A verb expresses the action or state: "she sang." An adverb modifies that verb, telling you how, when, where or to what extent: "she sang beautifully." The name gives it away — an adverb is added to a verb, though it can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
The core difference
One does the work in a sentence; the other describes how the work is done.
- verb — the action or state: She drove.
- adverb — modifies it: She drove carefully / yesterday / home / extremely fast.
What adverbs actually cover
More than the -ly words. Adverbs answer how (quickly), when (soon), where (outside), how often (rarely) and to what degree (very). And not everything ending in -ly is an adverb: friendly, lovely and likely are adjectives.
The name
Adverb is Latin ad- (to) plus verbum (word) — added to the verb. The term arrived as a translation of the Greek grammarians' word, and it undersells the range, since adverbs modify adjectives and other adverbs too.
Frequently asked questions
Do all adverbs end in -ly?
No. Soon, here, very, often and fast are all adverbs. And some -ly words such as friendly and lovely are adjectives.
Can an adverb modify something other than a verb?
Yes — adjectives (very tall) and other adverbs (quite slowly), despite what the name suggests.
What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb?
An adjective describes a noun; an adverb describes a verb, adjective or another adverb. A quick car is adjective; drove quickly is adverb.