Comparison of Adverbs
Like adjectives, we can also make
comparisons with adverbs. The comparative form of adverb shows differences and
similarities between two things (actions
or states). The adverbs
in the superlative form are used to talk about extremes. The positive degree of
adverb does not make any comparison. When we want to show that two things or
people are similar in some way, we use as + adverb + as
- He stayed here as long as his brother.
- She cannot run as fast as I can.
- I will be left as soon as they arrive.
- Does he still run as slowly as he used to?
- He didn’t go as quickly as his brother.
Examples of Comparative Adverbs
- She learns faster than I.
- My bike runs slower/ more slowly than hers.
- I can write better than he thinks.
- Try to place the glasses more carefully.
- He answered more abruptly.
- Griffon vultures flew much higher than most birds.
- She always hit the ball more powerfully than other players.
Examples of Superlative Adverbs
- She is the fastest learner in the class.
- She walks most quietly.
- They accepted our offer most appreciatively.
- Ahmad ran fastest in the competition.
- She ate the dinner most greedily.
- Of all the students in our class, Hakeem speaks English the most fluently.
- Who studied the hardest?
It is important to note that only Adverbs
of Time, Degree, and Manner admit of comparison. There are
many adverbs that we cannot make any comparison with them. For example, where,
here, there, now, then, etc.
Rules of Forming Comparatives and Superlatives Adverbs.
To form the comparative and
superlative degree of adverbs, we can categorize the adverbs in three ways.
- One or two-syllable adverbs
- Adverbs ending in -ly
- Irregular Adverbs
Rule 1: One or two-syllable
adverbs form their comparative when “-er” is added to the
positive degree and form superlative by adding -est.
| Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Hard | Harder | Hardest |
| Fast | Faster | Fastest |
| Long | Longer | Longest |
| High | Higher | Highest |
| Low | Lower | Lowest |
Adverbs already end in e
take “-r” and -st in comparative and superlative form,
respectively.
| Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Quite | Quitter | Quittest |
| Late | Later | Latest |
Rule 2: Adverbs end in “-ly”
Adverbs ending in -ly take more
or less in comparative and most or least in the superlative
degree.
| Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Accurately | More/less Accurately | Most/least Accurately |
| Happily | More/less Happily | Most/least Happily |
| Beautifully | More Beautifully | Most Beautifully |
| Easily | More Easily | Most Easily |
| Quickly | More Quickly | Most Quickly |
| Certainly | More Certainly | Most Certainly |
| Joyfully | More Joyfully | Most Joyfully |
Examples
- She eats more quickly than me.
- I write less quickly than her sister.
- I see him most frequently on Monday.
- The vehicles run least frequently on Friday.
Rule 3: Irregular Adverbs
A few adverbs have irregular
comparative and superlative forms.
| Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Badly | Worse | Worst |
| Well | Better | Best |
| Much | More | Most |
| Little | Less | Least |
| Near | Nearer | Nearest |
| Certainly | More Certainly | Most Certainly |
| Joyfully | More Joyfully | Most Joyfully |
Examples
- She talked little about her friends.
- She
performed badly in the competition.
- She did worse in the second competition.
- The public voted him the region’s worst performed teacher.
- David plays well.
- Arjun plays better than David.
- Ahmad plays best of all.
- Does she work much?
- I study more than others do.
- She watches movies most of the other roommates.
Adverbs with two Forms
The following adverbs have two forms
to a positive degree. In these cases, they also have two forms in comparative
and superlative form.
| Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|
| Loud or Loudly | Louder or More Loudly | Loudest or Most Loudly |
| Quick or Quickly | Quicker or More Quickly | Quickest or Most Quickly |
| Slow or Slowly | Slower or More Slowly | Slowest or Most Slowly |
| Cheap or Cheaply | Cheaper or More Cheaply | Cheapest or Most Cheaply |
Examples
- He ran quickest (most quickly)
- The dog bark loud (loudly)
- The dog barked louder (more loudly) than the other.
- We got some books cheap (cheaply) in the sale.
Gradable Adverbs
The comparison is only made with
gradable adverbs. The adverbs used with gradable adjectives are called gradable
adverbs. Gradable adverbs used with adjectives make their meaning stronger or
weaker.
He is a very/extremely/remarkably
strong man in this village.
He is a quiet/slightly
strong man in this village.
He is not a very
strong man in this village.
These sentences show that the
intensity of something can be a bit or a lot.
Non-gradable Adverbs
Adverbs that qualifying non-gradable
adjectives are called no-gradable adverbs. Adjectives that cannot usually be
modified are non-gradable adjectives.
He’s completely mad.
Our shoes are entirely
identical.
His answer was perfectly
correct.
It’s practically impossible.
Commonly used
non-gradable adverbs are
Completely
Wholly
Perfectly
Absolutely
Totally
Thoroughly
Almost
Mostly
Virtually
Mainly
Essentially
Practically