Adverbs in MDCAT English: A Comprehensive Guide

Adverbs are a crucial part of English grammar, and understanding them well is essential for
acing the MDCAT English section. They modify verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire
sentences, providing more information about how, when, where, to what extent, or why
something happens.

What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that describes or gives more information about a verb, an adjective,
another adverb, or a whole sentence.
Examples:
●​ Modifying a Verb: He walks quickly. (How does he walk?)
●​ Modifying an Adjective: She is very beautiful. (To what extent is she beautiful?)
●​ Modifying another Adverb: He speaks too loudly. (To what extent does he speak
loudly?)
●​ Modifying a Sentence: Fortunately, she passed the exam. (Adds information about the
whole sentence.)

Types of Adverbs:

Understanding the different types of adverbs will help you identify their function and placement.
1.​ Adverbs of Manner:
○​ Function: Describe how an action is performed.
○​ Commonly end in -ly: quickly, slowly, carefully, easily, happily, sadly, bravely, well,
hard, fast.
○​ Placement: Usually after the verb or after the object if there is one.
○​ Examples:
■​ She sings beautifully.
■​ He drove carefully.
■​ They worked hard.
2.​ Adverbs of Place:
○​ Function: Describe where an action takes place.
○​ Examples: here, there, everywhere, nowhere, somewhere, inside, outside,
upstairs, downstairs, abroad, nearby.
○​ Placement: Usually after the verb or the object.
○​ Examples:
■​ The children are playing outside.
■​ He looked everywhere for his keys.
■​ Please come here.
3.​ Adverbs of Time:
○​ Function: Describe when an action takes place.
○​ Examples: now, then, today, tomorrow, yesterday, soon, late, early, always, never,
often, sometimes, usually, yet, already, still, finally, recently.
○​ Placement: Can be at the beginning or end of a sentence. Adverbs of definite time
(today, tomorrow) usually go at the end. Adverbs of indefinite time (often,
sometimes) usually go before the main verb or after 'be' verbs.
○​ Examples:
 ■​ I will see you tomorrow.
■​ She always arrives on time.
■​ He hasn't finished his homework yet.
4.​ Adverbs of Frequency:
○​ Function: Describe how often an action takes place.
○​ Examples: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never, once, twice,
daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.
○​ Placement: Usually before the main verb, but after 'be' verbs. If there's an auxiliary
verb, it goes between the auxiliary and the main verb.
○​ Examples:
■​ They often visit their grandparents.
■​ He is never late.
■​ You should always check your answers.
5.​ Adverbs of Degree/Quantity:
○​ Function: Describe to what extent or how much something happens or is.
○​ Examples: very, too, extremely, quite, rather, almost, hardly, scarcely, merely, just,
entirely, completely, highly, enough, so, much.
○​ Placement: Usually before the adjective, adverb, or verb they modify.
○​ Examples:
■​ It's extremely hot today.
■​ She sings very well.
■​ I am quite tired.
■​ He is tall enough to reach the shelf. (Note: 'enough' usually follows the
adjective/adverb it modifies).
6.​ Conjunctive Adverbs:
○​ Function: Connect two independent clauses and show the relationship between
them (cause and effect, contrast, sequence, etc.). They always come with a
semicolon before them and a comma after them.
○​ Examples: however, therefore, moreover, furthermore, consequently, nevertheless,
thus, instead, otherwise, meanwhile, indeed, in fact.
○​ Placement: At the beginning of the second clause.
○​ Examples:
■​ He studied hard; therefore, he passed the exam.
■​ It was raining; however, we still went for a walk.
7.​ Interrogative Adverbs:
○​ Function: Used to ask questions about place, time, manner, or reason.
○​ Examples: where, when, how, why.
○​ Placement: At the beginning of a question.
○​ Examples:
■​ Where did you go?
■​ When will you arrive?
■​ How did you solve the problem?

Formation of Adverbs:

●​ Adding -ly: Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective (e.g., quick \rightarrow
quickly, careful \rightarrow carefully).
●​ Adjectives ending in -y: Change 'y' to 'i' and add -ly (e.g., happy \rightarrow happily,
 easy \rightarrow easily).
●​ Adjectives ending in -le: Drop 'e' and add -ly (e.g., noble \rightarrow nobly, comfortable
\rightarrow comfortably).
●​ Irregular Forms: Some adverbs have the same form as their adjective counterparts (e.g.,
fast, hard, early, late).
○​ Fast: He is a fast runner (adj.). He runs fast (adv.).
○​ Hard: It was a hard exam (adj.). He worked hard (adv.).
○​ Well: 'Well' is the adverbial form of 'good'. He is a good singer (adj.). He sings well
(adv.).

Placement of Adverbs:

The position of an adverb can significantly affect the meaning of a sentence.

●​ After the verb or object: Adverbs of manner and place usually go here.
○​ He speaks English fluently.
○​ They live nearby.
●​ Before the main verb: Adverbs of frequency often go here.
○​ She often reads books.
●​ After the 'be' verb: Adverbs of frequency often go here.
○​ He is always happy.
●​ Before an adjective or another adverb: Adverbs of degree go here.
○​ The movie was really good.
○​ He drives too fast.
●​ At the beginning or end of a sentence: Adverbs of time, and sometimes adverbs of
manner, can be placed here for emphasis.
○​ Yesterday, I went to the market.
○​ I went to the market yesterday.
○​ Carefully, she opened the box.
●​ Mid-position (between auxiliary and main verb):
○​ She has always wanted to travel.

Common Mistakes with Adverbs:

1.​ Using an Adjective instead of an Adverb:

○​ Incorrect: He drives quick.
○​ Correct: He drives quickly.
○​ Trick: Remember that adverbs modify verbs, and most adverbs end in -ly. If it's
describing how an action is done, it's usually an adverb.
2.​ Confusing Good and Well:
○​ Good is an adjective (describes a noun).
○​ Well is an adverb (describes a verb or adjective) OR an adjective meaning
"healthy".
○​ Incorrect: She sings good.
○​ Correct: She sings well.
○​ Incorrect: I feel good (if you mean healthy).
○​ Correct: I feel well (if you mean healthy). (However, "I feel good" is also common
and acceptable when expressing general happiness or positivity).
○​ Trick: If it answers "how?" about an action, use "well."
 3.​ Misplacing Adverbs of Frequency:
○​ Incorrect: He watches movies never.
○​ Correct: He never watches movies. (Before the main verb)
○​ Incorrect: They are often late.
○​ Correct: They often are late. (This is wrong!) They are often late. (After the 'be'
verb)
○​ Trick: Remember the "FABB" rule for frequency adverbs: Frequency adverbs go
After the Be verb, Before other verbs.
4.​ Using Double Negatives:
○​ Incorrect: I don't have no money.
○​ Correct: I don't have any money. OR I have no money.
○​ Trick: A sentence should only have one negative word to express a negative idea.
Words like hardly, scarcely, barely, never, seldom, rarely are negative in meaning
and should not be used with another negative word (like not or no).
5.​ Confusing Hard and Hardly:
○​ Hard (adverb): with great effort.
○​ Hardly (adverb): almost not, scarcely.
○​ Incorrect: He didn't study hardly.
○​ Correct: He studied hard. OR He hardly studied.
○​ Trick: Hardly carries a negative meaning, so avoid using it with other negatives.
6.​ Position of "Enough":
○​ Enough as an adverb comes after the adjective or adverb it modifies.
○​ Incorrect: He is enough tall to reach the shelf.
○​ Correct: He is tall enough to reach the shelf.
7.​ Position of "Only":
○​ The word "only" should be placed immediately before the word or phrase it
modifies. Misplacement can change the meaning of the sentence.
○​ Consider the difference:
■​ She only sings on Tuesdays. (She does nothing else on Tuesdays but sing).
■​ She sings only on Tuesdays. (She sings, but specifically on Tuesdays, not
other days).
○​ Trick: Read the sentence aloud with "only" in different positions and see how the
meaning shifts.

Tips for MDCAT English Adverb Section:

1.​ Identify the word being modified: Is it a verb, an adjective, or another adverb? This will
help you determine if you need an adverb and what kind.
2.​ Look for -ly endings: This is the most common indicator of an adverb, but be aware of
irregular forms (fast, hard, well).
3.​ Practice identifying adverb types: The more you practice, the quicker you'll become at
recognizing adverbs of manner, time, place, etc.
4.​ Pay attention to placement: Adverb placement is crucial for clear and grammatically
correct sentences.
5.​ Learn common adverb pairs/confusions: Focus on distinguishing between
adjective/adverb pairs like good/well, hard/hardly, late/lately, near/nearly.
○​ Late (adj/adv): after the usual time. "He arrived late."
○​ Lately (adv): recently. "Have you seen him lately?"
 ○​ Near (adj/adv): close in distance. "The shop is near."
○​ Nearly (adv): almost. "I have nearly finished my work."
6.​ Solve MCQs: The best way to master this section is by practicing a wide variety of
multiple-choice questions focusing on adverb identification, placement, and common
errors.

Let's practice with some MCQs!

Here are some MCQs to test your understanding of adverbs:

Instructions: Choose the option that best completes the sentence or identifies the adverb/error.
1.​ He drives very _______. a) quick b) quickly c) quicker d) quickest
2.​ She sings _______. She has a beautiful voice. a) good b) well c) better d) best
3.​ I have _______ finished my homework. a) hard b) hardly c) good d) well
4.​ Which of the following is an adverb of frequency? a) everywhere b) yesterday c) often d)
beautifully
5.​ The car moved _______ down the slippery road. a) careful b) carefully c) more careful d)
most careful
6.​ We _______ go to the cinema on weekends. a) sometimes b) sometimes go c) go
sometimes d) sometimes are going
7.​ He is _______ tired to go for a walk. a) much b) very c) too d) so
8.​ Which sentence uses the adverb correctly? a) She only speaks English at home. b) She
speaks English only at home. c) Only she speaks English at home. d) All of the above are
grammatically correct but have different meanings.
9.​ She arrived _______ for the meeting. a) late b) lately c) later d) latest
10.​The children were playing _______ in the garden. a) happy b) happily c) happier d)
happiest
Answer Key:
1.​ b) quickly
2.​ b) well
3.​ b) hardly (meaning almost not)
4.​ c) often
5.​ b) carefully
6.​ a) sometimes (Adverb of frequency before the main verb)
7.​ c) too (implies excessive to the point of being unable)
8.​ d) All of the above are grammatically correct but have different meanings.
9.​ a) late
10.​b) happily