Adverbs Teaching Resources
Save time on your adverbs lesson plans with printable worksheets, digital activities, adverb lists, grammar games and more from the teachers of Teach Starter.
This collection of teaching resources was teacher-created to help you help your students learn how to correctly identify and use this fundamental part of speech to show better how things happen in their writing. With editable curriculum-aligned resources, you can meet Common Core and state standards while differentiating instruction for the individual students in your classroom.
New to teaching this part of the English Language Arts curriculum or just looking for new ways to engage students as they learn about adverbs? Take a peek at this primer from our teacher team, including what an adverb is and a look at some common examples!
What Is an Adverb? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Knowing the definition of this part of speech yourself is only part of the battle. You'll also need to explain adverbs to your students! So let's start with a kid-friendly definition.
An adverb is a word that describes how, when or where an action or verb takes place.
How
Many adverbs are used to modify verbs, describing how something is done or how an action takes place.
For example, the commonly used adverb "quickly" describes how a person is running. Another example is "loudly," which describes how someone is speaking.
When
One of the crucial 5Ws — describing when something occurs — is crucial to setting a scene. Adverbs help writers do just that!
Examples of this include words like yesterday —describing when an action happened — and soon, describing when an action will happen.
Where
Adverbs can also describe where an action takes place. The adverb "here," for example, describes where someone is located. Other "where" adverbs that students will encounter include "there" and "everywhere."
Common Adverb Examples
The English language is stocked with some interesting adverbs that can help tell a colorful story, but there are some that are more used than most. Here are some common examples of adverbs used in elementary school writing:
- Very
- Often
- Always
- Never
- Well
- Hard
Types of Adverbs
There are six main types of adverbs that students are likely to encounter as young writers.
Positive Adverbs
These adverbs describe the manner or degree of an action without comparing it to anything else. For example, "quickly," "loudly," "carefully," and "happily" are all positive adverbs. They don't require a point of comparison for the reader to understand what the writer is trying to convey.
Comparative Adverbs
Unlike positive adverbs, comparative adverbs require a comparison. In fact, these words are used specifically to compare the degree or manner of an action between two things or people.
For example, "faster," "louder," "more carefully" and "happier" are comparative adverbs.
Superlative Adverbs
Superlative adverbs compare the degree or manner of action between three or more things or people.
They are formed by adding "-est" to the end of the adverb or by using "most" before the adverb.
"Fastest," "loudest," "most carefully" and "happiest" are all superlative adverb examples.
Interrogative Adverbs
Adverbs that are used to ask questions are called interrogative adverbs. Some examples include "when," "where," "why," and "how."
This type of adverb typically appears at the start of a sentence, and a comma often follows it.
Conjunctive adverbs
Adverbs that are used to connect independent clauses in a sentence are called conjunctive adverbs. These words function as a conjunction but are typically used to indicate a relationship between the two clauses, such as contrast, addition or cause and effect.
Words like "however," "therefore" and "nevertheless" are all conjunctive.
Relative Adverbs
Adverbs that are used to introduce adjective clauses —such as "where," "when" and "why" — are called relative adverbs. This type of adverb describes a characteristic of the noun or pronoun that the clause modifies.
- Plus Plan
Conjunctive Adverbs Task Cards
Assess your students’ understanding of conjunctive adverbs with these fun adverbs task cards!
- Plus Plan
Adverbs for 2nd Graders – Worksheet Pack
Adverb practice doesn't have to be a struggle. Use these worksheets for 2nd graders in your classroom.
- Plus Plan
Relative Adverbs Worksheet Pack
Use this pack of five worksheets to help your students practice the correct use of relative adverbs in text.
- Plus Plan
Adjective or Adverb? Task Cards
Use this set of 24 task cards to help students understand where an adverb or an adjective is the correct modifier in a sentence.
- Plus Plan
Parts of Speech - Color by Code Worksheet
Follow the color code to reveal the mystery image with a fun color-by-code worksheet.
- Plus Plan
"Simon Says" Commands - Card Deck
A set of 24 instruction cards to use when playing "Simon Says."
- Plus Plan
Positive, Comparative, Superlative Adverbs Worksheet
Practice using positive, comparative, and superlative adverbs with an adverb worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Adverbs Match-Up
Skip those comparative and superlative adverb worksheets and try out an adverb matching game.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets for 6th Graders
Practice different parts of speech with your 6th graders using this set of 10 ad-lib style stories.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets for 4th Grade
Practice different parts of speech with your 4th graders using this set of 10 ad-lib style stories.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets for 5th Grade
Practice different parts of speech with your 5th graders using this set of 10 ad-lib style stories.
- Plus Plan
Parts of Speech Word Search – Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs, and Adverbs – Worksheet
Find and categorize nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs with this color by parts of speech worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Grammar Worksheet Pack – Lower Elementary
Review different parts of speech with this worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Adver-relays Active Learning Game
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
- Plus Plan
Identifying Procedural Language Worksheets
Help your students identify procedural language with this set of three worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Successful Sentences – Sentence Construction Cards
Word cards for constructing complex sentences.
- Plus Plan
Middle Years Grammar Worksheet Teaching Resource Pack
A set of 6 grammar worksheets created for middle years.
- Plus Plan
Dressing Up Sentences for Narrative Writing
A 60 minute lesson in which students will use descriptive language to add additional detail to sentences.