Viewpoint and comment adverbs express the speaker's attitude, opinion, or perspective on the whole sentence. They are also called sentence adverbs.
Comment Adverbs
These show the speaker's feeling about the information.
| Adverb | Meaning | Example | | ------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------- | | luckily | fortunate | Luckily, nobody was injured. | | unfortunately | regrettable | Unfortunately, the flight was cancelled. | | honestly | truthfully | Honestly, I don't know the answer. | | clearly | obvious | Clearly, there has been a mistake. | | obviously | evident | Obviously, he is not happy. | | surprisingly | unexpected | Surprisingly, the exam was easy. | | frankly | direct | Frankly, I don't care. |
Viewpoint Adverbs
These show from what perspective or in what way the statement is true.
- Personally, I think we should wait.
- Technically, this is correct, but it sounds strange.
- Economically, the country is recovering.
- Politically, the decision was risky.
Position
These adverbs usually go at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma. They can also go in mid or end position for less emphasis.
- Clearly, this is a problem. (strong emphasis)
- This is clearly a problem. (neutral)
- This is a problem, clearly. (added as an afterthought)
Comment Adverbs vs. Adverbs of Manner
Some adverbs can be both. Compare:
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She spoke clearly. (manner adverb — describes how she spoke)
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Clearly, she is not ready. (comment adverb — speaker's opinion)
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He answered honestly. (manner)
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Honestly, I don't know. (comment)