However, your better way will be to distinguish adverbs by
considering the office they perform in the sentence; or by noticing
their grammatical relation, or their situation, with respect to other
words. To gain a thorough knowledge of their real character, is highly
important. _Rapidly, fast, far away, soon, sweetly_, &c. are known to be
adverbs by their qualifying the sense of verbs. "A _very_ good pen
writes _extremely well." Well_, in this sentence, is known to be an
adverb by its qualifying the sense of the verb _writes; extremely_, by
its ending in _ly_, or by its being joined to the adverb _well_ to
qualify it; and _very_ is known as an adverb by its joining the
adjective _good_.
Expressions like these, _none at all, a great deal, a few days ago, long
since, at length, in vain_, when they are used to denote the _manner_ or
_time_ of the action of verbs or participles, are generally termed
_adverbial phrases_.
Adverbs, though very numerous, may, for the sake of practical
convenience, be reduced to particular classes.
1. _Of Number;_ as, Once, twice, thrice, &c.
2. _Of Order;_ as, First, secondly, lastly, finally, &c.
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