Spanish Grammar in Context

A reference grammar with video examples from the Spanish in Texas collection

  • Credits
  • Index
  • About
  • Home
  • Adjectives
    • Introduction to Adjectives
    • Adjectives – Formation and Placement
    • Comparisons and Superlatives with Adjectives
    • Past Participles as Adjectives
    • Todo
    • Indefinite Adjectives
    • Adjectives Practice
  • Adverbs
    • Introduction to Adverbs
    • Adverbs – Formation and Placement
    • Comparative Adverbs
    • Adverbs Practice
  • Conjunctions
    • Introduction to Conjunctions
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions Practice
  • Determiners
    • Introduction to Determiners
    • Definite Articles
    • Indefinite Articles
    • Possessive Determiners
    • Demonstrative Determiners
    • Expressions of Quantity
    • Determiners Practice
  • Negation
    • Introduction to Negation
    • Basic Negation: No
    • Alternate Forms of Negation
    • One-word Negative Sentences
    • Negation Practice
  • Nouns
    • Introduction to Nouns
    • Nouns – Number
    • Nouns – Gender
    • Nouns Practice
  • Prepositions
    • Introduction to Prepositions
    • Common Prepositions
    • Por vs. Para
    • Prepositions Practice
  • Pronouns
    • Introduction to Pronouns
    • Subject Pronouns
    • Direct Object Pronouns
    • Indirect Object Pronouns
    • Reflexive Pronouns
    • Order of Object Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Indefinite Pronouns
    • Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns
    • Pronouns Practice
  • Verbs
    • Introduction to Verbs
    • Tense/Mood
    • Introduction to Present Tense
      • -ar Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -er Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
      • -ir Verbs (Regular) Present Tense
    • Ser “To Be”
    • Haber “To Have”
    • Reflexive Verbs
    • Preterit
    • Present Perfect
    • Imperfect
    • Narration: Preterit vs. Imperfect
    • Pluperfect
    • Future
    • Conditional
    • Past Conditional
    • Imperative Mood (commands)
    • Introduction to Subjunctive
      • Subjunctive – Present
      • Subjunctive – Past or Imperfect
      • Subjunctive – Present Perfect
      • Subjunctive – Pluperfect
      • Tense Sequences
    • Si Clauses (If Clauses)
    • Indirect Speech
      • Indirect Speech – Present
      • Indirect Speech – Past
    • Passive Voice
    • Language Contact
    • Verbs Practice
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Practice quizzes: adverbs

Adverbs – Formation and Placement

In Spanish as in English, an adverb describes the action of a verb. It answers such questions as where?, when?, how?, how long?, or how often? Adverbs are invariable and may be used with almost all verbs. An adverb may also qualify an adjective or another adverb. Consider the sentence below which contains two adverbs.

Ellos hablan el español muy bien.
They speak Spanish very well.

Muy qualifies bien and bien describes the action of the verb hablar.

Formation of Regular Adverbs

A large number of Spanish adverbs are derived from adjectives.

They are usually formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the adjective as seen in the following sentence which has the adverb últimamente, derived from the feminine form of the adjective último plus -mente

Una de las cosas que ha hecho últimamente es estar en Facebook como los jóvenes hoy en día.
One of the things that he’s done lately is being on Facebook like young people today.

Placement

Adverbs that Modify an Adjective or Another Adverb

Adverbs are placed directly before the adjective or adverb that they modify.

Todos son bien diferentes.
They all are very different.

Adverbs that Modify a Whole Sentence

If an adverb is a comment on the entire sentence (desafortunadamente, seguramente), it may be placed at the beginning or end of the sentence. Adverbs of this type include adverbs of time and place.

Ahora es casi un dialecto de San Antonio.
Now it is almost a dialect of San Antonio.

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