautifully
boldly
bravely
brightly
busily
calmly
carefully
cautiously
cheerfully
clearly
closely
correctly
courageously
cruelly
daringly
deliberately
doubtfully
eagerly
easily
elegantly
enormously
enthusiastically
equally
eventually
exactly
faithfully
fast
fatally
fiercely
fondly
foolishly
fortunately
frantically
generously
gently
gladly
gracefully
greedily
happily
hard
hastily
honestly
hungrily
hurriedly
inadequately
ingeniously
innocently
inquisitively
irritably
joyously
justly
kindly
lazily
loosely
loudly
madly
mortally
mysteriously
neatly
nervously
noisily
obediently
openly
painfully
patiently
perfectly
politely
poorly
powerfully
promptly
punctually
quickly
quietly
rapidly
rarely
really
recklessly
regularly
reluctantly
repeatedly
rightfully
roughly
rudely
sadly
safely
selfishly
sensibly
seriously
sharply
shyly
silently
sleepily
slowly
smoothly
so
softly
speedily
stealthily
sternly
straight
stupidly
successfully
suddenly
suspiciously
swiftly
tenderly
tensely
thoughtfully
tightly
truthfully
unexpectedly
victoriously
violently
vivaciously
warmly
weakly
wearily
well
wildly
wisely