An adverb is a type of word.
An adverb is the class of invariable word that acts as the nucleus of the adverbial phrase or as a circumstantial complement of the verb . These words, according to the grammar of our language, modify adjectives, verbs or other adverbs.
Before moving forward with the analysis of the meaning, it is vital that we proceed to determine its etymological origin. When we do so, we discover that it is a word that comes from the Latin adverbium , which is made up of two parts: the prefix ad- , which can be translated as "together or towards" ; and the noun verbum , which is equivalent to "word" .
Characteristics of adverbs
If we had to classify adverbs, we could do so through four fundamental characteristics:
- Adverbs based on the meaning or the relationships they establish within any sentence: argumentative , circumstantial , attributes ...
- Adverbs based on their morphological type structure. In this category there are two large groups: the simple ones and the derived ones .
- Adverbs based on their meaning. In this section we could include both those of time and those of quantity or those of place , among others.
- Adverbs based on their grammatical nature, which would be of two types: grammatical or lexical .
There are different types of adverbs.
Classification and examples according to type
There are various types of adverbs that add circumstantial information to a word or a complete sentence . "Ahead" , "there" , "close" , "hardly" and "quickly" are some adverbs of different kinds.
For example: "Juani's gift is hidden behind the furniture" , "It's very hot here" , "I want to go buy bills, but the bakery is very far away" , "Don't worry, it's a problem that can be solved." easily» , «The old man walked slowly towards the armchair and dropped down» .
Adverbs of place add information about space : "There is the package that was left for you," "It doesn't hurt me there, it bothers me further down," "The man threw himself on top of the thief to prevent his escape."
Adverbs of time , on the other hand, provide temporal information: "Yesterday we ate baked meat with potatoes," "I'm busy now, I'll go later," "I think we're early."
Adverbs of degree or quantity , for their part, refer to a quantification: "It cost a lot less than we assumed" , "I don't have much money" , "Facundo is not very talkative" , "The tank is completely dirty" .
Other types of adverbs are adverbs of manner ( "He played wonderfully and qualified for the quarterfinals," "Walk slowly, please" ), adverbs of affirmation ( "Indeed, my name is Ricardo , " "What "You say it's true" ), adverbs of denial ( "I will never do something like that" , "I don't agree either" ) and adverbs of doubt ( "Have you been drinking?" , "He's probably the best player in history" ) .
In the same way, we must not forget what is known as a comparative adverb . As its name indicates, it is one that is used to show comparison between two people, objects or situations. A phrase that can serve as an example of that is the following: "Manuel danced worse than his cousin Juan."
Likewise, we must also recognize the existence of what is called a demonstrative adverb . In its case, we could define this as the one that, at a general level, is used to determine or identify a time, a place or a way. Among the most significant examples are "this way" , "there" and "here".
Adverbs work as modifiers.
Correct use of adverbs
To use adverbs correctly, you must pay attention to the parts of speech , both the subject and the predicate. Verb tense and agreement must be considered so that they fulfill the intended purpose and generate the desired effect.
The purpose of an adverb of affirmation , for example, is to ratify something. This objective is only achieved if the inclusion of this type of word is coherent in the statement and in the context of the discourse. That is why examining the syntactic structure is essential.
Suppose someone says: "Indeed, yesterday I passed by Ricardo's house." As can be seen, the adverb "certainly" allows us to approve an expression that was previously uttered, linked to a visit to "Ricardo's house" . If the sentence is taken out of its context, it makes no sense to use the adverb ( "Yesterday I passed by Ricardo's house" ).
Many times information is needed for the adverb to be effective. When referring to "above" there must be a contrast or at least a reference to understand the meaning: "The cat was on the table" refers to a location of the feline that is very different from what is mentioned if it is pointed out that " "The cat was under the table."
The adverb can also emphasize the intensity of something or function as a superlative. "I hurt myself badly with the knife" allows us to communicate that the wound in question had a certain depth or severity, not that the injury was done incorrectly.