How to Teach Adverbs The Easy Way: An ESL Lesson Plan

When learning English, it’s very important to learn how to describe actions. How does one describe actions? The answer is simple: by using adverbs! In this post, you will learn how to teach adverbs effectively while using the Off2Class adverbs lesson plan. Teaching adverbs has never been easier!

When to use this lesson

This is the first of two lessons on how to teach adverbs. This lesson is designed for pre-intermediate students that have existing knowledge of the present simple and present continuous. It is great for teachers to introduce students to the form of adverbs and adverbs as used after verbs. This lesson is straightforward and logical so that your student can develop an understanding of how to use adverbs in conversation and writing.

You can download the free Off2Class lesson plan here:

What you will teach

In this lesson, you will not only teach students the different forms of adverbs but also how to make an adjective into an adverb. To do so you must first teach your students to differentiate adjectives and adverbs. Then you will introduce your student(s) to the rules surrounding how to write adverbs correctly. For example, you will teach students that when an adjective ends in -y, you must drop the -y and add -ily to create an adverb (happy becomes happily). 

How to teach adverbs to ESL students

In the ESL community, many teachers focus on having their students memorize grammar rules. Of course, ESL students need to understand the grammar rules behind making an adjective into an adverb. However, the best way to teach them to do this is through practice. 

To start the lesson, ask students to describe images. Then they will match statements containing adverbs with these same images. This is a good opportunity to explain the function of adverbs to your students. Remember to tell students the following information: adverbs provide readers and listeners with information about how actions are done.

You will then guide your students to convert adjectives into adverbs using certain rules. This will allow your students to successfully fill in the blanks of sentences missing adverbs.

Throughout the lesson, make sure you encourage students and ask questions. It is necessary to elicit information from students to track progress. 

To gain access to helpful teacher notes containing questions and prompts, I recommend that you make a free Off2Class account. With the free Off2Class account you will also gain access to 150 free lesson downloads, with teacher notes. This will help you save so much time so that you can focus on your students. Here at Off2Class, we are working to improve the lives of teachers everywhere. Let us know if this lesson is helpful by commenting below— we love to hear from teachers like you.