Adverbs are words that describe verbs or adjectives, and adverbs of
manner tell us how or in what way an
action was done. Here are some examples of adverbs of manner:
1.
He quickly drank
the water.
2.
I laughed nervously.
3.
She read
the letter carefully.
Where should we put an adverb of manner in the
sentence?
Adverbs of manner are typically located:
1.
Immediately
before the main verb
He quickly drank the water.
He quickly drank the water.
2.
Immediately
after the main verb
I laughed nervously.
I laughed nervously.
3.
If the main
verb has an object, then put the adverb of manner either after the object or
before the main verb
She read the letter carefully.
She carefully read the letter.
She read carefully the letter.
She read the letter carefully.
She carefully read the letter.
Adverbs of manner can help make your sentences
more interesting, because they add more detail to the situation. Here are 20
interesting adverbs of manner, along with example sentences for each. Try to
create your own example, too!
Anxiously
The adverb “anxiously” can mean in a
worried/nervous way or in an impatient way, wanting something
to happen.
§
The mother
watched anxiously as her child crossed the street alone.
= in a worried way
= in a worried way
§
Everyone’s
waiting anxiously for the concert tickets to go on sale.
= impatiently; waiting for something to happen
= impatiently; waiting for something to happen
Awkwardly
The adverb “awkwardly” means in a way
that is NOT graceful or elegant. This can refer to physical movements
that are not elegant, or to social behavior that is not elegant.
§
She
apologized awkwardly after she realized she’d made an
offensive comment.
= social behavior that is not done in an elegant way
= social behavior that is not done in an elegant way
§ The four of us awkwardly lifted the sofa onto the moving
truck.
= physical movement that is not done in a comfortable/elegant way
= physical movement that is not done in a comfortable/elegant way
Calmly
If you do something “calmly,” it means you
do it in a way that is relaxed and not agitated. If you are calm, then your
emotions/actions are at peace.
§ He calmly explained his point of view.
§ The cat walked calmly along the fence.
Cautiously
The adverb “cautiously” means to do something
carefully, in a reserved way, to avoid danger or something bad happening.
§ The rock climber cautiously adjusted his safety equipment.
§ It’s best to drive cautiously when the roads are icy.
Deliberately
If you do something “deliberately,” it means you
do it intentionally, on purpose – it was not an accident.
§ The police think the fire was started deliberately.
§ You deliberately ignored me when I asked you
for help!
Eagerly
If you do something “eagerly,” it means you are
excited about it; you do it with a lot of energy because you want something to
happen.
§ The kids eagerly tore the wrapping paper off their
Christmas presents.
§ I eagerly accepted the job offer.
Faithfully
The adverb “faithfully” means that something is
reliable; you can trust it and depend on it.
§ She has worked for this company faithfully for ten years.
§ This church has faithfully maintained its traditions.
Foolishly
The adverb “foolishly” describes an action that
was stupid; it was not a good idea and the person didn’t think about the
consequences before doing the action.
§ They foolishly spent all the money they
inherited and didn’t save any for the future.
§ I foolishly committed to the project without knowing
whether or not I’d have time for it.
Frantically
If you do something “frantically,” it means
you take a lot of quick action because you are very nervous or in a rush.
§ I frantically took notes as the professor explained what
would be on the test.
§ The parents were searching frantically for their child who
was lost in the park.
Gently
If you do something “gently,” it means you do it
with soft, delicate, careful movements so as not to hurt or damage something.
Or it can also mean you do it with kindness so as not to hurt someone’s
feelings.
§ She gently patted the baby on the back.
§ The boss gently explained that I needed to do better work.
Hastily
The adverb “hastily” is another way to say
“quickly / fast.” It’s also possible for “hastily” to have the connotation of
being too fast, without taking the time to do things properly.
§ I hastily packed my suitcase because I was already late
for my flight.
§ The ambulance arrived hastily at the scene of the
accident.
Irritably
If you look at someone or say something
“irritably,” it means you are demonstrating your annoyance or slight anger
in your eyes or tone of voice.
§ He watched irritably as the mechanic fixed his car for the
third time this month.
§ “You always forget my birthday,” she said irritably.
Painfully
The adverb “painfully” means that something
causes pain (it makes part of your body hurt physically) or causes an
unpleasant or uncomfortable feeling.
§
I painfully stretched
my legs after sitting in the same position for an eight-hour flight.
= this action caused my legs to hurt
= this action caused my legs to hurt
§ It’s painfully obvious that he’s not qualified for the
job.
= this observation makes us feel uncomfortable
= this observation makes us feel uncomfortable
Poorly
The adverb “poorly” DOESN’T mean not
having money. Instead, it means “badly.”
§ I was poorly prepared for the interview, and I couldn’t
answer any of the questions.
§ Many of the students did poorly on the final exam.
§ He got a stomach virus and has been feeling poorly all
week.
Promptly
The adverb “promptly” means “without delay,” or
“on time.”
§ The meeting will start promptly at 2:00.
§ She lay down and promptly fell asleep.
Recklessly
If you do something “recklessly,” it means you
are NOT careful; you do things that might have a bad result in the future.
§ My sister spends money recklessly and now she’s in a lot
of debt.
§ If we continue to use natural resources recklessly, we’ll
destroy the planet.
Reluctantly
If you do something “reluctantly,” it means you
don’t really want to do it.
§ He reluctantly admitted that he was wrong.
§ My son reluctantly shared his toys with his
classmates.
Repeatedly
If something happens “repeatedly,” it means it
happens again and again, many times.
§ You were expelled from school because you repeatedly broke
the rules.
§ I’ve contacted the company repeatedly, but I haven’t
gotten a reply.
Smoothly
If something goes “smoothly,” it means it
happens without difficulties or problems.
§ The negotiations went smoothly and it was easy to reach an
agreement.
§ Moving to a new house never goes smoothly; there’s always
some last-minute problem.
Wildly
The adverb “wildly” can mean “in an uncontrolled
way,” or it can mean “extremely.”
§ She waved her hands wildly to attract the attention of a
police officer.
§ That joke you made was wildly inappropriate for a
professional context.