Adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes or modifies a verb, adjective or other adverb.

For instance, you could say:

She destroyed her car.

or you could make it more descriptive by adding an adverb:

She completely destroyed her car. 

Adverbs answer questions like when, where, how and to what extent (how much or how long).

When: Yesterday we went to school.
Where: We saw the bird there.
How: The car drove fast.
How much: We mostly agree with you.

They also confirm that something was or was not done.

Positive: He certainly does feel that way.
Negative: You should not be late.

Position of Adverbs

Generally, adverbs make sense directly after the verbs they modify, but they can also be moved around the sentence. It can go at the beginning of the sentence, before the verb, or between a helping verb and the main verb.

I walk my dog daily.
Daily I walk my dog.
I daily walk my dog.
I have daily walked my dog.

Grammar 101: Adverbs Modifying Verbs
Grammarist: Adverbs
Study.com: Comparison of adjectives & adverbs

Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

For instance, you could say:

A cat walked past my window.

or you could make it more descriptive by adding adjectives:

A large orange striped cat walked past my window.(1)

Adjectives answer the questions which one, what kind, and how much/many.

Which one: That car has been in a crash.
What kind: We have black squirrels in our neighborhood.
How much: I ate too much sugar for breakfast.
How many: I saw five swans in our pond.

(1) Note: The 'A' in both the cat sentences is also an adjective referred to as an article.




Grammarist: Adjectives
Study.com: Comparison of Adjectives & Adverbs
Grammar 101: Adjectives

Verbs

A verb is a word that conveys an action, an occurrence or a state of being.

Maria dances at the studio. (action)

Tom became a policeman. (occurrence)
The statue has stood there for years. (state of being)

Unlike the other parts of speech, every sentence must have at lease one verb.





Wikipedia: Verb
Study.com: What is a verb phrase?
GrammarBook.com: Finding nouns, verbs and subjects
English Verbs (Part 1) - Basic Terms

Verbs: Action, Linking, Helping

Verbs fall into three categories: action, linking, and helping (auxiliary).

1. Action verbs express an action that the subject of a sentence does, did in the past or will do in the future.

Cats meow loudly.Miriam leapt over the couch.
Tom reached for the glass.
The water is boiling.

Action verbs can be further categorized as transitive or intransitive.

2. Linking verbs connect a subject to other words in a sentence that describe it or provide additional information.

My dog is an Akita.
Tom was a rich man.
I feel refreshed after that nap.
The water is boiling.

3. Helping (auxiliary) verbs is the part of a verb phrase that helps the main verb show tense, possibility, ability or other degrees of meaning.

He is sleeping. (Express present tense)
He was sleeping. (Express paste tense)
He will be sleeping. (Express future tense)
That could help. (Express possibility)
Do you want to go? (Ask a question)
I can swim. (Express ability)
That should help. (Express likelihood)



Study.com: Action, Linking and Auxiliary Verbs
English Grammar 101: Action Verbs
English Grammar 101: Linking Verbs
Lumen: Helping Verbs