Adverb phrases

We use adverb phrases most commonly to modify verbs. In the examples the adverb phrases are in bold. The verbs that they modify are underlined:

Children grow up really quickly.

I exercise very regularly and I eat quite healthily.

We use adverb phrases with be. This is especially typical of adverbs of place:

I’m upstairs. I’ll only be a minute.

A:

Have you seen my gloves?

B:

They’re right there, on the table.

We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify adjectives and other adverbs:

I found it [ADV]extremely [adjective]difficult to talk to her.

He drives [ADV]really [ADV]carefully.

We use adverb phrases (adv) to modify noun phrases (np) and prepositional phrases:

That’s [ADV]quite [NP]a tree. (it’s a tree that is special in some way, e.g. it’s very big)

There was [ADV]hardly [pronoun] anyone at the concert.

We climbed [ADV]right [prepositional phrase] over the top of the hill and down again.

We use adverb phrases to modify determiners, especially words like all, some, half, many (quantifiers):

Only half of my friends could come to my party.

Very few people have heard of my city. It’s very small.