11 MOST FREQUENT ADVERBS
11.1 NOT
With verbs, ‘not’ makes negative forms. In conversation, when it is used after ‘be’, ‘have’, ‘do’, or a modal, ‘not’ is usually represented as ‘n’t’ and added to the verb in front of it.
11.1.1 POSITION
After the first auxiliary or modal, if there is one:
They are not seen as major problems.
They might not even notice.
If there is no other auxiliary, ‘do’ is used as the auxiliary. After ‘not’ comes the base form of a verb:
The girl did not answer.
He does not speak English very well.
N.B.
With almost all verbs we do not use ‘not’ without an auxiliary:
*I not liked it. OR: *I liked not it.
BUT: I didn’t like it.
Exception 1: With ‘be’, we do not use an auxiliary, so ‘not’ comes after ‘be’:
I’m not sure about this.
The program was not a success.
Exception 2: When ‘have’ is used as a main verb with ‘not’, it is sometimes used without an auxiliary, but only in the con-tracted forms ‘hasn’t’, ‘haven’t’, and ‘hadn’t’:
You haven’t any choice.
The sky hadn’t a cloud in it.
It is more common to use: ‘doesn’t have’, ‘don’t have’ & ‘didn’t have’:
This question doesn’t have a proper answer.
We don’t have any direct control.
N.B.
When we use ‘not’ to make what we are saying negative, we do NOT usually use another negative word such as ‘nothing’, ‘never’, or ‘none’:
* I don’t know nothing about it.
BUT: I don’t know anything about it.
Although we can say that something is ‘not very good’, we do not use ‘not’ in front of other words meaning ‘very good’:
* Something is not excellent.
OR * Something is not marvellous.
11.1.2 ‘NOT’ + ADJECTIVES
To make a positive statement we can add ‘not’ to an adjective having a negative meaning:
Frost and snow are not uncommon during these months.
It is not unlikely that they could change again.
Indefinite article + short adjective in statements like these ‘not’ in front of the article. With long adjectives, ‘not’ comes either in front of the article or after it:
It’s not a bad idea.
This is a not unreasonable interpretation.
11.1.3 ‘NOT’ + ‘TO’-INFINITIVES
With infinitives, we use ‘not’ + an infinitive:
I decided not to go in.
Be careful not to overdo it.
11.1.4 IN CONTRASTS
To link two words or expressions, to point out that something is the case, and to contrast it with what is not the case:
The plaque confirmed that the paintings were a gift, not a bequest.
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation.
Making a similar contrast by changing the order of the words or expressions , we use the constructions ‘not’ + the first word/expression or ‘but’ + the second one:
A passport was now not a right but a privilege.
Industry is owned and controlled not by you, but by your employer.
11.1.5 ‘NOT’ + SENTENCE ADVERBS
To make a negative comment on a statement, we use ‘not’ + ‘surprisingly’/‘unexpectedly’/‘unusually’:
Not surprisingly, the Council rejected the suggestion.
But, not unusually, Jo surprised me.
11.1.6 ‘NOT JUST’
It is used only in front of adjectives, nouns, phrases, and participles, and never in front of verbs. Sometimes it is used instead of ‘not only’:
It is not just the most fashionable, but also one of the best hotels in the London.
I want to see more people not just voting in polling stations, but formulating the policies of the parties.
11.1.7 ‘NOT REALLY’
Makes a negative statement more polite or less strong:
Winning or losing is not really important.
It doesn’t really matter.
11.1.8 ‘NOT VERY’
When we make a negative statement using ‘not’ + an adjective, it makes the statement less strong by putting ‘very’ in front of the adjective:
The fees are not very high.
I’m not very interested in the subject.
11.1.9 ‘NOT ONLY’
To link two words or word groups referring to things, actions, or situations we can use ‘not only’ + the first word or word group + ‘but’ / ‘but also’ + the second one, which is usually more surprising, informa-tive, or important than the first one:
He not only reported the demonstration, but announced it in advance.
We are interested in assessing not only what they have learnt but also how they have learnt it.
To link word groups that begin with a verb, we can omit ‘but’/‘but also’ and use a personal pronoun instead:
Her interest in your work has not only continued, it has increased.
Imported taps not only provide more variation, they are often more attractively designed.
For emphasis, ‘not only’ may come at the beginning of the sentence followed by an auxiliary or the verb ‘be’ + the subject + the main verb:
Not only did they send home substantial earnings, but they also saved money.
Not only does he forget to buy Jane a present; he also reverses his car over her pet.
‘Not only’ must come first when linking two clauses which have different subjects:
Not only were the instruments unreliable, (but) the crew had not flown together before.
Not only are mothers not paid but also most of their boring work is unnoticed.
11.1.10 ‘NOT ALL’
To form the subject of a sentence, we use ‘not’ + ‘all’ OR words beginning with ‘every-’:
Not all the houses we get offered have central heating.
Not everyone agrees with me.
11.2 VERY
To emphasize an adjective or adverb:
That’s very nice of you.
Think very carefully.
To emphasize adjectives ending in ‘-ed’, especially when they refer to a state of mind or emotional condition:
He seemed very interested in everything.
Joe must have been very worried about her.
In front of ‘best’, ‘worst’, or any superlative which ends in ‘-est’:
It’s one of his very best plays.
In today’s Rome, health is one of the very biggest businesses.
To emphasize that something is the ‘first’, ‘next’, or ‘last’ thing of its kind:
The very next day we held a jumble sale in the village hall.
Those were his very last words.
11.2.1 WHEN WE DO NOT USE ‘VERY’
To emphasize ‘-ed’ words when they are part of a passive construction:
He was well liked.
He was Are your skills fully appreciated?
With superlatives that begin with ‘the most/best’. Instead we use ‘much’, ‘by far’, ‘far’ and ‘away’:
Music may have been much the most respectable of his tastes.
True Love is by far his best received novel to date.
With comparatives:
Tom was much quicker than I was.
OR Tom was far quicker than I was.
With adjectives which already describe an extreme quality:
It was an enormous dissapointment.
There were huge cracks in the ground all over.
A list of adjectives of this kind:
absurd
awful
brilliant
delighted
enormous
essential
excellent
furious
huge
massive
perfect
splendid
terrible
wonderful
To say that something happens as someone/something has a quality to an unusually large extent:
He looked so funny that we couldn’t help laughing.
The whole situation was so ridiculous that we dropped the plan.
In front of prepositions such as ‘ahead of’ or ‘behind’. Instead we use ‘well’ or ‘far’:
Mr Janjić was well ahead of his time.
Steven was not far behind her in clumsiness.
In front of prepositional phrases. Instead, we use ’very much’ or ‘greatly’:
He was very much in love with Kate.
At one stage his very life was greatly in danger.
We say that someone is:
These schools were too far apart to have any way of knowing about each other.
I was lying in bed, sound asleep. (OR fast asleep, OR deeply asleep)
She could not relax and still felt wide awake. (OR fully awake)
11.3 ENOUGH
11.3.1 ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS + 'ENOUGH'
To say that someone or something has as much of a quality as is needed:
It’s big enough.
I was not a good enough rider.
To say who the person / thing is acceptable to we use ‘enough’ + a prepositional phrase beginning with ‘for’:
That’s good enough for me.
Will that be soon enough for you?
To say that someone has as much of a quality as they need for something we use ‘enough’ + a ‘to’-infinitive:
The children are old enough to travel to school on their own.
They’re adapting fast enough to move to a higher level.
To say that something has as much of a quality needed for someone to be aware of it or do something with it we use ‘enough’ + a ‘to’-infinitive :
None of the crops was ripe enough to eat.
Their reception was clear enough to receive a signal.
OR a prepositional phrase beginning with ‘for’ + a ‘to’-infinitive:
The bullets passed close enough for us to hear their whine.
Their reception was clear enough for him to receive a signal.
To confirm or emphasize that something or someone has a particular quality we use an adjective + ‘enough’:
It’s a common enough dilemma.
They have a long enough list.
When making a statement of this kind, we often add a second statement to contrast with it:
He’s likeable enough, but very ordinary.
She is intelligent enough, but also something of an egomaniac.
11.3.2 MODIFYING ADVERBS
Adverbs such as ‘nearly’, ‘almost’, ‘just’, ‘hardly’, and ‘quite’ in front of enough:
This was nearly enough to lose them their chance of winning.
At present there is just enough to feed them.
These adverbs in front of an expression consisting of an adjective + ‘enough’:
We are all nearly young enough to be mistaken for students.
Some of these creatures are just large enough to see with the naked eye.
With sentence adverbs it is used to draw attention to a surprising quality in what we are saying – usually, after sentence adverbs like ‘interestingly’ or ‘strangely’:
Interestingly enough, this proportion has not increased.
I find myself strangely enough in agreement with John for a change.
11.4 TOO
To indicate that what has just been said applies to or includes someone or something else:
I wondered whether I too would become one of its victims.
Hey, where are you from? Brooklyn? Me too!
‘Too’ + adjectives and adverbs with the meaning ‘more than is necessary or useful’:
This coffee is too hot. (adjective)
He works too hard. (adverb)
‘Too’ + adjectives + ‘for someone/something’:
The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
‘Too’ + adjectives/adverb + ‘to’-infinitive:
The coffee was too hot to drink.
You’re too young to have grandchildren!
11.4.1 ‘VERY’ VS. ‘TOO’
‘Very’ expresses a fact - ‘too’ suggests there is a problem:
He speaks very quickly. - He speaks too quickly (for me to understand).
He runs very fast. - They run too fast (for us to catch them).
11.5 AGO
To say how long it is since something happened:
We met two years ago.
We got married about a year ago.
We use ‘ago’ when talking about a period of time measured back from the present, BUT when talking about a period measured back from some earlier time we use ‘before’/‘previously’:
The centre had been opened some years before.
Three years previously I had been admitted to the Royal Canadian Hospital, Taplow.
When talking about an event in the past we use the simple past tense + ago:
All that stuff disappeared thirty years ago.
I did it just a moment ago.
We do NOT use ‘ago’ + ‘since’/‘together’:
It happened three years ago.
OR It is three years since it happened.
Also, we do NOT use ‘ago’ when something has been happening:
It has been happening for three years.
He has been working the clubs since 2000, developing his comedy act.
11.1 NOT
With verbs, ‘not’ makes negative forms. In conversation, when it is used after ‘be’, ‘have’, ‘do’, or a modal, ‘not’ is usually represented as ‘n’t’ and added to the verb in front of it.
11.1.1 POSITION
After the first auxiliary or modal, if there is one:
They are not seen as major problems.
They might not even notice.
If there is no other auxiliary, ‘do’ is used as the auxiliary. After ‘not’ comes the base form of a verb:
The girl did not answer.
He does not speak English very well.
N.B.
With almost all verbs we do not use ‘not’ without an auxiliary:
*I not liked it. OR: *I liked not it.
BUT: I didn’t like it.
Exception 1: With ‘be’, we do not use an auxiliary, so ‘not’ comes after ‘be’:
I’m not sure about this.
The program was not a success.
Exception 2: When ‘have’ is used as a main verb with ‘not’, it is sometimes used without an auxiliary, but only in the con-tracted forms ‘hasn’t’, ‘haven’t’, and ‘hadn’t’:
You haven’t any choice.
The sky hadn’t a cloud in it.
It is more common to use: ‘doesn’t have’, ‘don’t have’ & ‘didn’t have’:
This question doesn’t have a proper answer.
We don’t have any direct control.
N.B.
When we use ‘not’ to make what we are saying negative, we do NOT usually use another negative word such as ‘nothing’, ‘never’, or ‘none’:
* I don’t know nothing about it.
BUT: I don’t know anything about it.
Although we can say that something is ‘not very good’, we do not use ‘not’ in front of other words meaning ‘very good’:
* Something is not excellent.
OR * Something is not marvellous.
11.1.2 ‘NOT’ + ADJECTIVES
To make a positive statement we can add ‘not’ to an adjective having a negative meaning:
Frost and snow are not uncommon during these months.
It is not unlikely that they could change again.
Indefinite article + short adjective in statements like these ‘not’ in front of the article. With long adjectives, ‘not’ comes either in front of the article or after it:
It’s not a bad idea.
This is a not unreasonable interpretation.
11.1.3 ‘NOT’ + ‘TO’-INFINITIVES
With infinitives, we use ‘not’ + an infinitive:
I decided not to go in.
Be careful not to overdo it.
11.1.4 IN CONTRASTS
To link two words or expressions, to point out that something is the case, and to contrast it with what is not the case:
The plaque confirmed that the paintings were a gift, not a bequest.
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation.
Making a similar contrast by changing the order of the words or expressions , we use the constructions ‘not’ + the first word/expression or ‘but’ + the second one:
A passport was now not a right but a privilege.
Industry is owned and controlled not by you, but by your employer.
11.1.5 ‘NOT’ + SENTENCE ADVERBS
To make a negative comment on a statement, we use ‘not’ + ‘surprisingly’/‘unexpectedly’/‘unusually’:
Not surprisingly, the Council rejected the suggestion.
But, not unusually, Jo surprised me.
11.1.6 ‘NOT JUST’
It is used only in front of adjectives, nouns, phrases, and participles, and never in front of verbs. Sometimes it is used instead of ‘not only’:
It is not just the most fashionable, but also one of the best hotels in the London.
I want to see more people not just voting in polling stations, but formulating the policies of the parties.
11.1.7 ‘NOT REALLY’
Makes a negative statement more polite or less strong:
Winning or losing is not really important.
It doesn’t really matter.
11.1.8 ‘NOT VERY’
When we make a negative statement using ‘not’ + an adjective, it makes the statement less strong by putting ‘very’ in front of the adjective:
The fees are not very high.
I’m not very interested in the subject.
11.1.9 ‘NOT ONLY’
To link two words or word groups referring to things, actions, or situations we can use ‘not only’ + the first word or word group + ‘but’ / ‘but also’ + the second one, which is usually more surprising, informa-tive, or important than the first one:
He not only reported the demonstration, but announced it in advance.
We are interested in assessing not only what they have learnt but also how they have learnt it.
To link word groups that begin with a verb, we can omit ‘but’/‘but also’ and use a personal pronoun instead:
Her interest in your work has not only continued, it has increased.
Imported taps not only provide more variation, they are often more attractively designed.
For emphasis, ‘not only’ may come at the beginning of the sentence followed by an auxiliary or the verb ‘be’ + the subject + the main verb:
Not only did they send home substantial earnings, but they also saved money.
Not only does he forget to buy Jane a present; he also reverses his car over her pet.
‘Not only’ must come first when linking two clauses which have different subjects:
Not only were the instruments unreliable, (but) the crew had not flown together before.
Not only are mothers not paid but also most of their boring work is unnoticed.
11.1.10 ‘NOT ALL’
To form the subject of a sentence, we use ‘not’ + ‘all’ OR words beginning with ‘every-’:
Not all the houses we get offered have central heating.
Not everyone agrees with me.
11.2 VERY
To emphasize an adjective or adverb:
That’s very nice of you.
Think very carefully.
To emphasize adjectives ending in ‘-ed’, especially when they refer to a state of mind or emotional condition:
He seemed very interested in everything.
Joe must have been very worried about her.
In front of ‘best’, ‘worst’, or any superlative which ends in ‘-est’:
It’s one of his very best plays.
In today’s Rome, health is one of the very biggest businesses.
To emphasize that something is the ‘first’, ‘next’, or ‘last’ thing of its kind:
The very next day we held a jumble sale in the village hall.
Those were his very last words.
11.2.1 WHEN WE DO NOT USE ‘VERY’
To emphasize ‘-ed’ words when they are part of a passive construction:
He was well liked.
He was Are your skills fully appreciated?
With superlatives that begin with ‘the most/best’. Instead we use ‘much’, ‘by far’, ‘far’ and ‘away’:
Music may have been much the most respectable of his tastes.
True Love is by far his best received novel to date.
With comparatives:
Tom was much quicker than I was.
OR Tom was far quicker than I was.
With adjectives which already describe an extreme quality:
It was an enormous dissapointment.
There were huge cracks in the ground all over.
A list of adjectives of this kind:
absurd
awful
brilliant
delighted
enormous
essential
excellent
furious
huge
massive
perfect
splendid
terrible
wonderful
To say that something happens as someone/something has a quality to an unusually large extent:
He looked so funny that we couldn’t help laughing.
The whole situation was so ridiculous that we dropped the plan.
In front of prepositions such as ‘ahead of’ or ‘behind’. Instead we use ‘well’ or ‘far’:
Mr Janjić was well ahead of his time.
Steven was not far behind her in clumsiness.
In front of prepositional phrases. Instead, we use ’very much’ or ‘greatly’:
He was very much in love with Kate.
At one stage his very life was greatly in danger.
We say that someone is:
These schools were too far apart to have any way of knowing about each other.
I was lying in bed, sound asleep. (OR fast asleep, OR deeply asleep)
She could not relax and still felt wide awake. (OR fully awake)
11.3 ENOUGH
11.3.1 ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS + 'ENOUGH'
To say that someone or something has as much of a quality as is needed:
It’s big enough.
I was not a good enough rider.
To say who the person / thing is acceptable to we use ‘enough’ + a prepositional phrase beginning with ‘for’:
That’s good enough for me.
Will that be soon enough for you?
To say that someone has as much of a quality as they need for something we use ‘enough’ + a ‘to’-infinitive:
The children are old enough to travel to school on their own.
They’re adapting fast enough to move to a higher level.
To say that something has as much of a quality needed for someone to be aware of it or do something with it we use ‘enough’ + a ‘to’-infinitive :
None of the crops was ripe enough to eat.
Their reception was clear enough to receive a signal.
OR a prepositional phrase beginning with ‘for’ + a ‘to’-infinitive:
The bullets passed close enough for us to hear their whine.
Their reception was clear enough for him to receive a signal.
To confirm or emphasize that something or someone has a particular quality we use an adjective + ‘enough’:
It’s a common enough dilemma.
They have a long enough list.
When making a statement of this kind, we often add a second statement to contrast with it:
He’s likeable enough, but very ordinary.
She is intelligent enough, but also something of an egomaniac.
11.3.2 MODIFYING ADVERBS
Adverbs such as ‘nearly’, ‘almost’, ‘just’, ‘hardly’, and ‘quite’ in front of enough:
This was nearly enough to lose them their chance of winning.
At present there is just enough to feed them.
These adverbs in front of an expression consisting of an adjective + ‘enough’:
We are all nearly young enough to be mistaken for students.
Some of these creatures are just large enough to see with the naked eye.
With sentence adverbs it is used to draw attention to a surprising quality in what we are saying – usually, after sentence adverbs like ‘interestingly’ or ‘strangely’:
Interestingly enough, this proportion has not increased.
I find myself strangely enough in agreement with John for a change.
11.4 TOO
To indicate that what has just been said applies to or includes someone or something else:
I wondered whether I too would become one of its victims.
Hey, where are you from? Brooklyn? Me too!
‘Too’ + adjectives and adverbs with the meaning ‘more than is necessary or useful’:
This coffee is too hot. (adjective)
He works too hard. (adverb)
‘Too’ + adjectives + ‘for someone/something’:
The coffee was too hot for me.
The dress was too small for her.
‘Too’ + adjectives/adverb + ‘to’-infinitive:
The coffee was too hot to drink.
You’re too young to have grandchildren!
11.4.1 ‘VERY’ VS. ‘TOO’
‘Very’ expresses a fact - ‘too’ suggests there is a problem:
He speaks very quickly. - He speaks too quickly (for me to understand).
He runs very fast. - They run too fast (for us to catch them).
11.5 AGO
To say how long it is since something happened:
We met two years ago.
We got married about a year ago.
We use ‘ago’ when talking about a period of time measured back from the present, BUT when talking about a period measured back from some earlier time we use ‘before’/‘previously’:
The centre had been opened some years before.
Three years previously I had been admitted to the Royal Canadian Hospital, Taplow.
When talking about an event in the past we use the simple past tense + ago:
All that stuff disappeared thirty years ago.
I did it just a moment ago.
We do NOT use ‘ago’ + ‘since’/‘together’:
It happened three years ago.
OR It is three years since it happened.
Also, we do NOT use ‘ago’ when something has been happening:
It has been happening for three years.
He has been working the clubs since 2000, developing his comedy act.
