We know that adverbs modify verbs.
Adverbs tell more about the action in a sentence by showing how, when, or in what way something happens.
However, adverbs also modify adjectives.
Look at this sentence: I carried a heavy box.
Heavy is an adjective. Heavy modifies the noun box.
Now we’ll add a word.
That is a very heavy box.
Very is an adverb that modifies heavy. How heavy is the heavy box? Very heavy.
Adverbs that modify adjectives answer the question how much? or to what intensity?
Here are some more adverbs that modify adjectives:
more, less, most, least, too, very, barely, extremely, incredibly, always
These sentences show an adverb modifying an adjective:
She brought her most faithful companion to the dinner.
That is my least favorite picture.
Mom wore a very pretty dress to the wedding.
He did an extremely dangerous maneuver.
My grandma is always happy.
The first dark word in each sentence above is an adverb that tells How much? or To what intensity?
The second dark word is the adjective being modified by the adverb.
Remember – Adverbs sometimes modify adjectives. An adverb modifying an adjective is usually showing how much? or to what intensity? The adverb sits just in front of the adjective that it is modifying.