Laborator 4 – Adverbs

Forms of adverbs: 1, 2
Adjectives vs. adverbs: 3, *4 (ungradable adjectives and adverbs)
Adverbs/adverbial phrases from adjectives: 5
Position of adverbs: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Adverbs of time: 11, 12
Adverbs/Adverbial phrases of duration: 13, 14
Adverbs of degree: 15, 16
Viewpoint adverbs: *17
Connecting adverbs: 18
Focus adverbs: *19
Adverbs in context: 20, *21
Overview: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

1. Supply the right adverb. Some adverbs end in -ly and some do
not. The first one is given as an example:

1. He's a bad driver. He drives 11. He's a quick thinker. He thinks

badly. …
2. She's a hard worker. She works 12. She's an eager helper. She helps
…. ….
3. He's a fast runner. He runs … . 13. My name is last. I come … .
4. I'm a better player than you. I play 14. The plane is very high. It's
…. flying …
5. This is an airmail letter. Send it … . 15. Be careful. Act … .
6. He made a sudden move. He 16. The bus was late. It came … .
moved … . 17. She was brave. She acted … .
7. She gave a rude reply. She replied 18. The house was near. We went
…. …
8. The train is early. It has arrived … . 19. What a wide window! Open it
9. Make your best effort. Do your … . …
10. She's glad to help. She helps 20. I get a monthly bill. I pay … .

2. Choose the right adverb in each sentence. The first one is given
as an example:

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1. Farm workers have to work very hard during the harvest.
(hard/hardly)
2. Farm workers earn … enough money to pay their bills.
(hard/hardly)
3. I got off first in the race but managed to come … (last/lastly)
4. And … I 'd like to thank all those who made my success possible.
(last/lastly)
5. We've been receiving a lot of junk mail … . (late/lately)
6. The postman brings my mail so … . I rarely see it before I go to
work. (late/lately)
7. I'm sure the boss thinks very … of you. (high/highly)
8. If you want to succeed, you should aim … . (high/highly)
9. I don't think you were treated very … . (just/justly)
10. I've … been offered a job in Mexico! (just/justly)
11. Please don't go too … the edge of the platform. (near/nearly)
12. I … fell off the edge of the platform! (near/nearly)

3. Put in the missing adjectives and adverbs. Add -ly or make other
changes where you need to:

beautiful best (twice) careful cheap

early far fast full
hurried important silly last
new past quick rapid

Last Thursday I had an (1) … interview for a job. I got up (2) … and
dressed (3) … . I put on my (4) … jacket and trousers, to look my (5)
… .
I had to travel by train, so I walked to the station which isn't (6) …
from my house. I was walking quite (7) … when I saw a man just
ahead painting his fence with red paint. He didn't notice me as I
walked (8) … . Then he turned suddenly and splashed my (9) …
trousers! He had acted (10) … and he apologized, but the damage was
done. There was a big store on the corner, so I decided to buy a new
pair (11) … I could change on the train. I (12) … found a nice pair,
which I bought quite (13) … . The shop was (14) …, so I paid (15)
…, grabbed my shopping-bag and left. On the train, I went to the
toilet to change. I took off my stained trousers and threw them out of

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the window. Then I opened the bag to get my (16) … ones, but all I
found was a pink woollen sweater!
*4. a) Five of these sentences contain mistakes with the adverbs
and adjectives. Tick () the correct sentences and underline the
mistakes:

Examples: Some of these new laptops are hideously expensive. 

As usual she bought me something absolutely cheap.

1. Iceland is colder than Sweden.

2. Causalities during the Crimean War were very enormous.
3. Steve’s new girlfriend is very attractive.
4. Clients are advised that Miami tends to be more boiling than Los
Angeles during the winter months.
5. Milan cathedral is slightly huge.
6. Thank you. That really was a most delicious meal!
7. In many areas of Europe the wolf is virtually extinct.
8. My friend told me the film was dead exciting.
9. Last night’s episode was really gripping.
10. I can’t stand that actor; he’s absolutely ugly.
11. The club’s very empty for a Saturday night.
12. It’s slightly free to get in; less than one Euro, in fact.

b) Choose the most appropriate adverb (a, b or c) to fill each gap:

1. Jim hates speaking in public; he’s ……. shy.

a. absolutely b. completely c. painfully
2. The Wimbledon final was ……. exciting.
a. absolutely b. utterly c. terribly
3. Your new bracelet is beautiful. It looks ……. expensive.
a. very b. completely c. absolutely
4. I think I’d better lie down; I feel ……. sick.
a. practically b. a little bit c. virtually
5. Yes, sir. You’re ……. Correct. I’ll give you a refund.
a. quite b. very c. rather
6. Since the accident Clive has been ……. paralysed.
a. totally b. absolutely c. very
7. After a month with no rain the grass is ……. dead.
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 a. slightly b. almost c. somewhat
8. I wasn’t expecting much but, surprisingly, the play was ……. good.
a. nearly b. absolutely c. quite

5. Change the adjectives into adverbs or adverbial phrases in the

following sentences. The first one is an example:

1. That was a cowardly thing to do. You acted in a cowardly way.

2. That was a quick response. She responded … .
3. The music was very loud. The band played far too … .
4. That was a silly thing to do. You acted … .
5. The orchestra gave a lively performance. They performed … .
6. She's a slow runner. She runs … .
7. The singers gave a bad performance. They performed … .
8. She can't control her motherly feelings. Even though he's 40, she
looks after him … .

6. Underline the correct form or phrase in italics:

Example: I haven’t seen that much of them late/lately.

1. You’re bound to be promoted; the boss thinks very high/highly of

you.
2. The elephant trek took us deep/deeply into the rainforest.
3. In our school fifty roughly/roughly fifty students have mobile
phones.
4. As we descended the hill the car began to go more fast/faster.
5. I’ve had a lot of insomnia recently. I only slept yesterday/Yesterday

I only slept four hours.

6. Weekly I get paid/I get paid weekly, so I can pay the rent on
Saturday.
7. Here lies the tomb/The tomb here lies of Sir Jasper Willoughby.
8. The train strike won’t affect her, she arrives usually/usually arrives
by taxi.
9. Liz isn’t our most punctual member of staff, she is often/often is
late for work.
10. I’m afraid that we still don’t/don’t still know his name.
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11. You’ll never get your money back because the company isn’t
trading any longer/any longer trading.
12. My parents aren’t very sociable, in fact they go out hardly
ever/hardly ever go out.
13. I’m sorry that the kids badly behaved/behaved badly while you
were babysitting.

7. Put the adverbs in brackets in the sentences that follow them.

The first one is given as an example:

1. (ever) Have you ever forgotten something on a train or bus?

2. (never) Don't say you have!
3. (always) (occasionally) We can't be careful with our things and
most of us must have left something behind when getting off a bus or
train.
4. (never) There can't be anyone who forgets anything.
5. (regularly) Over 150,000 items a year are dealt with by London
Transport's Lost Property Office.
6. (normally) People don't carry stuffed gorillas, but someone recently
left one on a train.
7. (most often) The things people lose are umbrellas and keys.
8. (sometimes) But there are items that are not very common.
9. (ever) Can you imagine losing a bed and not claiming it?
10. (often) Prams and pushchairs are lost.
11. (frequently) But it is unbelievable that people forget false teeth
and even glass eyes when they get off a train!
12. (often) Yet they do!

8. Rewrite these sentences, putting the adverb in brackets in the

correct position. The first one is given as an example:

Example: She has got a place in the shortlist. (definitely)

She has definitely got a place in the shortlist.

1. I thought his performance was good. (pretty)

2. The patient’s body is now entirely free of symptoms. (almost)
3. These days I take my health much more seriously. (probably)

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4. She’s my worst enemy and I don’t like her. (really)
5. Rejected Harriet turned to food for comfort. (emotionally)
6. I bumped into your brother at the supermarket. (incidentally)
7. I understood everything because the teacher answered the question.
(clearly)

9. Put the adverbs in brackets in the sentences that follow them.

The first one is an example:

1. (either) My aunt, Millie, always said she had some jewels which
she would leave to me, but when she died she didn't leave any money
and she didn't leave any jewels either.
2. (even) My mother was surprised.
3. (too) 'I know she had some rings and some lovely necklaces.
4. (only) 'I saw them once, but perhaps she sold them.'
5. (as well) My mother and I looked everywhere: we looked in the
bedrooms, in the bathroom, and in the attic, but we found nothing.
6. (also)'Millie was very careful and was afraid of burglars,' mother
said, 'but I don't think she hid her jewels anywhere'.
7. (too) Let's go home, and we'd better take all the food in the deep
freeze.'
On Sunday, mother said to me, 'I'm going to cook this lovely goose
which was in your aunt Millie's deep freeze. I'll prepare some stuffing
and you can stuff the goose.'
1. (too) Five minutes later I screamed with surprise: the goose was
full of jewels and there were some gold coins!

10. Add these adverbs to the text.

always ever no longer only

outside
recently sometimes today twice
yet

Actress and model Viviane Tavenard is (1) ... the centre of attention
wherever she goes and her appearance in a London boutique this
morning was no exception. But her big smile isn’t (2) ... for the crowd

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of photographers waiting (3) ... (4) ... .She’s enjoying her life these
days and is (5) ... concerned about old romances or bad reviews.
Tavenard has won the Best Actress award (6) ... , but that hasn’t
stopped her from working on new and (7) ... unusual films.
‘This is an excellent time,’ she said (8) ... in an interview with
Celebrity Life magazine. ‘I think that my life is the best it’s (9) ...
been.’
The good news for all you Viviane Tavenard fans is that you may not
have seen her best work (10) ... .

11. Today is Tuesday. Write sentences using the right points of

time (today, etc.):

1. When is she arriving? (Tuesday morning) She is arriving this

morning.
2. When can you see him? (Tuesday) … .
3. When did she arrive? (Monday night) … .
4. When are you expecting her? (Wednesday night) … .
5. When will you be home? (Tuesday night) … .
6. When can I make an appointment? (Tuesday afternoon) … .
7. When can I see you? (Thursday) … .
8. When did she leave? (Monday in the evening) … .
9. When can I see you? ( Thursday morning) … .
10. When can I come to your office? (Tuesday midday) … .
11. When did he leave? (Monday morning) … .
12. When will she phone? (Wednesday in the afternoon) … .

12. Put in already, immediately, this week, still, then, yesterday, yet. Use
each word once only:

This week there's going to be a festival of British Food and Farming

in Hyde Park in London. The festival hasn't begun (1) … and farmers
are
(2) … bringing their animals. But a pig farmer has (3) … run into a
serious problem. (4) … he arrived with his pigs from the Welsh Hills
– hundreds of miles away. The pigs were very thirsty when they
arrived in Hyde Park and the farmer (5) … gave them some London

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 water. (6) … he got a big surprise because the pigs refused to drink
the water. London water is fit for humans but not for pigs!

13. Show where since or for will fit into these sentences. The first
one is given as an example:

1. They lived here for five years 4. I've been expecting a letter …
before moving. weeks.
2. They have lived here … 1984. 5. I've been expecting a letter … last
week.
3. I've known him … six years. 6. I've enjoyed jazz … I was a boy.

14. Put in during, in, by, till, since, for or ago:

I moved to this area seven years ago. (1) … years I have had noisy
neighbours. Ever (2) … I moved into this flat, I've had to put up with
noise (3) … the night. I decided I'd had enough and I've been looking
for a new flat (4) … the beginning of the year. I haven't found
anything (5) … now. Every week I go to the local estate agent's
office, but it's the same story.
'I might have something (6) … the end of the week,' he says, or, 'Wait
(7) … next week. I think I might have a few flats (8) … then.' I've
seen a few flats (9) … my search, but I don't like any of them. One
flat I saw has been empty (10) … two years. 'It's got a busy road on
one side and a railway on the other!' I exclaimed. 'I want peace and
quiet.' Last week
I visited the agent again. 'I won't leave (11) … you show me
something,'
I said. He smiled and said, 'I've got just the flat for you.' I went to see
it and I was horrified. 'But it's next to a cemetery!' I cried. 'But you
won't have noisy neighbours,' my agent said.

15. Put in any suitable adverbs of degree (any, many, much, rather,
fairly, quite, etc.). The first one is given as an example:
It was quite late. The restaurant clock showed 2.30 a.m. The waiters
were feeling (1) … tired and were beginning to yawn. There was one
(2) … middle-aged couple left. They had clearly had (3) … good
meal. Now they were looking at each other across the table and were
(4) … unaware of the world around them. The waiters wanted to go
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home. One of them asked the couple if they wanted (5) … more to eat
or drink. He didn't get an answer. It clearly wasn't (6) … use asking
questions! One of the waiters had (7) … a good idea. He began
stacking chairs upside-down onto the tables. The others joined in.
Another waiter turned off the lights. In the end, the restaurant was (8)
… dim. The chairs were stacked on the tables round the couple who
just sat and sat and sat! The couple sat and sat and sat!

16. Add much, any, far or a lot and give alternatives where
possible. The first one is given as an example:
1. I'm not much/any good at 6. Those two recordings aren't …
math. different.
2. You're … quicker than me. 7. I don't … like people who show
3. This is … more expensive. off.
4. This is … the best way to 8. I … prefer swimming to
enjoy yourself. cycling.
5. I can't go … faster. 9. This machine isn't … use.
10. You're … thinner than when I
last saw you.

*17. Mark the 'viewpoints' (a-i) that are expressed in this text. The
first one is an example:

a. I am making a generalization f. I am sure

b. the reason for this was g. the important thing is that
c. I don’t want you to repeat this h. I’m being honest
d. I was pleased i. I’m expressing my opinion
e. as was to be expected

I (0) was agreeably surprised (d) to learn that I had passed my

history exam. Between ourselves, (1) ... I was expecting to fail. After
all, (2) ...
I hadn't done any work and, naturally, (3) ... I didn't think I deserved
to pass. So when the results came, I was expecting the worst. As a
general rule,
(4) ... you get what you deserve and this is certainly (5) ... true of
exams. Frankly, (6) ... I deserved to fail, but, I not only passed, I even
got very good marks. This only shows that luck can help; at any rate,
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(7) ... it helped in my case. In my view, (8) ... it just shows that
passing exams is not always a matter of hard work.

18. Mark the 'connecting ideas' (a-h) that are expressed in this
text:

a. I am introducing a list e. I am summarizing

b. I am making an addition f. I am making a second point
c. I am pointing to a contrast g. I am making a comparison
d. I am stating an alternative h. As stated by

According to (h) a lot of people I know, there are few things more
terrifying than having to speak in public. The only way to succeed is
to follow strict rules. First of all, (1) ... you should be well-prepared.
Second, (2) ... you should have a few jokes ready. As well as that,
(3) ... you should have rehearsed your speech, preferably in front of a
mirror. In comparison with (4) ... being hit by a bus, public speaking
isn't too bad, but it's bad enough. However, (5) ... you can make
things easier for yourself by being ready. Alternatively, (6) ... you can
do nothing and make a fool of yourself. To sum up, (7) ... success
depends entirely on you.

* 19. Write sentences to show how you interpret these statements.

The first sentence is given as an example:
1. Only I understood his lecture. I understood his lecture, but no one
else did.
2. I only listened to his lecture. … .
3. I understood his lecture only. … .
4. Set the table simply. … .
5. I just understood his lecture. … .
6. I understood just his lecture. … .
7. I understood his lecture – just! … .

20. a) Put in the text the adverbs listed below:

according to in brief
agreeably moreover
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 however ultimately

So high is the price of land in Tokyo, that its land area probably costs
as much as the whole of California. Never, in any place in the world,
has there been such a demand for space! (1) … a newspaper report,
this lack of space has led to 'capsule hotels'. The rooms are just
capsules, measuring
1 meter high, 76 cm wide and 2 meters deep. (2) … you will be (3) …
surprised to hear that they are equipped with phones, radio and TV.
(4) … they are less expensive than ordinary hotels. (5) … they
provide you with all you need for a comfortable night's sleep, even if
they don't give you an automatic wash and dry as well! (6) … some
people would argue, a small hole in the wall is preferable to a big hole
in your pocket! But don't ask for a room with a view!

a) Add these adverbs to this text.

actually probably apparently seriously

certainly still completely very
nervously uncontrollably of course unfortunately

‘You’ve seen the ghost?’ I asked. ‘(1) ... , I have a photograph. Want
to see it?’ This is absurd, I thought, but asked, ‘You took a photo of
the ghost?’
‘No, not me. It’s a photo of Lady Barnett from an old newspaper
report of her death. She’s wearing a long white gown, almost (2) ...
the same one she wears when she appears at night.’ He said all this (3)
... (4) ... as if it was solid evidence for the truth of his ghostly tale. ’She
was rich and, (5) ... for her, she was murdered for her money. It all
happened about ten years ago. The police thought it was her husband
who did it. He disappeared soon after. They found him later, locked in
a small basement room. His hair had turned (6) ... white and his eyes
were wide open. He was dead, (7) ... . He was clutching the key to Lady
Barnett’s safe deposit box in the bank. I think her ghost had (8) ...
found him and had scared him to death.’
‘Oh, my god! And she-she-she’s still here?’ I found myself stuttering (9)
... . ‘Oh, yes. I think she (10) ... walks through the house in search of

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his mistress. She only appears when there’s a woman in the house.
(11) ... her husband was in love with another woman and he just
wanted Lady Barnett’s money so he could run away with her.’ ‘What
happened to the mistress? I asked rather (12) ... , looking around the
dark room. ‘Nobody knows,’ he answered. ‘But if I was her, I would stay
far away from this house.’

*21. Use suitable adverbs in place of very. The first one is given as
an example:

1. The traffic is awfully slow 13. I was … bored by the play.

today. 14. I didn't think the film was
2. I'm … confused by the new … funny.
regulations. 15. I'm … sorry about this.
3. I … appreciate all you've done 16. What you did was …
for me. stupid.
4. We are … interested in your 17. Your staff have been …
proposal. helpful.
5. That radio talk wasn't … 18. You didn't wake me. I was
interesting. … asleep.
6. I was … awake all night. 19. It was … cold last night.
7. I was … hurt by her answer. 20. You think you're … clever.
8. Old Mr Brown is … boring! 21. A well is … needed in that
9. I'm … annoyed about this. village.
10. Your success has been … 22. This computer is … fast.
deserved. 23. She's still … young.
11. We were all … embarrassed! 24. We're … grateful to you.
12. Your friend works … slowly.

Overview

22. Use suitable words to complete this story:

There were too many people on the bus for comfort and passengers
were standing in the aisle. A young woman carrying a baby was (1)
… grateful when an old man offered her his seat. The baby was (2) …
asleep and she could now rest him on her lap. She thanked the old
man (3) … and was just going to sit down when a rude young man sat
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in the empty seat. Everyone was (4) … embarrassed, and the young
mother was (5) … surprised to say anything. All the passengers (6) …
disapproved of the man's action. They were (7) … angry with him,
but he paid no attention. (8) … later, the rude man wanted to get off
the bus and tried to push past the passengers. They all stood closely
together and wouldn't let him move. He was made to stay on the bus
till it reached its terminus, a punishment he (9) … deserved.

23. Write the most appropriate forms of adjectives and adverbs

from one set in each sentence.

bad/skilled/well fast/old/tall early/new/well-

behaved
beautiful/different/quick good/likely/long easy/short/well-
known

1. The ... you wait, the ... you are to miss the ... bargains in the sale.
2. Our ... son is ... than his dad, but our other two haven’t grown
as ... .
3. The ... group of students is ... than that other group who stayed here
... .
4. His ... book is ... and ... to read than all the others.
5. There are several ... ways to get to the ... beach on the other side of
the island, but the ... way is by boat.
6. I can’t play as ... as most of the others, but I’m not the ... player or
the ... of all those who want to participate.
24. Complete this first paragraph of an essay about ‘fast food’
with these adjectives and adverbs.

better puzzled as quick as more easily less beneficial

faster the best smaller more wasteful the most important

When did we decide that ‘more convenient’ is (1) ... way to choose
between two different things to eat? Why do people now want food
(2) ... possible, in containers that are (3) ... thrown away? How did
‘(4) ... is
(5) ... become our slogan? Don’t we see this is (6) ... and much (7) ...
than making our own food? Is it because we want food to have much
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(8) ... place in our lives? But isn’t food one of (9) ... things? Am I the
only one who is (10) ... by this?

25. Correct the mistakes in the text:

In one experiment, students were asked to look at photographs of

people and choose the good (best) words and phrases to describe
them. The students didn’t know that the researchers had chosen the
photographs to represent two groups. In Group A, they put the good-
looking of all people whose photographs were used. For Group B,
they chose people who (they decided) were no attractive as those in
Group A. According to the students, the people in Group A were
warm, kind, exciting and sensitive than those in Group B. Also,
Group A would find high-paid jobs, have successful marriages and
lead happy lives than Group B. The women in Group A were
considered to have appealing personalities and to be socially skilled
than the Group B women, but also to be vain, materialistic, snobbish
and likely to get divorced than them. Interestingly, the students
decided that Group A would be bad parents than Group B.

26. Complete each sentence in such way that it is as similar as

possible in meaning to the sentence above it:

1. We all thought they organized the event well and we were all excited
by it.
Everyone thought the event ..... .
2. You will get there quicker if you leave here earlier.
The earlier ..... .
3. Timothy is a good cook, but Markus is a better cook.
Timothy is not as good ..... .
4. Do you have any scarves? I’m looking for one that’s woollen,
green and fairly long.
I’m looking for a ..... .

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27. Choose the most appropriate word from each pair for each
space:

acute/acutely colour/coloured
far/further just/only
pleased/pleasing certain/certainly
early/earlier Japan/Japanese
now/yet young/youngest

One evening in the spring of 1936, when I was a boy of fourteen, my

father took me to a dance performance in Kyoto. I remember only two
things about it. The first is that he and I were the (1) ... Westerners in
the audience; we had come from our home in the Netherlands only a
few weeks (2) ... , so I had not (3) ... adjusted to the cultural isolation
and still felt it (4) ... . The second is how (5) ... I was, after months of
intensive study of the Japanese language, to find that I could now
understand fragments of the conversations I overheard. As for the
(6) ... (7) ... women dancing on the stage before me, I remember
nothing of them except a vague impression of brightly (8) ... kimono.
I (9) ... had no way of knowing that in a time and place as (10) ...
away as New York City nearly fifty years in the future, one among
them would become my good friend and would dictate her
extraordinary memoirs to me.

28. a) Look at the table comparing the Olympic Games which

were held in Sydney, Atlanta and Seoul. Decide if the statements
below are True or False:

Number of Sydney 2000 Atlanta 1996 Seoul 1988

athletes (total) 10,651 10,320 8,465
athletes (women) 4,069 3,523 2,186
athletes (men) 6,582 6,797 6,279
Events 300 271 237
American gold
40 44 36
medallists
Australian gold
16 9 3
medallists

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Korean gold medallists 8 7 12
Seats in Olympic
110,000 85,000 100,000
Stadium

1. Slightly more athletes took part in the Olympic Games in Sydney

than in Atlanta. ...
2. A far larger number of women than men took part in the Sydney
Olympics. ...
3. In Sydney, Atlanta and Seoul, the USA won by far the most gold
medals. ...
4. There were nearly as many Korean gold medallists in Atlanta as
there were in Seoul. ...
5. The USA won a lot more gold medals in Sydney than in Atlanta. ...
6. There were nearly as many Korean gold medallists in Atlanta as in
Sydney. ...
7. At the Seoul Olympics there were almost five times as many men
athletes as women athletes. ...

b) Mark the expressions in sentences 1-7 which express:

1. a big difference 2. a small difference.

c) Use the information in the table and the prompts below to

write more correct sentences comparing the three Olympic
Games. Choose one expression only from the words in brackets.

Example: large/number of athletes/take part/Sydney Olympics/Seoul

Olympics. (slightly/ much)
A much larger number of athletes took part in the Sydney
Olympics than in the Seoul Olympics.

1. number of women/take part/Seoul Olympics/small/Sydney

Olympics
(a lot/a bit)
2. Sydney/ organise/more/events/Atlanta (slightly/a lot)
3. Seoul/not organise/ many/events/ Sydney (quite/nearly)
4. Australian athletes/successful/Sydney Olympics/Seoul Olympics
(not nearly/far)

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5. Olympic Stadium/Atlanta/big/stadium/Sydney (a lot/not nearly)
6. Olympic Stadium/Sydney/big/stadium (easily/just about)

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