Question

Please help!
Explain how to determine whether a word is being used as an adverb

Answer 1

An adverb is a word that describes - or modifies, as grammarians put it - a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
•A verb is an action word (jump, run, swim, ski, fish, talk)
•An adjective is a descriptive word that describes a noun (pretty, happy, silly, sunny)
•A noun is a person, place or thing (girl, dog, mom)

It is easy to see how adverbs describe, or modify, verbs, since they simply explain most about the action. For example:
•He quickly runs
•She slowly walks
•He happily chatters

Adverbs can also describe adjectives or other adverbs. They provide more information about that other descriptive word. For example:
•He very quickly runs. In this sentence, quickly is an adverb describing the word runs. Very is another adverb, this time describing the word quickly.
•The very pretty girl sat down. In this sentence, pretty is an adjective describing the noun girl. Very is an adverb describing the adjective pretty.
You can tell whether or not a word is an adverb by considering its function in the sentence. If it is describing one of those three parts of speech- a verb, adjective or other adverb- it is an adverb.

You can also tell whether something is an adverb by looking at the ending of the word. A lot of adverbs - not all, but a lot - end in “ly.” For example, happily, quickly, speedily, steadily, foolishly, and angrily are all adverbs. So, if you said:
•He happily runs.

You can tell that happily is an adverb because it is describing the word runs and because it ends in ly.

Many frequency words are adverbs as well. For example, very, much, more and many can all be adverbs.
•The very pretty girl was in the car.
•The much smarter boy won the race.

Answer 2

Basically when it has ly at the end.