Can an adverb start a sentence?

Yes, and 4th grade is when students should start noticing it. Openers like Yesterday, Suddenly, and Finally are all adverbs. They still describe the verb, just from the front of the sentence. Have students draw an arrow from the adverb back to the action it describes.

Is "friendly" an adverb?

No, and it's the most common trap at this level. Friendly describes a noun (a friendly wave), which makes it an adjective. The same goes for lonely, lovely, and silly. Meanwhile fast, hard, and late can be adverbs without any -ly at all.

4th grade identifying adverbs

4th grade identifying adverbs worksheets

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. By 4th grade, students find adverbs anywhere in a sentence, including openers like "Suddenly" or "Yesterday," and learn that -ly endings can trick you: "lovely" is an adjective.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.3.1.a.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll get

Underline the adverb in each sentence.

The curly-haired violinist bowed deeply after her solo.
Answer: deeply
Hana practiced her speech bravely in front of the mirror.
The referees must review the close play carefully.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 4th grade sheet

4th grade sheets draw from 132 sentences, 12 to a page. 52 of the 132 aren't on 3rd grade sheets. The other 80 are.

Some of the words to find:

weeklysilentlydailyskillfullysafelynightlysoftlythicklyjoyfullyneatly

Identify. Underline the adverb in each sentence. 12 questions per page.
Multiple choice. Circle the letter of the word that is the adverb. 10 questions per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Fourth graders are ready for adverbs that open a sentence (Yesterday, we visited the museum) and adverbs of frequency (rarely, always). This is also the year to tackle the -ly trap head on: friendly, lonely, and lovely are adjectives, while fast, hard, and late work as adverbs without changing form. Ask students to prove each answer by naming the word it describes: an action (whispered quietly), a describing word (really cold), or another adverb (very slowly). If the word describes a noun, it isn't an adverb.

Watch for: Not every word that ends in -ly is an adverb. In 'a friendly dog', friendly describes the dog, so it is an adjective. Adverbs do not always end in -ly. Words like soon, here, never, and fast can be adverbs too.

Common questions about 4th grade identifying adverbs

Can an adverb start a sentence?: Yes, and 4th grade is when students should start noticing it. Openers like Yesterday, Suddenly, and Finally are all adverbs. They still describe the verb, just from the front of the sentence. Have students draw an arrow from the adverb back to the action it describes.
Is "friendly" an adverb?: No, and it's the most common trap at this level. Friendly describes a noun (a friendly wave), which makes it an adjective. The same goes for lonely, lovely, and silly. Meanwhile fast, hard, and late can be adverbs without any -ly at all.

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Aligned to Common Core L.3.1.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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