Understanding Adverb Phrases: Examples to Improve Your Grammar

about the future

• Refers to something related to what will happen later on.
• I often think about the future and what it will be like.

after dinner

• Refers to the time following a meal.
• I like to relax after dinner.

as soon as possible

• Refers to doing something immediately or as quickly as possible.
• Please send the report as soon as possible.

at first glance

• Refers to the first impression or initial view.
• At first glance, the problem seemed simple, but it was more complicated.

at midnight

• Refers to the time exactly at 12:00 AM.
• The party ended at midnight.

at night

• Refers to the time after the sun goes down.
• I prefer reading at night.

before school

• Refers to the time prior to attending school.
• I usually have breakfast before school.

by all means

• Refers to giving permission or encouragement to do something.
• By all means, take a break if you need it.

by chance

• Refers to something happening unexpectedly or randomly.
• We met by chance at the grocery store.

by the way

• Refers to introducing a new or additional piece of information.
• By the way, have you seen my keys?

due to circumstances beyond control

• Refers to reasons or events that cannot be influenced or stopped.
• The flight was delayed due to circumstances beyond control.

during the summer

• Refers to the time in the summer season.
• We travel during the summer.

for a while

• Refers to a short period of time.
• I stayed in the park for a while.

for example

• Refers to introducing an instance to explain something.
• Many fruits are healthy, for example, apples and bananas.

for good measure

• Refers to adding something extra, often to make sure.
• She added a little extra cheese for good measure.

for lack of better options

• Refers to choosing something when no better choices are available.
• He took the job for lack of better options.

for the sake of clarity

• Refers to doing something to make things clear or easy to understand.
• For the sake of clarity, I will explain it one more time.

from time to time

• Refers to something that happens occasionally.
• I visit my grandparents from time to time.

in a hurry

• Refers to being rushed or not having enough time.
• She left in a hurry to catch the bus.

in case of emergency

• Refers to a situation where action needs to be taken in an urgent or dangerous circumstance.
• Keep this number handy in case of emergency.

in case you forgot

• Refers to reminding someone about something they may have forgotten.
• In case you forgot, the meeting starts at 10 AM.

in front of me

• Refers to being ahead or facing someone or something.
• The car stopped right in front of me.

in light of recent events

• Refers to considering recent events when making a decision.
• In light of recent events, we decided to cancel the meeting.

in my opinion

• Refers to expressing a personal view.
• In my opinion, the movie was fantastic.

in other words

• Refers to restating something in a different way for clarity.
• She’s very organized. In other words, she always plans ahead.

in search of happiness

• Refers to actively looking for happiness.
• She moved to a new city in search of happiness.

in the end

• Refers to the final result or conclusion.
• In the end, we all agreed on the plan.

in the evening

• Refers to the period of time after the afternoon but before night.
• I like to go for a walk in the evening.

in the meantime

• Refers to the time between two events.
• The bus will arrive in 10 minutes; in the meantime, let’s wait here.

in the morning

• Refers to the early part of the day.
• I like to jog in the morning.

on account of the rain

• Refers to a reason for doing something because of the rain.
• The match was postponed on account of the rain.

on the weekend

• Refers to the time during the weekend.
• We go hiking on the weekend.

on top of that

• Refers to adding more information to a situation.
• She finished the project, and on top of that, she helped her colleagues.

once a week

• Refers to an action that happens one time per week.
• I go to the gym once a week.

out of control

• Refers to something that is no longer manageable or regulated.
• The situation got out of control quickly.

out of sight, out of mind

• Refers to forgetting something when it is no longer visible or present.
• Once I moved away, out of sight, out of mind, and I didn’t keep in touch.

thanks to his support

• Refers to expressing gratitude or acknowledgment for someone’s help.
• Thanks to his support, I was able to finish the project on time.

through thick and thin

• Refers to remaining loyal or supportive through difficult times.
• He stayed with me through thick and thin.

to be honest

• Refers to speaking truthfully or candidly.
• To be honest, I wasn’t very interested in the movie.

to some extent

• Refers to a partial degree or limited amount.
• I agree with you to some extent.

twice a day

• Refers to an action that happens two times per day.
• She takes medicine twice a day.

under pressure

• Refers to being in a stressful or challenging situation.
• He worked well under pressure.

under the weather

• Refers to feeling ill or unwell.
• I stayed home because I was feeling a bit under the weather.

with a smile on her face

• Refers to doing something happily or cheerfully.
• She greeted everyone with a smile on her face.

with all due respect

• Refers to showing politeness while disagreeing or making a point.
• With all due respect, I don’t agree with your idea.

with caution

• Refers to doing something carefully or with careful attention.
• Drive with caution in bad weather.

with enthusiasm

• Refers to doing something with excitement or energy.
• She spoke with enthusiasm about the new project.

with great care

• Refers to doing something carefully or attentively.
• He painted the picture with great care.

with open arms

• Refers to welcoming someone warmly.
• The community welcomed the new teacher with open arms.

without a doubt

• Refers to being certain or confident about something.
• He is without a doubt the best player on the team.