Grade 10 English – 5.3.1 Word Classes: Adverbs Quiz
1. Identify the adverb in the sentence: "She answered the question confidently."
Confidently is an adverb of manner describing how she answered the question; confident is an adjective and confidence is a noun.
2. Complete the sentence: "He runs ____ than his brother."
When comparing speed, we use the comparative form 'faster' (one-syllable adverbs/adjectives typically take -er). 'More fast' and 'more faster' are incorrect; 'fastest' is the superlative.
3. Choose the adverb that correctly completes: "The KCSE mock exam was ____ difficult for most students."
'Extremely' is an adverb of degree that modifies the adjective 'difficult'. The others are adverbs of manner, time, and place and do not modify the adjective.
4. Which of the following is an adverb of frequency?
'Always' indicates how often something happens (frequency). 'Quick' is an adjective, 'yesterday' is a time adverb, and 'Nairobi' is a place name.
5. What is the correct adverb form of the adjective 'careful'?
The adverb is formed by adding -ly to the adjective: careful → carefully. 'Carelessly' means the opposite; the others are misspellings.
6. Where is an adverb of frequency usually placed in a sentence with a main verb (not forms of be)?
Adverbs of frequency (often, usually, always, rarely) normally appear before the main verb (e.g. 'She often studies'). With forms of be, they come after the verb.
7. Choose the correct adverb: "He plays football ____."
'Well' is the correct adverb to modify the verb 'plays'. 'Good' is an adjective and does not correctly modify a verb in standard English.
8. Identify the adverb of degree in the sentence: "She nearly finished her homework."
'Nearly' is a degree adverb showing approximation (how close she was to finishing). The other words are noun, verb, and pronoun.
9. Choose the correct comparative form for the adverb 'slowly'.
Adverbs ending in -ly form comparatives with 'more' (more slowly). While 'slower' is used for the adjective 'slow', the correct formal comparative adverb is 'more slowly'.
10. Which word in the list is NOT an adverb?
'Beauty' is a noun. 'Quickly', 'swiftly', and 'often' are adverbs (manner and frequency).
11. Which sentence shows the correct placement of an adverb of frequency with an auxiliary verb?
With an auxiliary verb ('have'), the adverb of frequency usually comes between the auxiliary and the main verb: have + rarely + seen.
12. Which sentence means 'He does not work much'?
'Hardly' means 'almost not', so 'He hardly works' means he does not work much. 'Works very hard' means he works a lot. 'Works hardly' is incorrect usage.
13. What is the adverb form of 'real'?
The adverb of 'real' is 'really' (used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs). 'Realy' is a misspelling; 'realism' is a noun.
14. Which word is an adverb of place in the sentence: "We will meet here at the bus stage."
'Here' indicates place (where we will meet), so it is an adverb of place. The others are verbs or nouns.
15. Choose the adverb that best completes: "We will start the meeting ____."
'Soon' is a time adverb indicating that the meeting will start in the near future. The others indicate frequency, manner, and place.
16. Which adverb intensifies the adjective in: "This mango is ____ sweet."
'Extremely' is a degree adverb used to intensify the adjective 'sweet'. The other options are not degree adverbs.
17. Identify the adverb in the sentence: "The bus from Nairobi arrived early."
'Early' tells when the bus arrived (time), so it is an adverb. 'Bus' and 'Nairobi' are nouns; 'arrived' is the verb.
18. Choose the best adverb of manner to complete: "The teacher answered the question ____ to be fair to every student."
'Promptly' is the adverb of manner that describes how the teacher answered. 'Prompt' is an adjective; the others are incorrect forms.
19. Complete with the correct adverb: "She sings more ____ than before."
To modify the verb 'sings' we need an adverb: 'beautifully'. 'Beautiful' is an adjective and does not modify verbs.
20. Which of these is an adverbial phrase of time in the sentence: "He solved the problem in a few minutes."
'In a few minutes' functions as an adverbial phrase telling when/how long it took to solve the problem (time). The others are subject, verb, and object.
21. What is the comparative form of the adverb 'well'?
The irregular comparative of 'well' is 'better'. 'More well' and 'weller' are incorrect; 'best' is the superlative, not the comparative.
22. Which word is a degree adverb?
'Very' is a degree adverb used to modify adjectives or other adverbs (e.g. very hot). 'Seldom' is frequency; 'next' and 'home' are different categories.
23. Which sentence shows an adverb modifying an adjective?
In that sentence 'terribly' (an adverb) modifies the adjective 'difficult'. The other sentences show adverbs modifying verbs or indicate place.
24. Which of the following is an adverb of probability?
'Probably' expresses likelihood (probability). 'Carelessly' is manner, 'tomorrow' is time, and 'beneath' is a preposition/place indicator.
25. Choose the correct adverb to complete: "If you study hard, you will pass ____."
'Certainly' is the adverb meaning 'surely' or 'definitely' and correctly modifies the verb phrase 'will pass'. The others are not correct adverb forms.