Elaborating Sentences

Imagine that you are at a football game and the cheerleaders shout:

"How?" "When?" "Where?" "Why?" "To what degree?" "How often?"

Those are the adverb questions. Words, phrases, and clauses that answer those questions function as adverbs. You can use the adverb cheer to remember the questions, and you can use those questions to elaborate the ideas in any sentence. For example, take this sentence:

Bob giggled.

It's nice enough, but it doesn't tell us how he giggled.

Bob giggled like a nervous hamster.

But when did he giggle?

When Sheri asked him to dance, Bob giggled like a nervous hamster.

And why did he giggle?

When Sheri asked him to dance, Bob giggled like a nervous hamster because he secretly liked her.

Your Turn Turn the bare sentences below into a story. Elaborate each sentence by adding words, phrases, or clauses that answer some of the adverb questions:

"How?" "When?" "Where?" "Why?" "To what degree?" "How often?"

1. Sheri blushed.

2. Bob stammered.

3. Sheri turned.

4. Bob followed.

5. He apologized.

6. She accepted.

7. They danced.

8. Bob thanked her.

9. Sheri smiled.

10. Bob sighed.