状语的作用：状语说明地点、时间、原因、目的、结果、条件、方向、程度、方式和伴随状况等。
状语一般由副词、介词短语、分词和分词短语、名词、不定式或相当于副词的词或短语来担当。其位置一般放在句末，但也可放在句首或句中。
副词是一种用来修饰动词，形容词，副词或全句的词，说明时间，地点，程度，方式等概念。
扩展资料：
具体用法：
1、副词一般在句子中做状语
He speaks English very well. 他英语说得非常好。
其中的“very”是程度副词，用来修饰“well”。“very well”是修饰“speak”的程度状语。
2、不定式在句子中可以作目的状语
I come specially to see you. 我专门来看你。
3、介词短语
Ten years ago, She began to live in Dalian.
从十年以前开始，她开始住在了大连。
The boy was praised for his bravery.
这个男孩因为他的勇敢而被夸奖。
4、从句作状语
When she was 12 years old, she began to live in Dalian.
她12岁的那一年开始居住于大连。
5、动词ing形式作状语
①表示时间
Seeing its mother, the baby smiled. （see和smile同时发生）
看到它的母亲，婴儿笑了。
②表示原因
Not knowing anything about the accident, he went to work as usual.
(=Because he didn't know anything about the...)
Not having received any news from home for a long time, she is becoming more and more homesick.
(=As she hasn't received any news from home...)
③表示结果
It rained heavily, causing severe flooding in that country.
大雨滂沱，造成了那个国家洪水泛滥。
④表示方式
He earns a living driving a truck.
他靠开卡车谋取生计。
⑤表示伴随
She sat at the desk reading a newspaper.（reading是伴随着sat进行的）
她坐在书桌前看报纸。
6、名词作状语
We must get together again some day.
将来某天我们必能再相聚。
参考资料来源：百度百科－状语