Practical tools for learning and teaching grammar

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Adverbs 
comparative 
Superlative
well 
better 
best
badly 
worse 
worst
much 
more 
most
little 
less 
least
As some of these words can also be adjectives, you may remind 
students to think about their function in a sentence.
For example:
This is the 
worst 
firewood we have had. [adjective qualifying the 
noun ‘firewood’]
It burns 
worst 
in wet weather. [adverb modifying the verb ‘burns’]
For adverbs modifying other parts of speech, see page 130.
5.1 Activities: kinds of adverbs
1. Some favourite activities involve acting. Suggest an action, such 
as lifting a heavy weight or chopping down a tree. Then name an 
adverb of manner. The students do the action in the manner given.
2. ‘In the manner of the word’ is another favourite. One student 
decides on an act they will perform, such as frying an egg, flying an 
aeroplane, or being a police-officer recording details at the scene of 
a crime. (Speaking is permitted for this game.)
The other students in turn name an adjective of manner such as 
‘happily’. The first student performs their act in the manner of that 
word. The others try to guess what the student is doing. 
It is difficult to forget what adverbs are after performing some of 
these activities.
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AdVerbs

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3. Students have a list of verbs to which they add (or match) suitable 
adverbs, for example:
dance (beautifully, clumsily)
eat (greedily, daintily)
get married (tomorrow, here)
Encourage students to be adventurous in their choice.
a. singing
f. swallow
b. swim 
g. laughed
c. cook
h. shouted
d. read 
i. will go
e. drove
j. fell sick
4. Students are provided with a short passage to which they add 
appropriate adverbs. Passages can be chosen at the students’ level, 
for example young students might have a selection from 
Thomas 
the Tank Engine
or 
Harry Potter
while older ones might have theirs 
from 
Raiders of the Lost Ark
or 
Wuthering Heights
.
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GrAMMAr for eVerYone
My sister dances beautifully.

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