Adverbs of Manner

Introduction

An adverb of manner in basic grammar is an adverb (including such quickly or slowly) that defines how and in what manner an action represented by a verb is performed. All of these are known as manner adverbs or manner adverbials.

The majority of manner adverb is generated by attaching -ly to adjectives, although there are few notable exceptions (such as well). In majority way adverbs' comparative and superlative forms are created along more (or less) and most (or least), accordingly.

Adverbs of manner are commonly seen after the verb or at the ending of the verb phrase.

"It is adverbs of manner which are most flexibly changed by other adverbs (usually of degree)," explains Rodney Huddleston. She spoke very gently. (Huddleston 1984).

What are adverbs of manner?

Adverbs of manner define the manner in which something occurs. It is conceivable, for instance, to walk or run at varying speeds. Adverbs of manner are phrases used to express walking or running at different speeds (for example, rapidly or slowly). They help readers in gaining a better understanding of how a written scenario is unfolding.

Examining the sentences below will help you learn how well these adverbs alter the entire meaning and structure of statements in which they appear.

1. The men ran. (Since there is no adverb of manner in this statement, we can only guess how rapidly the men are running.)
2. The kids ran rapidly. (The adverbs of manner are rapidly. It indicates that the kids are in a rush or hurry.)
3. The teenagers were fatigued, so they drove more slowly than ever before. (The manner adverb is slowly.) It indicates that the teenagers are traveling but not moving as much territory as they were previously.)

There are a few guidelines to consider when it comes to adverbs of manner:

• When employing these adverbs, be cautious not to position them between the object and the verb. They are frequently used following the sentence's object or primary verb. If there really is a preposition prior to the object, the adverb of manner can be positioned either before or after the preposition.
• Place an adverb of manner preceding both the verb and the object to bring emphasis. Whenever these adverbs are positioned at the opening of a phrase, they attract the reader's attention.
• As you study the instances of way adverbs below, you will see how the similar adverb can offer distinct meanings to phrases that include almost an identical collection of terms.

Examples of Adverbs of Manner

The adverbs of manner are highlighted/ bolded in every instance for ease of recognition.

1. John quickly agreedto go to the supermarket for dairy. (His consent came quickly.)
2. Joe agreed to go to the supermarket for dairy quickly. (He would go to the supermarket quickly)
3. Helen quietly askedus to move out of the hall. (Her plea was quiet)
4. Helen asked us to walk out of the room (I will just not make any noise when I leave.)
5. The physician woke the gently nappingill kid. (The ill kid was sleeping gently.)
6. The physician softly wokethe ill kid. (The physician was soft while trying to wake up the ill kid)

A manner adverb can never be used in between a verb as well as its direct object. The adverb should come prior to the verb or at the ending of the phrase.

Examples

1. She ate greedily the cheesecake. [incorrect]
2. She ate the cheesecake greedily. [correct]
3. She greedily ate the cheesecake. [correct]
4. John gave us wholeheartedly the cash. [incorrect]
5. John gave us the cash wholeheartedly. [correct]
6. John wholeheartedly gave us the cash. [correct]

If in the sentence there is the preposition prior to the verb's object, the adverbs of manner might be placed either prior to or following the prepositions.

Examples

1. The girl ran gladly towards her mom.
2. The girl ran towards her mom gladly.

Adverbs of manner must always occur right after verbs with no object (intransitive verbs).

Examples

1. The village grew rapidly after 1997.
2. John waited patiently for his aunt to arrive.

These common manner adverbs are nearly always placed immediately just after the verb: well, badly, hard, and quickly.

Examples

1. He competed well despite being fatigued.
2. The rain fell hard during the cyclone.

If the sentence comprises of more than one verb, the positioning of the adverb is significant. If the adverb comes before or after the primary verb, it solely changes that verb. When an adverb follows a clause, it alters the entire action stated by the sentence.

For instance, have a look at the following examples;

1. She swiftly agreed to rewrite the article - The agreement is swift.
2. She agreed swiftly to rewrite the test - The agreement was swift
3. He agreed to rewrite the article rapidly - the rewriting is rapid.

Usage

To emphasize a verb + object, an adverb of manner is often used before it.

Examples

1. He softly woke the resting woman.
2. She angrily locked the door.

Few authors use the adverbs of manner at the start of a sentence to draw the attentiveness and pique our interest.

Examples

1. Slowly she collected the sticks
2. Roughly john grabbed her hand.