Adverbs in english language common errors in using adverbs, some suggested solutions

Hanoi pedagogical university n0 2 Foreign languages faculty Nguyen Xuan Hieu Adverbs IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE - Common errors In using ADVERBS, SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Submitted in partia

Hanoi pedagogical university n0 2

Foreign languages faculty

Nguyen Xuan Hieu

Adverbs IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE - Common errors

In using ADVERBS, SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements of the degree

Of Bachelor of Arts in English

Hanoi, May 2010

Chapter ONE INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

The adverb in English is a key linguistic element Almost all sentences contain adverbs Normally, each sentence contains at least one adverb, which adds information about place, time, manner, cause or degree to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverb

The adverb is divided into many kinds (adverbs of manner, adverbs of place, adverbs

of time, adverbs of frequency, etc.) Moreover, each kind has complicated uses So, it causes many difficulties to students of English

2 objectives of the Research

The study is aimed at achieving the following two goals:

 To show the kinds and the uses of the adverb in the sentence

 To find common errors which students usually make in using adverbs and then

3 Scope of the Research

The main object of the research is the adverb Factually, the research focuses on the kinds and the uses of the adverbs in the sentence

The population involved in the study is 50 high school students in Vinh Phuc Province They are the students of the eleventh form in Xuanhoa High School Their level of English is quite various because English is not their major subject Nevertheless, the expected level among the students in this grade is intermediate The research intended to serve the teaching practices and learning practices at high school

4 Tasks of the Research

The research work involves fulfilling a number of tasks:

 To study the kinds, functions, positions of the adverb in contexts to see that how it operates in English

 To find all kinds and possible uses of the adverb in terms of grammar and pragmatics

 To find common errors that students usually make in using adverbs The causes for the errors will also be paid attention to, and then some suggested solutions to minimize errors will be given

5 method of the Research

The aim is to find all possible uses of the adverb and common errors of students in

using adverbs; therefore, the main research method is survey questionnaire All local

as well as foreign relevant documents are critically reviewed and referred to The results are commented on and carefully classified The errors are analyzed with the assistance of examination, description and interpretation

6 Significance of the research

The research studies the uses of the kinds of adverbs in terms of grammar, meaning and pragmatics It also shows common errors the students always make as well as the reasons for these mistakes Based on the causes discovered, solutions to minimize the number of errors are given as well as suggestions to help students use adverbs correctly and effectively are also made Therefore, naturally the research has some significance to students, teachers as well as anyone interested

On the part of students, they can refer to the study in order to improve and enrich their

knowledge of the adverb such as the kinds, functions, positions of the adverbs and so

on Moreover, they can themselves avoid some errors by applying some suggestions mentioned in the thesis As a result, the adverb may be used correctly and effectively

On the part of teachers, with the help of the research, by considering the common

errors and causes, they can have own ways to help students to avoid making mistakes

in using adverbs

For these reasons above, this research is useful for everyone who is interested in the adverb

7 overview of the research

The thesis consists of four main chapters:

Chapter one, Introduction, introduces reasons for choosing the topic, objectives,

scope, tasks and significance of the study, the research method as well as an overview

of the thesis

Chapter two, Theoretical Background, has a background in theory on the adverb and

the previous studies in this field

Chapter three, Methodology and Result, presents the research method and the result

of the survey questionnaire

Chapter four, Findings, gives common errors, causes and suggested solutions

Besides, there is the last part Conclusion to summarize the key points of the research

CHAPTER two Theoretical background

1 Literature review in brief

In English language, adverb is considered equally as other elements, such as verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc Therefore, adverb has never been ignored by course books or syllabus writers or teachers Actually, English adverb has been paid much attention and described by such a lot of grammarians like Walker & Elsworth (1988), Alexander, L (1988), Laurie Rozakis (2003), Haln & Hensley (2000), and so on Generally, English adverb is studied concerning to three perspectives: theoretical, practical, and functional, and the most detailed pictures of English adverb are offered

by Alexander, L (1988), Eastwood, J (1992), Quirk (1973) & Greenbaum (1985)

Alexander, L (1988) presents the detailed picture of English adverb theoretically while the practical school is presented by Eastwood, J (1992), and the last school, the functional grammar of English adverb is offered by Quirk (1973) & Greenbaum (1985)

Furthermore, regarding to adverb in English, many other grammarians also have given their own opinions about the grammatical features, functions and so on Their contributions make the picture of English adverb more comprehensively

1.1 What is an adverb?

There are many definitions of an adverb which are listed as follows:

According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2009), an adverb is a

word that adds to the meaning of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a whole sentence

In Grammar Practice for Intermediate Students, Walker & Elsworth (1988, p 105)

define that “An adverb describes how, where or when an action is done.”

Meanwhile, in Longman English Grammar, Alexander, L (1988, p 122) gives a

special definition of adverbs He defines that “The word adverb (ad-verb) suggests the idea of adding to the meaning of a verb This is what many adverbs do They can tell

us something about the action in a sentence by modifying a verb, i.e by telling us how, when, where, etc something happens or is done.”

Adverbs, as stated by Laurie Rozakis (2003, p 27) in English Grammar for the Utterly Confused, are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs Adverbs

answer the questions: when? where? how? or to what extent?

In the book Teach Yourself Grammar and Style, Haln & Hensley (2000, p 123)

define that “An adverb is a word or a group of words that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or an entire clause or sentence.”

On the whole, from their point of view, it can be seen that adverbs are a part of speech that modifies verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences or other adverbs Adverbs typically

answer questions such as how? when?, where?, and to what extent?, for example:

How? They are going very slowly

When? We met her last night

Where? I saw them at the end of the street

Adverbs can be single words (e.g slowly) or phrases (e.g at the end of the street) and the term adverbial is often used to describe both types For instances:

Can you speak slowly?

Her house is at the end of the street

Adverbs are not always essential to the structure of a sentence, but they often affect the meaning of the sentence Compare the following examples:

Doris has left Doris has just left

I have finished work I have nearly finished work

Sometimes adverbs are necessary to complete a sentence:

1 After some intransitive verbs such as lie, live, sit, etc

For examples:

She was sleeping peacefully

Ben laughed loudly

2 After some transitive verbs (e.g lay, destroy, sing) followed by an object, for

instance:

The fire destroyed the school completely

He was singing to himself quietly

Adverbs have many kinds such as: adverbs of manner, adverbs of time, adverbs of place, adverbs of frequency, sentence adverbs, etc Each kind has different uses from

- Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to adjectives: e.g mad /madly, sudden/ suddenly This applies to adjectives ending in -l so that the -l is doubled: beautiful/ beautifully, musical/ musically But not: full /fully

- -y after a consonant becomes -ily: e.g busy/ busily, funny / funnily In some other cases, -y is kept in the adverb, e.g spry/ spryly, wry/ wryly Sometimes two formations are possible: e.g dry / drily/ dryly, sly/ slily/ slyly But in sly/ slyly, -yly is the acceptable form

For examples:

Rachel is busy studying for her exam

Students were busily writing notes

The weather was hot and dry

“I hear you are a hero,” Phillip said dryly / drily

He leaned forward with a sly smile

He glanced at her slyly / slily

- Delete -e and add -(l)y if an adjective end in -le: e.g able/ ably, possible/ possibly, whole/ wholly Others adjectives ending in -e retain the -e when adding -ly: extreme/ extremely, tame/ tamely Exceptions: due/ duly, true/ truly

For instances:

She was ably assisted by her team of researcher

Earthquakes are extremely difficult to predict

His work is truly original

- Adjectives ending in -ic take -ally: e.g systematic/ systematically, basic/ basically Common exception: public/ publicly

However, there are some exceptions:

( 1 )

( 2 )

( 3 )

1 Some adverbs are unrelated to other words, for example: always, already, soon, very, perhaps, etc

2 Some adverbs have exactly the same form as their corresponding adjectives, such

as: fast/ fast, late/ late, low/ low, hard/ hard, near/ near, etc

For examples:

Nam is a fast runner in our class Slow down - You are driving too fast Sorry I‟m late - I over slept Ellen has to work late tonight

3 There are a few words ending in - ly which are adjectives and not adverbs, for

examples: brotherly, deadly, friendly, heavenly, lovely, lively, etc

4 The adverb of good is well, for instance:

The train service is not good Did you sleep well?

She is a very good player All the team played very well today

5 Some adverbs have two forms and normally the two forms have different

meanings, for examples:

hard & hardly:

We‟ve all worked hard (diligently)

I‟ve got hardly any money (almost no)

late & lately:

I often stay up late (opposite of early)

I‟ve been unwell lately (recently)

6 A few adverbs have the prefix a-:

7 A few adverbs have the suffix - ward or - wards, for instances:

Go afterwards / northward / backwards/ westward

8 A few adverbs have the same form as prepositions, for examples:

Prepositions Adverbs

down the stairs He went down

in the box He went in

under the sea He went under

1.3 Functions of adverbs

In A University Grammar of English and A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, Quirk (1973, p 25) and Greenbaum (1985, p 445) showed that there are

two types of syntactic functions that characterize adverbs, but an adverb needs to have

one of these: adverbs as adverbial and adverbs as modifier

1.3.1 Adverbs as adverbial

An adverb may function as anadverbial, an element distinct from a subject, a verb, an object, and a complement As such it is usually an optional element and hence peripheral to the structure of the clause, for examples:

Perhaps my suggestion will be accepted

John always loses his pencils

I spoke to her outside

Adverbs can function as adjuncts, disjuncts and conjuncts that are three classes of adverbials

Adjuncts are integrated within the structure of the clause to at least some extent, for instances:

They are waiting outside

I can now understand it

He spoke to me about it briefly

Disjuncts and conjuncts, on the other hand, are not integrated within the clause Semantically, disjuncts express an evaluation of what being said either with respect to the form of the communication or to its content, for examples:

Frankly, I am tired

Fortunately, no one complained

They are probably at home

Semantically, conjuncts have connective function They indicate the connection between what being said and what was said before, for instances:

We have before complained several times about the noise, and yet he does

nothing about it

Two heart attacks in a year It hasn‟t stopped him smoking, though

1.3.2 Adverbs as modifier

1.3.2.1 Modifier of adjective

An adverb may modify an adjective:

That was a very funny film

It is extremely good for you

She has a really beautiful face

In this function, the adverb generally pre-modifies, except that enough can only modify, as in: good enough, high enough, etc

post-1.3.2.2 Modifier of adverb

They are smoking very heavily

He spoke extremely quickly

As with adjectives, the only post-modifiers are enough and indeed, for example:

He spoke clearly enough (= sufficiently clearly)

Indeed usually goes with very:

She spoke very clearly indeed

She spoke clearly indeed

1.3.2.3 Modifier of particle, prepositional adverb, and preposition

A few intensifying adverbs, particularly right and well, can pre-modify particles in

phrasal verbs, as well as prepositions, or prepositional phrases, for instances:

He knocked the man right out

They left her well behind

The nail went right through the wall

1.3.2.4 Modifier of pronoun, pre-determiner, and numeral

Intensifying adverbs can pre-modify:

- Indefinite pronouns:

Nearly everybody came to our party

- Pre-determiners:

He received about double the amount he expected

Virtually, all the students participated in the discussion

- Cardinal numerals:

Over / Under two hundred deaths were reported

I paid more / less than ten pounds for it

1.3.2.5 Modifier of noun phrase

A few intensifiers may pre-modify noun phrases and precede the determiner in doing

so The most common of these among adverbs are quite and rather

We had quite a party

It was rather a mess

1.4 Positions of adverbs

Adverbs don‟t like to stay one place They‟re transient little critters that can move to any where they like in a sentence Most people who have read and spoken English for

a long time are familiar with words that end in -ly and often immediately follow a

verb, for example:

Kerry listened impatiently

It‟s easy to find the adverb in this example “impatiently” tells us the manner in which Kerry “listened.” Adverbs can show up in other locations within sentence, too

Some examples are:

- Before the sentence itself:

Luckily, Diana passed the exam

- As a phrase at the end of a sentence:

Did you have a nice time in New York?

- Before the verb:

We politely asked permission

Although adverbs can be positioned almost anywhere within a sentence, keep in mind that their position can and does change their meaning For examples:

Only I love you (No one else loves you)

I only love you (Not get married)

I love only you (Not love any one else)

In general, there are three places in the sentences where an adverb can go They are called front position (at the beginning of a sentence), mid position and end position (at the end of a sentence)

FRONT MID END

Then the ship slowly sailed away

Outside it was obviously raining hard

1.4.1 Mid position

Mid position means close to the verb Here are some examples of adverbs in mid position

AUXILIARY ADVERB AUXILIARY MAIN VERB

The visitors are just leaving (1) Andrew has always liked Jessica (2) You should never take unnecessary risks (3)

The pictures have definitely been stolen (4)

We often go out in the evening (5)

I really hate housework (6)

You probably left the bag on the bus (7)

The adverb comes after the first auxiliary, e.g are, has, don‟t in the 1, 2, 3, 4

examples above

If there is no auxiliary, then adverb comes before the main verb, e.g go, hate, left (example 5, 6, 7 above)

Note the word order in questions

Has Andrew always liked Jessica?

Do you often go out in the evening?

When there is stress on the main verb be or on the auxiliary, then the adverb usually

comes before it

You certainly are a lot better today

I really have made a mess, haven‟t I?

1.4.2 Front position

Front position is at the beginning of a clause Most types of adverbs can go here, for examples:

I worked until five o‟clock Then I went home

Next, I want to say something about the future

Suddenly the door opened

We often put an adverb in front position when it relates to what has gone before, for instance:

You are getting impatient And then you decided to overtake

1.4.3 End position

In end position, the adverb is placed after the verb – either immediately after it or later

in the clause For examples:

They played quietly all day

He tried to leave quietly

He sat in the corner quietly

There can be more than one adverb or adverbial phrase in end position Usually a single-word adverb comes before a phase, for instances:

I always eat here at lunch-time

They lived safely in a small town

When there is a close link in meaning between a verb and an adverb, then that adverb

goes next to the verb For example: with verbs of movement like go, come and move,

a phrase of place comes before time

I usually go to bed early

Tom came here yesterday

My parents moved to London in 1993

But often two adverbial phrases can go in either order

The concert was held at the arts centre last night

The concert was held last night at the arts centre

adverb comparative superlative

- same form as adjective fast faster fastest

- -ly adverbs of manner easily more easily most easily

- some adverbs of frequency rarely more rarely most rarely

- exceptions badly worse worst

far farther farthest

further furthest late later last little less least much more most well better best

Notes on the comparison of adverbs:

Many adverbs like early, fast, etc form their comparatives and superlatives in the same way as short adjectives, for example: earlier, earliest

As most adverbs of manner have two or more syllables, they form their comparatives

and superlatives with more and most, for instance:

more clearly/ briefly/ quickly

most clearly/ briefly/ quickly

2 Kinds of adverbs

2.1 Adverbs of manner

An adverb of manner tells us how something happens or is done, for examples:

The machine has to be operated manually

The job was done professionally

Do not rush Do it slowly and steadily

An adverb of manner modifies a verb It can also modify an adjective

She speaks Russian fluently

The fishing industry is very important to the area

Most adverbs of manner are formed an adjective + ly For instance: quick – quickly, fluent – fluently, etc There are also adverbs without -ly

For examples:

Louise caught the fast train The train was going quite fast

We didn‟t have a long wait We didn‟t have to wait long

I had an early night I went to bed early

We can often use a prepositional phrase to express manner Some examples are:

Handle carefully/ with care

They inspected the car officiously/ in an officious manner

Adverbs of manner usually goes in end position but an adverb which ends in –ly can

sometimes go in mid position if the adverb is not the main focus of the message

When: today, yesterday, later, now, last year …

For how long: all day, not long, for a while, since last year…

"When” adverbs are usually placed at the end of the sentence:

Mary went to our house yesterday

I'm going to tidy my room tomorrow

This is a “neutral” position, but some "when” adverbs can be put in other positions to

give a different emphasis

In comparison with:

Later Ann ate some porridge (the time is more important)

Ann later ate some porridge (this is more formal, like a policeman's report) Ann ate some porridge later (this is neutral, no particular emphasis)

“For how long” adverbs are usually placed at the end of the sentence, for examples:

She stayed in the Bears' house all day

My mother lived in France for a year

Notice: “for” is always followed by an expression of duration:

for three days

for a week

for several years

for two centuries

“since” is always followed by an expression of a point in time:

since Monday

since 1997

since the last war

More than one adverb of time at the end of a sentence can be used with the following order:

(1): how long

(2): when

For examples:

I study (1) for thirteen hours (2) every day

She worked in a hospital (1) for two days (2) last year

2.3 Adverbs of place

The idea of place covers location and direction, so adverbs of place tell us where or in

what direction an action occurs or occurred

- Location: Larry is in Jamaica

- Direction: Larry flew to Jamaica

A distinction can be drawn between location and direction:

- Location adverbials answer the question Where? and go with „position verbs‟ such

as be, live, stay, work They can begin a sentence, for example:

In Jamaica, Larry stayed at the Grand Hotel

- Direction adverbials answer the questions Where to? and Where from? They often

go with „movement verbs‟ like go and can not usually begin a sentence

Larry went by plane to Jamaica

Adverbs of direction (movement) come before adverbs of location:

The children are running around upstairs

Adverbs of place can be:

- words: abroad, ahead, anywhere/ everywhere, here/ there, upstairs/ downstairs, left/right, north/south

- two words combining to emphasize place: down below, down/up there, far ahead, far away

Adverbs of place can also function as prepositions, for instance: above, behind, below Prepositional phrases often function as adverbials of place: at my school, from New York, in hospital, on the left

Adverbs and adverbial phrases of place often go in end position, for instances:

Did you have a nice time in New York?

The children are playing upstairs

Come and sit here

Don‟t throw orange peel out of the window

She‟s sitting at the end of the garden

Front position is also possible, especially in literary writing if the adverb is not the main focus of the message

At the end of the garden there was a very tall tree

Indoors it was nice and warm Outside it was snowing heavily

Adverbs of place are sometimes placed in mid position to modify a noun

The radiator in the hall is leaking

People at the party were her classmates

When there is more than one kind of adverb in a sentence, the usual position of adverbs of place is after manner, but before time

Manner Place Time

Barbara read quietly in the library all afternoon

These adverbs are divided into two categories: definite frequency and indefinite

frequency Both kinds of adverbs answer: How often?

Definite frequency includes words and phrases such as:

- once, twice, three/ several times ( a day/ week/month/year, etc.)

- hourly/ daily/ weekly/ monthly/ yearly/ annually

- every + day/week/month/year/morning/afternoon/evening/night, etc

- on + Mondays, Fridays, weekdays, etc

For instances:

We meet for lunch once a week

The instruction was given twice

She takes the boat to the mainland every day

I pay my subscription annually

These adverbials usually come at the end of a sentence:

Paul has been married several times

My family goes to the cinema three times a month

We go to the church on Sundays

Some of frequency adverbs can also begin a sentence, just like adverbs of time This may be necessary to avoid ambiguity For examples:

Once a month we visit our daughter who‟s at Oxford University

avoids the ambiguity of:

We visit our daughter who‟s at Oxford University once a month

The -ly frequency adverbs (hourly, daily, etc.) are not normally used to begin a

sentence

The bus doesn‟t usually stop here

I can never open these packets

I always do it this way

We normally drink coffee

In this country, the weather is seldom hot

Other adverbials that suggest indefinite frequency are: again and again, at times, every so often, (every) now and again, from time to time, now and then, and ordinary -

ly adverbs such as constantly, continually, continuously, repeatedly

The normal position of most adverbs of indefinite frequency is in mid position:

- after be when it is the only verb in a sentence

I was never good at maths

- after the first auxiliary verb when there is more than one verb

You can always contact me on 032 5676

- before the main verb when there is only one verb

She often goes by herself

I never get up before nine o'clock

They can also go in end position or front position for emphasis, for instance:

I get paid on Fridays usually

Do you come here often? I don‟t come here often

I‟ll love you always

Sometimes we get a lot of rain in August

Very often the phone rings when I‟m in the bath

2.5 Adverbs of degree

Degree adverbs can be used before adjectives, verbs or other adverbs to give information about the extent or level of something, for instances:

They are extremely happy

I really hate coffee

He almost always arrived late

Some more common adverbs of degree:

Full degree: completely, totally, absolutely, entirely, quite

Large degree: very, extremely, really, awfully, terribly

Medium degree: rather, fairly, quite, pretty, somewhat

Small degree: a little, a bit, slightly

Negative: hardly, scarcely, at all

Others: so, as, too, more, most, less, least

Fractions and percentages can also be used as adverbs to show degree

For examples:

Business is so bad that the department stores are half empty

We have a 60% chance of winning the next election

Adverbs of degree are usually placed:

- before the adjective or adverb they are modifying:

Rita looked rather upset The time passed quite quickly

The water was extremely cold We go on holiday fairly soon

This dress is absolutely marvelous Real Madrid played extremely well

- before the main verb The usually go in mid position, for examples:

He was just leaving

I rather like this cake

Some adverbs of degree go at the end of the sentence when they describe a verb:

Mark travels a lot

I‟ll open the window a little

Some others can go in mid position or at the end, such as absolutely, completely, totally:

We completely lost our way / We lost our way completely

I‟m afraid I totally disagree / I‟m afraid I disagree totally

Degree adverbs are sometimes used in font position for emphasis, for instances:

Totally/ Completely I agree with you

Really I think I can help you

An adverb of degree also goes before nouns and means „as much as is necessary‟ In

this case it is not an adverb, but a “determiner”

For examples:

We have enough bread

They don‟t have enough food

An adverb of sentence is a word that modifies a sentence as a whole or a clause within

a sentence

Consider the following example:

Honestly, it doesn't matter

In this sentence the adverb honestly modifies the whole sentence, and it expresses the speaker's opinion about what is being said (When I say it doesn't matter, I am speaking honestly)

Here are some more examples:

Clearly, he has no excuse for such behavior

Frankly, I don't care about your problems

Unfortunately, you were out when we called

Thankfully, he didn‟t discover my mistake

Common sentence adverbs include actually, apparently, basically, briefly, certainly, clearly, conceivably, confidentially, curiously, evidently, fortunately, hopefully, however, ideally, incidentally, indeed, interestingly, ironically, naturally, predictably, presumably, regrettably, seriously, strangely, surprisingly, thankfully, theoretically, therefore, truthfully, ultimately, and wisely

Some sentence adverbs can be used to link a sentence with a preceding one:

This is a cheap and simple process However, there are dangers

Other sentence adverbs of this type are accordingly, consequently, hence, moreover, similarly, and therefore For instances:

Some of the laws were contradictory Accordingly, measurements were taken

The source of the information is irrelevant Moreover, the information need

not be confidential

The normal position of most adverbs of sentence is in front position They are placed

at the beginning of a sentence or a clause They can sometimes go in mid position for emphasis or in end position For instance:

Actually, on second thoughts, I don‟t think I want to go out tonight

I‟ve known Barbara for years Since we were babies, actually

What time are you actually leaving?

2.7 Other types of adverbs

2.7.1 Adverbs of certainty

Adverbs of certainty (also called Truth Adverbs) express how certain or sure the

speaker feels about an action or event For examples: certainly, definitely, probably, undoubtedly, clearly, obviously, surely, etc

He probably thinks you don‟t like him

It will certainly rain this evening

I definitely feel better today

There is clearly something wrong

The train has obviously been delayed

Adverbs of certainty usually go in mid position They are placed after the auxiliary verb and before the main verb When there are two auxiliaries, the adverb of certainty goes after the first

He is probably in the park

He has certainly forgotten the meeting

He definitely left the house this morning

Sometimes adverbs of certainty can be placed at the beginning of the sentence:

Undoubtedly, public interest in folk music has declined

Maybe you are right

Perhaps her train was late

Be careful with surely When it is placed at the beginning of the sentence, it means the

speaker thinks something is true, but is looking for confirmation

In comparison with:

There must surely be some explanation

Surely you've got a bicycle?

2.7.2 Adverbs of viewpoint

Adverbs of express the speaker's viewpoint or opinion about an action, such as:

honestly, seriously, confidentially, personally, surprisingly, ideally, economically, officially, obviously, clearly, surely, undoubtedly

For examples:

Frankly, I think he is a liar

Theoretically, you should pay a fine

Surprisingly, this car is cheaper than the smaller model

Geographically, Britain is rather cut off from the rest of Europe

These adverbs are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence and are separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma However, they can be placed in other positions:

Ideally, your car should have high-security locks

Fruit and vegetables should ideally be organically grown

Personally, I don‟t think much of the idea

I personally think it‟s too cold to go out

A viewpoint adverb can also be used to modify an adjective, for instances:

The US is one of the economically powerful countries

The exam was surprisingly example

2.7.3 Adverbs of comment

This kind of adverb is used to make a comment on the action

For examples:

Luckily no one was killed (= It was lucky that no one was killed.)

She is certainly the best person for the job

You obviously enjoyed your meal

Some common adverbs of comment are: definitely, certainly, obviously, simply

Commenting adverbs are very similar to viewpoint adverbs, and often the same

words, but they go in a different position - after the verb to be and before the main

verb

For instances:

Obviously, this is going to take some time (Viewpoint adverb)

Cost is obviously important (Commenting adverb)

We‟re obviously going to need more help (Commenting adverb)

Your research has obviously been very thorough (Commenting adverb)