Moby Dick

Lesson 12

2. a. Adverbs modify verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. They can appear almost anywhere in a sentence. In fact, they can even be moved around within the sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example, in the dependent clause "if it could truthfully be added that his spouts are mixed with water," the adverb is truthfully telling how it could be added. Truthfully could be placed in any position within the clause:

truthfully if it could be added…
if truthfully it could be added…
if it truthfully could be added…
if it could truthfully be added…
if it could be truthfully added…
if it could be added truthfully…

Most of these sound fine. Some are awkward, but they all work.

Because of this flexibility, adverbs are sometimes hard to identify. Place the following adverbs in the sentences where you think it sounds best:

1) (happily) Little Red Riding Hood skipped through the woods.

2) (soon) She met a wolf.

3) (quickly) The wolf made his way ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.

4) (obediently) Little Red Riding Hood approached her grandma's bed.

5) (loudly) Little Red Riding Hood called for help.

6) (away) The wolf ran.