AS Grammar: Adverbs and Adverbials

AS Grammar: Adverbs and Adverbials

Grammar: Adverbs and Adverbials

Function of Adverbs

• Adverbs in German, like in English, modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They indicate when, where, how, and to what extent an action is performed.

Placement of Adverbs

• Adverbs often come directly after the verb they modify. For example, ‘Sie läuft schnell’ (She runs fast). However, depending on the emphasis, they may be placed at different points in the sentence.

Forming Adverbs

• Many adverbs in German are identical to their corresponding adjective forms. For instance, ‘langsam’ can mean ‘slow’ (adjective) or ‘slowly’ (adverb).

Common Adverbs

• Remember frequently used adverbs like ‘sehr’ (very), ‘zu’ (too), ‘dort’ (there), ‘morgen’ (tomorrow), ‘immer’ (always), ‘oft’ (often), ‘nie’ (never), ‘manchmal’ (sometimes), ‘schon’ (already), ‘noch’ (still/yet), and many others.

Adverbs of Frequency

• Adverbs like ‘oft’ (often), ‘immer’ (always), ‘gewöhnlich’ (usually), ‘selten’ (rarely) and ‘nie’ (never) specify how regularly or often an action occurs.

Adverbials

• Adverbials are groups of words functioning as an adverb. In German, they are often introduced by prepositions. For instance, ‘in der Regel’ (as a rule), ‘von Zeit zu Zeit’ (from time to time), ‘im Allgemeinen’ (in general).

By understanding and memorising the function and application of adverbs and adverbials, you can highly improve your German language proficiency. Keep practising!