In the sentence, "Elsa's dress, too, was very old," what does very tell?

Words that tell when, where, how, how much or in what degree, are called adverbs.

Adverbs are used with certain other words, whose meanings are added to or modified by them.

Early tells when the children came to school, so it is said to modify came.

What part of speech is came?

What do here, there, and everywhere modify?

What part of speech is were piled?

What word do merrily and gleefully modify?

What part of speech is that word?

In the sentence, "Elsa's dress, too, was very old," what does very modify?

What part of speech is old?

"She tiptoed very softly up to Miss Merwin."

What does softly tell? What part of speech is it?
What does it modify?

What does very tell? What part of speech is it?
What does it modify?

How many parts of speech have we learned that adverbs modify?

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Copy all the adverbs in "Little Elsa's Gift," with the words they modify.

(2)

Classes of Adverbs

Adverbs that tell where are called adverbs of place. Adverbs that tell when are called adverbs of time.

Adverbs that tell how are called adverbs of manner. Adverbs that tell how much or in what degree are called adverbs of degree.

Find in "Little Elsa's Gift" an adverb of time, one of degree, one of place, one of manner.

(3)

Adverbs derived from Adjectives

The angler was an old fellow with clothes very much but very carefully patched, betokening poverty, honestly come by and decently maintained. — IRVING.

Name the adverbs in the above.
What does each modify?

What parts of speech do adverbs modify?

What parts of speech do adjectives modify?

Notice that three of these adverbs end in ly. If you cut off the ly, what part of speech do you have in each case?

Many adverbs are formed by adding ly to adjectives.

Write five adverbs ending in ly, and the adjectives from which they are derived.

XLI

COMPARISON OF ADVERBS

Adverbs are compared very much as adjectives are :

The greater number of adverbs have no inflection to show comparison, but use more and most. This is true of nearly all adverbs ending in ly; as:

slowly, more slowly, most slowly.

Find in your readers or elsewhere, and copy, five sentences using adverbs in the comparative degree; five using adverbs in the superlative degree.

Use in sentences the following adverbs in the comparative: well, lovely, often, quickly, little.

Use in sentences the following adverbs in the superlative: far, near, swiftly, fast.

XLII

CORRECT USE OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

(1)

A very common error is the use of adjectives for adverbs, as good for well, bad for badly.

Tell which is the proper word in each of the following sentences:

"He looks hungry." Hungry describes he and is an adjective.

"He looks hungrily at the feast." Hungrily tells the manner of his looking; it modifies the verb looks, and is an adverb.

In the following sentences select the correct word. Think whether it modifies the noun or the verb.

Use correctly in sentences, after a verb: strong, strongly, brave, bravely, earnest, earnestly, wise, wisely, sharp, sharply, real, really, sure, surely, good, well.

(2)

"William Smith always came to meetings late. So on his arrival the chairman invariably stopped all business and announced in solemn tone, 'The late Mr. Smith has arrived.""

What does late in the first sentence modify? What part of speech is it?

What does late in the last sentence modify? What part of speech is it?

Some words are used sometimes as adjectives and sometimes as adverbs.

The use of a word in the sentence the kind of idea it expresses determines what part of speech it is.

How can you tell whether a word like early is an adjective or an adverb?

Use correctly in sentences both as adjectives and as adverbs: early, well, ill, much, long.

Words that are adjectives or adverbs, according to their meaning, have, naturally, the same forms in comparison.

Compare early, long, much, little, well, ill, far, fast.

What parts of speech have we studied?

Copy from "A Fortune," p. 10, a sentence or sentences containing all the parts of speech.

Write a statement about each, telling the particular idea that it expresses as a part of speech; as, “man is a noun because it is a name.

These parts of speech that we have studied are all very important. If any of them were lacking, we could not express all our thoughts, at least without great difficulty.

In the first sentence of "A Fortune," which do you think the most important word?

If you had to do without some one of the parts of speech that you have studied, which one do you think you could best spare? Why? Discuss your reasons in class.