CSG277

Unit 22

Adverbs

Au adverb is a modifier or a word that modifies other elements in a sentence: a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs answer questions such as how? how longt how much? when? and where? They are easy to spot: certain adverbs in English are madę by adding -ly to an adjective. They emphasize the meaning of the verb: I can reatty do it well. He spohe sofiły.

In Spanish, there are several adjectives that may function as ad-verbs. When they are adverbs, they do not agree in number or gen-der. An example is demasiado (too much), an adverb of manner. In this example, itshows how the subject works (trabaja).

Ustedes trabajan    You work too much.

demasiado.

However, in the followmg example, demasiadas agrees with the noun that follows it. In this sentence, as an adjective, it modifies preguntas.

Lola hace demasiadas    Lola asks too many ąuestions.

preguntas.

With all adverbs and adjectives in Spanish, it is important to under-stand the function of the words you choose and to select their appropriate forms.

Adverb Forms in Spanish

Adverbs (adverbios) appear in a wide variety of forms. They can be:

•    a single word.

The boys are arriwng now. Shall we talk later ?

I hcwe not yet finished.

They left the day before yesterday.

Los chicos llegan aliora. ^Hablamos luego?

Todavla no he terminado.

•    a compound word.

Salieron anteayer.

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