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 Australian curriculum standards while differentiating instruction for the individual students in your classroom.
New to teaching this part of the English 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 plus the different types.
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 colourful story, but some are more used than most. Here are some common examples of adverbs used in primary 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' and 'where.'
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' and 'nevertheless' are 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
Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Adverbs Task Cards
Use these task cards to help students practise using positive, comparative, and superlative adverbs in sentences.
- Plus Plan
Grammar TVs
Grammar presented on TVs.
- Plus Plan
Parts of Speech - Colour by Code Mystery Picture Worksheet
Follow the colour-coded parts of speech guide to fill in the word grid and reveal a mystery image.
- Plus Plan
Glorious Grammar Volume 1 - Worksheet Book
50 activities in one booklet which all revolve around learning grammar in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
Adverbs Interactive Activity
Provide your students with engaging, interactive activities to help them improve their usage and identification of adverbs.
- Plus Plan
Comparative and Superlative Adverbs - Match-Up Activity
Practice using comparative and superlative adverbs with a matching activity.
- Plus Plan
Adverbs Scoot
Build vocabulary and grammar skills with a game of Adverbs SCOOT!
- Free Plan
Adverbs Activity : Grammar Charades
Have some fun and build grammar skills with an adverb charades activity.
- Plus Plan
Adverb Crossword – Worksheet
A crossword where all the answers are adverbs.
- Plus Plan
Glorious Grammar (Early Years) Volume 1 – Worksheet Book
A workbook packed with 50 grammar activities for younger years.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets – Year 5
A set of 10 ad-lib style stories for students to complete.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets – Year 3 – Set 2
A set of 10 ad-lib style stories for students to complete.
- Plus Plan
Comical Chronicle Worksheets - Year 6
A set of 9 ad-lib style stories for students to complete.
- Plus Plan
Colour by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Prepositions - Owl
Consolidate parts of speech by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions on the owl.
- Plus Plan
Colour by Parts of Speech Chameleon Worksheet (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Conjunctions and Pronouns)
Practise your parts of speech lesson by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions and pronouns on the chameleon.
- Free Plan
Colour by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs - Frog
Consolidate your parts of speech lesson by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs on the frog.
- Plus Plan
Colour by Parts of Speech - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Pronouns, Prepositions and Adverbs - Toucan
Consolidate your parts of speech lesson by colouring nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions and adverbs on the toucan.
- Plus Plan
Adverbs Worksheet
A 2 page worksheet that explores the use of adverbs.
- Free Plan
Identifying Procedural Language Worksheets
Help your students identify procedural language with this set of three worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Adver-relays Active Learning Game
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
- Plus Plan
"Simon Says" Instruction Cards
A set of 24 instruction cards to use when playing "Simon Says".
- Plus Plan
Paragraph Study Grammar Interactive PowerPoint
Interactive PowerPoint presentation allowing teachers and students to learn and revise grammar by highlighting paragraphs.
- Plus Plan
Grammar Worksheet Pack – Lower Primary
A 13 page worksheet pack to consolidate the learning of different grammar concepts in the early years.
- Free Plan
Identifying Descriptive Language Worksheets - Nouns, Adjectives, Verbs and Adverbs
A set of 5 worksheets to help your students identify descriptive language in narrative texts.
- Plus Plan
Adverb Grammar Card Game – Flip It!
A fun game for students to play in small groups to consolidate their understanding of adverbs.