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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

    Introduction to Adverbs

    Adverbs

    Adverbs from the Spanish in Texas Corpus

    An adverb is a word that modifies 1) a verb 2) an adjective or 3) another adverb. In English, many adverbs end in -ly. In Spanish, many adverbs end in -mente.

    Afortunadamente estamos en El Paso.
    Fortunately we are in El Paso.

    Adverbs that Modify Verbs

    Adverbs answer questions about the action: how? when? and where?

    How: Y unas palabras, pues no sé cómo decirlas correctamente en español.
    And some words, well I don’t know how to say them correctly in Spanish.

    When: Mi sueño es estudiar enfermería más tarde.
    My dream is to study nursing later.

    Where: Se casaron en la iglesia allá en Reynosa y se vinieron a casar aquí también. So, se casaron en los dos lugares.
    They got married in the church there in Reynosa and they came here to get marry too. So they got married in both places.

    Adverbs that Modify Adjectives and Adverbs

    While adverbs often are used to modify verbs as seen in the examples above, they can also modify other adverbs as well as adjectives.

    Adverb modifying an adjective:

    En español es una palabra completamente diferente o a veces la palabra ni existe, y por eso, es interesante el espanglish.
    In Spanish, it is a completely different word or sometimes the word does exist and that’s why Spanglish is interesting.

    Adverb modifying another adverb:

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

    Common Adverbs

    Following is a list of frequently used adverbs, categorized by type:

    Manner

    • bien well
    • mal badly
    • rápidamente quickly

    Time 

    • a menudo often
    • a veces sometimes
    • siempre always 
    • nunca never
    • temprano early 
    • tarde late
    • pronto soon
    • hoy today 
    • ayer yesterday 
    • ahora now 
    • ya  already
    • mañana tomorrow

    Place

    • dentro inside
    •  fuera outside 
    • aquí/acá here
    • allí/ahí/allá there

    Quantity or Degree

    • mucho a lot 
    • muy very
    • demasiado too much 
    • bastante enough 
    • poco not much

    Sequence

    • primero at first 
    • luego then, next 
    • entonces then, so 
    • por lo tanto thus 
    • finalmente finally

    A very common adverb is así, this way, so, like that and it is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world. However, in some communities alternate forms of this adverb appear, for example asín in Southern Spain, or asina, widely used in Texas.

    En el Army en veces creen que es puertorriqueña o algo asina.
    In the Army sometimes they think it is Puertorican or something like that.

    Yo sabía que era Hispanic. Asina: Hispanic.
    I knew I was Hispanic. This way: Hispanic.

    Adjectives vs. Adverbs

    Remember that adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. In the following sentence, there are two adjectives mexicanas and bonitas both of which modify the noun tradiciones and one adverb muy which modifies the adjective bonitas.

    Y las tradiciones mexicanas son muy bonitas.
    And Mexican traditions are very nice.

    It is common in spoken and informal English for speakers to use adjectives, such as good, in place of adverbs, such as well to modify verbs.

    With an Adjective With an Adverb
    Juan writes good Juan writes well
    You need to drive slow in a school zone You need to drive slowly in a school zone

    In Spanish, adjectives are rarely used to modify verbs; using the adverb is normally favored.

    With an Adjective With an Adverb
    Juan escribe bueno. Juan escribe bien.
    Necesitas manejar lento en una zona escolar Necesitas manejar lentamente en una zona escolar

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