Question

French Tutorial: Adverbs

Answer 1

\({\bf{Adverb~Placement:}}\)

- when modifying a verb: after the verb. in verb+verb expressions, the adverb usu. follows the verb that is actually being modified

ex:
Je fais de l'exercice quotidiennement. (I exercise daily.)

- when used in ne... pas expressions: after pas

ex: Je ne réponds pas aux questions négligemment. (I do not answer questions carelessly.)

- when modifying an adjective: before the adjective

ex: La solution est douloureusement évidente. (The solution is painfully obvious)

- when modifying the whole sentence: at the beginning or at the end

ex: Soigneusement, le chat monte les escaliers. / Le chat monte les escaliers soigneusement.

- when describing time or location: usually at the beginning or end of the sentence

ex: Aujourd'hui, je fais du shopping. / Je fais du shopping aujourd'hui. (Today I go shopping/I go shopping today.)

Answer 2

\({\bf{Adjectives~to~Adverbs:}}\) when an adjective is turned into its equivalent adverb form, the adverb form depends on the spelling of the adjective. important note: these are only rough guidelines. when in doubt, simply consult a dictionary for the appropriate adverb form.

if the adjective...

- has a masculine form ending in a vowel: add -ment
ex: sale (dirty) ---> salement (dirtily)

- has a masculine form ending in a consonant: add -ment to the feminine form
ex: affectueux (affectionate) --> affectueusement (affectionately)

- has a mascuiline form ending in -ent/-ant: drop last 2 letters and add -emment (for -ent adjectives) or -amment (for -ant adjectives)
ex: évident (obvious) --> évidemment (obviously)

Answer 3

\({\bf{Comparatives~and~Superlatives:}}\)

for a review of comparative and superlatives in general: https://questioncove.com/study#/updates/5eb49fe87ed89e0da33a4c00

comparative adverb forms:
plus + adverb + que: more than
aussi + adverb + que: equal to
moins + adverb + que: less than

ex:
Les gens qui travaillent dur sont traités moins bien que les gens paresseux. (Hard-working people are treated worse ("less well than") than lazy people.)

superlatives adverb forms:
le plus + adverb: the most
le moins + adverb: the least

Les moins performants sont les moins sûrs de leurs choix de vie. (Low-achievers are the least secure about their life choices.)

Answer 4

\({\bf{References:}}\)

Rochester, Myrna B. Easy French Step-by-Step, United States, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009, 221-225.

CollinsDictionary for French and English translations

Forvo (https://forvo.com/), a French pronunciation database with samples from native French speakers