Comment Adverbs (1)

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Comment adverbs express the speaker's feelings, judgement, or opinion about what they are saying. They help add emotion, emphasis, or evaluation to a statement.

Types of Comment Adverbs:

  1. Expressing certainty/uncertainty

    • Undoubtedly, she is the best candidate. (Strong certainty)
    • Presumably, he got lost on the way. (Likely but not confirmed)

  2. Expressing evaluation/judgement

    • Luckily, we found a taxi just in time. (A positive situation)
    • Regrettably, the event was cancelled. (A negative situation)

  3. Expressing personal opinion

    • Frankly, I don’t like your tone. (Blunt honesty)
    • To be honest, I expected better. (Personal disappointment)

  4. Expressing generalisation

    • Generally speaking, people prefer summer over winter. (A broad truth)
    • By and large, the project was successful. (Overall assessment)
They are often used at the beginning, but they can also appear in the middle or end of a sentence.

âś… At the beginning:

  • Honestly, I don’t understand his decision.
  • Financially speaking, this plan makes no sense.

âś… In the middle:

  • He was, strangely enough, very calm about the accident.
  • The team is, without a doubt, the best in the league.

âś… At the end (less common):

  • He finished the test on time, luckily.
  • She handled the situation well, to my surprise.

  1. Luckily, we arrived before the storm hit. - Used to express relief or fortune in a situation.
  2. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to meet up with her. - Introduces negative or unwanted news.
  3. Hopefully, the weather will improve. - Expresses optimism.
  4. Unsurprisingly, he failed the test after not studying. - Used when something happens exactly as expected.
  5. Clearly, he wasn’t paying attention. - Indicates certainty or strong evidence.
  6. Obviously, you shouldn’t touch a hot stove. - Emphasises that something is clear or self-evident.
  7. Naturally, she was nervous before her speech. - Suggests that something is logical or expected.
  8. In theory, / Theoretically, this plan should work. - Introduces an idea that works in principle but may not in reality.
  9. Sadly, the concert was canceled due to rain. -  Introduces unfortunate or disappointing information.
  10. Presumably, the procedure will be the same as the last time. - Suggests something is likely but not certain.
  11. Undoubtedly, she is the best candidate for the job. - Indicates strong confidence in a fact or opinion.
  12. Thank goodness we caught the last train! - Expresses relief about a positive outcome.
  13. It’s a good job we brought umbrellas! - Indicates that something happened just in time or was necessary.
  14. (It’s) just as well we left early—the traffic was terrible. - Indicates relief that something happened a certain way.
  15. Quite frankly, I don’t trust him. - Introduces a direct, possibly harsh opinion.
  16. To be perfectly honest, I found the movie boring. - Similar to "quite frankly," but softer.
  17. Funnily enough, I met her the day before.- Indicates mild surprise at an amusing coincidence.
  18. I’m glad to say that she recovered quickly. - Introduces positive news.
  19. To make matters worse, the car broke down. - Introduces information that worsens a bad situation.
  20. Much to my disappointment, the show was postponed. - Emphasises personal letdown.
  21. Much to my surprise, he agreed immediately. - Highlights unexpected events.
  22. To my utter astonishment, she won first place! - Stronger than “much to my surprise.”
  23. On the whole, the trip was enjoyable. - Gives a general assessment.
  24. Generally speaking, people enjoy holidays. - Introduces a broad or common truth.
  25. All being well, we should arrive by noon. - Expresses hope for a smooth outcome.


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