Add These Advanced Adverbs to Boost Your English Speaking & Writing Level

In this lesson you'll learn adverbs that can be used in your speaking and writing to sound more advanced and fluent with your English.

Note about Adverbs

Adverbs are used independently unlike prepositions.  Prepositions need a noun or noun phrase connected to them, while adverbs don’t. 

If you start a sentence or clause with an adverb/adverb phrase, you can use a comma at the end of it and then start with your subject + verb combination:

• At first, I didn’t trust my boss.

• She is very quiet and likes to work independently.  That being said, she always meets her targets.

• It wasn’t the best presentation I’ve ever done , but all things considered, it was a success.

Adverbs	Meaning	Example
Actually In fact In reality The truth is (that) As a matter of fact	Clarifying the truth after mentioning something false or misunderstood.	People think that my country is very dangerous. In reality, it’s safe in most areas with the exception of just a few dangerous neighborhoods.
Basically In essence Essentially In a nutshell In brief To make a long story short	Gives a quick summary of the main point of your message.	My job is a little complicated and hard to describe, but in essence, I help companies find ways to be more efficient in their operations.
In the end Ultimately At the end of the day When all’s said and done When push comes to shove When it comes down to it The bottom line is	Emphasizing the most important aspect to remember about something.	You can try to earn more and more money to be happy but at the end of the day, happiness comes from the relationships you have with the people most important to you.
Overall On the whole All in all By and large On balance All things considered	Giving your main opinion or comment after considering all aspects (ex. the pros and cons) of something.	My job is a lot of responsibility and stressful sometimes, but it also gives me a strong sense of purpose. On the whole, I’m happy with my choice of career.
Nevertheless Nonetheless That being said Even so Still Yet	Adds something that contrasts or contradicts the previous statement.	I’m not religious and don’t really believe in God. Yet, I go to church to learn more about Christian faith.
Originally At first Initially In the beginning At the outset	Tells us the original state of something before a change to the current state.	Initially. our product wasn’t popular with consumers but now it’s the market leader with the highest sales among all available products.

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Practice

Task 1: Choose the more suitable word between the two options given in each sentence below:

1. Originally, I thought that it was a great company to work for, but at the outset/the truth is, it’s a toxic culture.

2. I disagree with my manager’s decision as I have a different opinion. In brief/That being said, I’ll respect her decision and go with it.

3. Initially/In reality, I found it very difficult to communicate in English, but now I’m much more confident and fluent.

4. The hotel had a nice location and the food wasn't bad, but our room was very small and there was a lot of noise inside. I also didn't like the attitude of the staff. All in all/Even so, I wouldn't recommend staying there.

5. I finished the book that I was reading. Nevertheless/Essentially, it's about a woman who travels to the past to change a mistake that she made.

6. With regard to being a successful manager, you can build good relationships with your staff and be very popular among your team, but when push comes to shove/in the beginning, you need to get results.

Task 2: Fill in the blanks below with the missing words. Try not to use the chart for help.

Person A: "______ the outset, I thought this project was going to be easy, but ______ reality, it turned out to be quite challenging, didn’t it?"

Person B: "Yes, it was exhausting.  _______ so, we learned a lot from it."

Person A: "Indeed we did.  To make a long story _______, despite the hurdles, we managed to complete it successfully."

Person B: "Definitely!  All in _____, it was a great experience."

Person A: "Yes, I agree.  These situations can be stressful, but _______ all’s said and done, gaining experience is what matters the most."

Answers

Task 1

1. Originally, I thought that it was a great company to work for, but the truth is, it’s a toxic culture.

2. I disagree with my manager’s decision as I have a different opinion. That being said, I’ll respect her decision and go with it.

3. Initially, I found it very difficult to communicate in English, but now I’m much more confident and fluent.

4. The hotel had a nice location and the food wasn't bad, but our room was very small and there was a lot of noise inside. I also didn't like the attitude of the staff. All in all, I wouldn't recommend staying there.

5. I finished the book that I was reading. Essentially, it's about a woman who travels to the past to change a mistake that she made.

6. With regard to being a successful manager, you can build good relationships with your staff and be very popular among your team, but when push comes to shove, you need to get results.

Task 2

Person A: "At the outset, I thought this project was going to be easy, but in reality, it turned out to be quite challenging, didn’t it?"

Person B: "Yes, it was exhausting.  Even so, we learned a lot from it."

Person A: "Indeed we did.  To make a long story short, despite the hurdles, we managed to complete it successfully."

Person B: "Definitely!  All in all, it was a great experience."

Person A: "Yes, I agree.  These situations can be stressful, but when all’s said and done, gaining experience is what matters the most."