AN OVERVIEW OF ADVERBS FOR THE PROFICIENT USE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

study highlights an in-depth study of adverbs foreasy understanding and appropriate use. The paperintroduces the adjective to distinguish it from the adverb.Sequel to this explanation of what adverbs are, types, theirfunctions, the words or groups of words they modify andtheir notable significance in the English language areestablished. An adverb is perhaps the most difficultelement to identify in an English sentence. This could beattributed to the fact that an adverb can usually be shiftedaround (a movable modifier) and as such it is oftendifficult to pin it down to a fixed position in the sentencestructure. Furthermore, only one type of adverbial adjunct(Adjunct of place) may occur as obligatory element in thestructure. To make matters more complicated, any one ofthe four major classes of words can also perform thefunction of an adverb in the sentence. It is, therefore,often taken that if a word cannot be placed with any of thethree other classes, it must be an adverb. As a result ofthis negative test, the different items that are generallylabeled as adverbials have acted as a dustbin of Englishgrammar. Again, both adjectives and adverbs as modifiershave different uses. People and ESL learners in particularare not always certain about which modifier to use in aparticular situation. The misuse and ignorance prevalentin the use of adverbs prompted this paper. This study willbe of immense help to both students and teachers in thesecond language situation.