Adverbs (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Adverbs
What are adverbs?
An adverb is a word that describes how a verb is performed. It provides additional information about an action, telling you the manner, time, frequency, or place of what is happening. For example, adverbs can show whether something is done quickly, slowly, or loudly.
Adverbs are essential for adding detail and nuance to your French writing. They help create more vivid and precise descriptions of actions, making your communication more effective and sophisticated.
Forming adverbs in French
The -ment ending
Most French adverbs are formed similarly to English adverbs ending in -ly. In French, many adverbs end in -ment.
Formation rule: Take the feminine form of an adjective and add -ment
| Adjective (masculine) | Adjective (feminine) | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| final | finale | finalement | finally |
| normal | normale | normalement | normally |
| rapide | rapide | rapidement | quickly |
| lent | lente | lentement | slowly |
Worked Example: Forming adverbs with -ment
Step 1: Start with the masculine adjective lent (slow) Step 2: Find the feminine form: lente Step 3: Add -ment: lente + -ment = lentement (slowly)
The feminine form is crucial because it often has a different ending than the masculine form, which affects the final adverb.
Dropping -ant and -ent
When an adjective ends in -ant or -ent, you drop this ending and add a different suffix:
Formation rules:
- -ant becomes -amment
- -ent becomes -emment
Note that both endings are pronounced the same way, despite different spellings!
| Adjective | Formation | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| indépendant | indépend + -amment | indépendamment | independently |
| récent | réc + -emment | récemment | recently |
Worked Example: -ant and -ent transformations
For indépendant: Step 1: Remove -ant: indépend Step 2: Add -amment: indépend + -amment = indépendamment
For récent: Step 1: Remove -ent: réc Step 2: Add -emment: réc + -emment = récemment
Irregular adverbs
Some adverbs don't follow these patterns and must be memorised:
These irregular adverbs are commonly used in everyday French, so it's worth learning them by heart as they don't follow the standard formation rules.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| vraiment | really |
| absolument | absolutely |
Example sentences:
- Je travaille indépendamment. (I work independently.)
- Elle parle vraiment bien français. (She really speaks French well.)
Comparative and superlative of adverbs
To compare actions, you can use adverbs in comparative and superlative forms:
Formation:
- Comparative: plus/moins + adverb
- Superlative: le plus/le moins + adverb
Worked Example: Comparing speed
La voiture va vite, le train va plus vite mais c'est l'avion qui va le plus vite. (The car goes fast, the train goes faster but it's the plane that goes the fastest.)
Breaking it down:
- vite (fast) - basic adverb
- plus vite (faster) - comparative
- le plus vite (the fastest) - superlative
Types of adverbs
Understanding different types of adverbs helps you use them effectively in various contexts. Each type serves a specific purpose in communication.
Adverbs of time
These adverbs help you sequence events and are particularly useful when narrating:
Time adverbs are essential for creating clear chronological order in your narratives and explanations. They act as signposts that guide your reader through the sequence of events.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| d'abord / au début | at the beginning |
| puis / ensuite / alors | then |
| maintenant | now |
| finalement | finally |
| à l'avenir | in the future |
| aujourd'hui | today |
| demain | tomorrow |
Example: D'abord j'ai joué au basket puis je suis allé à la piscine. (First of all I played basketball then I went to the pool.)
Adverbs of frequency
These adverbs tell you how often something happens:
Frequency adverbs are particularly useful when discussing habits, routines, and regular activities. They help create a clearer picture of someone's lifestyle or behaviour patterns.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| rarement | rarely |
| d'habitude | usually |
| normalement | normally |
| souvent | often |
| de temps en temps | from time to time |
| régulièrement | regularly |
| quelquefois | sometimes |
| immédiatement | immediately |
| toujours | always |
Adverbs of position
These describe where something is located:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| au-dessus | above |
| au-dessous | below |
| dehors | outside |
| derrière | behind |
| en bas | down |
| en haut | up |
| ici | here |
| là-bas | over there |
| proche | near |
| loin (de) | far (from) |
| là | there |
| partout | everywhere |
Linking adverbs
These adverbs help connect ideas and show relationships between thoughts:
Linking adverbs are crucial for creating cohesive and sophisticated writing. They help your ideas flow smoothly from one to the next and show logical relationships between different points.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| peut-être | perhaps |
| par conséquent | as a result |
| plutôt | rather |
| probablement | probably |
| alors | so |
| seulement | only |
| toujours | always |
| clairement | clearly |
| par contre | however |
| souvent | often |
| quelquefois | sometimes |
Exam tip
When writing in French, use a variety of adverbs to make your work more sophisticated. Time adverbs are particularly useful in past tense narratives, whilst frequency adverbs help when discussing habits and routines.
Key Points to Remember:
- Most French adverbs end in -ment, similar to English adverbs ending in -ly
- Form adverbs by adding -ment to the feminine form of adjectives
- Adjectives ending in -ant become -amment, and those ending in -ent become -emment
- Use plus/moins + adverb for comparatives and le plus/le moins + adverb for superlatives
- Different types of adverbs (time, frequency, position, linking) serve different purposes in your writing