Introduction to Adverbs
Grade Level(s): 6-8
By: Vicky Tusken

Students participate in an exercise where they develop a working definition of adverbs.

Objectives:

To help students develop a definition of the role/function of adverbs. Specifically students will be able to articulate that adverbs modify verbs by telling how something is done, when something is done, where something is done, or modify adverbs or adjectives by telling to what extent.

Materials:

• whiteboard
• markers
• word list (included in the plan)

Plan:

ACTIVITY

1. Hand out the copies of the word list. Tell the students you wish them to put the words into categories. They decide the type of categories, how many categories and how many words go into each. The only condition is each word can only be used once and every word must be categorized.
   
   
2. Give the students several minutes to put the words into their selected categories. Then begin allowing the students to share their lists with the rest of the class. Write the lists, including the categories on the whiteboard as the students share. Fairly quickly, duplicate categories will begin to appear. Feel free to consolidate the lists as much as possible. Once every possible configuration has been shared and listed, ask the student to take time and look at the many different ways they chose to categorize the words. Ask them, “Do you see a pattern to these lists?” Immediately, they will recognize that the lists fall into five categories: action words, where, when, “ly” words, and “extras.”
   
   
3. Then explain to them that they have defined the role of an adverb: a word that modifies a verb, adjective or another adverb by telling how something is done, (the “ly” words) when something is done, where something is done, and the “extras”, to what extent something is done.
   
   
4. Put the following sentences on the board:

   The dog ran through the house.

   We will go to the store.

   Children like to play.

   The music played quietly.
   
   Ask the student to select an adverb for the first sentence that would tell how the dog ran through the house.
   For the second sentence, an adverb that tells when
   For the third sentence, an adverb that tells where
   For the fourth, to what extent the music played quietly.

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING

Have the students create their own sentences using adverbs from the lists created. Have them write:

• 2 sentences that tell how
• 2 sentences that tell when
• 2 sentences that tell where
• 2 sentences that tell to what extent

Let them share sentences with tablemates. Collect at the end of the hour.

FOLLOW-UP

The next day, have the adverb word lists posted on butcher paper in the room, making reference to them and the categories throughout student practice.

List to be used with adverb activity:

Very Run Swiftly Today Jump So Quite Quickly Gently Write Chew Everywhere Here

There Sleepily Quite Tomorrow Amazingly Strongly Neatly Cry Shout Wash Yesterday Somewhat Tonight

Carefully Outside Now Kindly Inside Immediately Soon Never Close Far Gracefully Finally Too

Comments:

I teach 7th grade language arts at Geneva Middle School, in Geneva, Illinois.