Essential Adverbs: English Vocabulary List

used to suggest that there is a strong chance of something happening

"It will most likely rain."

"She will most likely pass the exam because she studied very hard every night this week."

to a degree that is close to being complete

"The baby is nearly one."

"The baby is nearly one year old and will start walking very soon according to the doctor."

under regular or usual circumstances

"Normally I wake up at seven."

"Normally I wake up at seven but today I slept until nine because I was very tired."

in a way that is easily understandable or noticeable

"He obviously did not know."

"He obviously did not know the answer because he kept looking at the ceiling and avoiding eye contact."

used to show that the opinion someone is giving comes from their own viewpoint

"Personally, I like it."

"Personally, I believe that investing in education will yield the best long-term societal benefits."

used to express that something might happen or be true

"He could possibly be late."

"He could possibly be the new manager but we have to wait for the official announcement from headquarters."

with a lot of speed

"She ran quickly."

"The firefighters arrived quickly and managed to put out the fire before it spread further."

in a way that produces little or no noise

"Please sit quietly."

"The students sat quietly during the exam so that everyone could concentrate on their papers."

in a way that is very quick and often unexpected

"The river flowed rapidly downstream."

"The river flowed rapidly downstream after the heavy rains making it dangerous for anyone to swim."

in a small amount, extent, or level

"I am slightly taller than my brother."

"I am slightly taller than my brother but he is much stronger and faster than me at running."

only for one certain type of person or thing

"This book was written specifically for children."

"This book was written specifically for children aged eight to twelve who are interested in science and nature."

used to suggest a logical conclusion based on the information or reasoning provided

"He studied hard therefore he passed."

"He studied hard therefore he passed the exam with flying colors and got into a good university."

in a way that usually happens

"Typically, it rains."

"Typically, the conference is held in the spring, but this year it was moved to the fall."

to a degree that is close to being complete

"The baby is nearly one year old."

"The baby is nearly one year old and will start walking very soon according to the doctor."

in a way that cannot be avoided

"Big cars are not necessarily safer."

"Bigger cars are not necessarily safer than smaller ones despite what many people seem to believe."

at the time or point immediately following the present

"Next we will dance."

"Next we will visit the museum and then go to the park for a picnic lunch together."

in a new, creative, and perhaps unexpected way

"Originally she is from Brazil."

"Originally she is from Brazil but she moved to Canada when she was ten years old with her family."

to a degree that is higher than usual

"I particularly enjoy Italian food."

"I particularly enjoy Italian food especially pasta dishes like spaghetti and lasagna with rich tomato sauce."

used to emphasize something

"It was perfectly fine."

"The cake was perfectly baked and delicious and everyone asked for a second slice of it."

used to express possibility or likelihood of something

"Perhaps we should wait."

"Perhaps we should ask the teacher for help because this math problem is really difficult to solve."

used to express that something might happen or be true

"I can possibly help you tomorrow."

"He could possibly be the new manager but we have to wait for the official announcement from headquarters."

in a correct or satisfactory manner

"Do it properly."

"Please ensure you complete the task properly by following all the instructions carefully."

in a way that is almost the same

"Similarly her sister has blue eyes."

"Similarly her sister also has blue eyes and curly hair just like her mother."

used to show that something is the case and nothing more

"You can simply turn off the lights."

"You can simply turn off the lights when you leave the room to save electricity and reduce your energy bill."

only for one certain type of person or thing

"This book was written specifically for children."

"This book was written specifically for children aged eight to twelve who are interested in science and nature."

with great physical force, energy, or power

"He held strongly."

"The detective strongly suspected that the suspect was not telling the complete truth about the incident."

in a manner showing absolute confidence in the statement

"You will surely pass."

"You will surely pass the test if you study hard and review all the material before the exam day."

used to suggest a logical conclusion based on the information or reasoning provided

"He was tired, therefore."

"The evidence clearly indicated his guilt; therefore, the jury found him guilty."

used to introduce a statement that makes the previous one less strong and somewhat surprising

"He is kind though sometimes he is rude."

"He is very kind though sometimes he can be a little bit rude when he is tired."

at the present time

"I am busy today."

"I have a lot of work to do today so I cannot go out for lunch with you unfortunately."