Grammar: Adverbs Describing Other Adverbs
Grammar: Ad verbs Descr ibing Other Ad verbs
Aim
•Extend the children’s understandin g of adverbs by introducing the idea that as well as describing verbs, some adverbs can also describe other adverbs.
Introduction
•Revise the different types of adverb learnt so far: manner (how), degree (how much), place (where), time (when) and frequency (how often).
•Write some sentences on the board and ask the children to suggest other adverbs for each one: She grinned cheekily (how did she grin?), We have just arrived (to what extent have we arrived?), They ran outside (where did they run?), He is always laughing (how often is he laughing?), Yesterday, I was working (when was I working?).
•Remind the children that when the adverb comes at the beginning of the sentence, it is usually followed by a comma, as in the last example.
Main Point
•Write She really enjoyed the book on the board. Discuss how really is an adverb of degree because it tells us more about how much the person enjoyed the book.
•Now write She grinned really cheekily and ask what
really is doing here.
•Explain that it is not telling us how much the person grinned; then we would say She really grinned .
• Instead really is telling us how cheekily she grinned; it is describing the adverb, not the verb.
•Writ e He is nearly always laughing and ask the class what nearly is describing here. The person is not nearly laughing, but nearly always laughing and so nearly is describing the adverb too.
•Explain that some adverbs (often adverbs of degree) not only describe verbs, but they can also describe adverbs.
•Now draw a couple of sentence walls on the board and put the last two sentences into the boxes. Show the children how to put both adverbs in the box under the verb, with the main adverb going first and the adverb describing it going underneath; then join them with a diagonal line.
Activity Page
•The children write inside the outlined word Adverbs,
using an orange pencil.
•The children then parse the sentences, underlining each word in the appropriate colour, and complete the wall.
1. The jam jar opened fairly easily.
Top: jar – opened – (blank) I Bottom: Thejam – easily I fairly – (blank) I Verb: intransitive
2. Thecleanerpolished thefurnitureextremel:-. vigorous!•. Top: cleaner – po lished – furniture I Bottom: The – vigorously I extremely – the I Verb: transitive
3. The children were playing perfectly happily.
Top: child ren – were playing – (blank) I Bottom: The –
happily/perfectly – (blank) I Verb: intransitive
Adverbs Describing Other Adverbs
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4. The pastry chef decorated the cake absolutely beautifully .
Top: chef – decorated – cake I Bottom: The pastry –
beautifully I absolutely – the I Verb: transitive
•They then answer the question underneath each sentence, writing the adverb that is describing the main adverb on the line (1. fairly, 2. extremely, 3. per fectly, 4. absolutely) .
Extension Activity
•Give each child a sheet of paper and ask them to draw some sentence walls.
•Write these sentences on the board: 1. She did her homework quite quickly; 2. The little old lady walked rather slowly; 3. The actor was speaking really clearly ;
4. The nurse removed the splinter incredibly carefully.
•The children then parse the sentences and complete the walls.
1. did her homework quite quickly.
Top: she – did – homework I Bottom: (blank) – quickly I quite – her I Verb: transitive
2. The little old lady walked rather slowly.
Top: lady – walked – (blank) I Bottom: The little old –
slowly / rather – (blank) I Verb: intransitive
3. The actor was speaking really clearly.
Top: actor – was speaking – (blank) I Bottom: The –
clearly / really – (blank) I Verb: intransitive
4. The nurse removed the splinter incredibly carefullv. Top: nurse – removed – splinter I Bottom: The – carefully / incredibly – the I Verb: transitive
•Then, underneath, the children write the adverb that is describing the main adverb (1. quite, 2. rather, 3. really, 4. incredibly) .
Rounding Off
• Go over the children’s work, checking their answers.
