Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner are the largest group of adverbs.

Some of them can be used as either adjectives or adverbs.

Adverbs of manner are formed by adding -ly to the corresponding adjectives.

1. In most cases, -ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective.

Adjective Adverb of manner

bad badly
clear clearly
rapid rapidly
complete completely
surprising surprisingly

2. Adjectives ending in ic
When the adjective ends in ic, the syllable al is usually added before the -ly ending.

Adjective Adverb of manner

drastic drastically
frantic frantically
specific specifically

3. Adjectives ending in le
When the adjective ends in -le preceded by a consonant, the final -e is usually changed to -y.

Adjective Adverb of manner

simple simply
preferable preferably
gentle gently

4. When the adjective ends in -le preceded by a vowel, we simply add -ly to the adjective.
.

Adjective Adverb of manner

agile agilely
sole solely
whole Wholly exception

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5. When the adjective ends in -ll, only -y is added.

Adjective Adverb of manner

dull dully
full fully
shrill shrilly

6. When the adjective ends in -ue, we omit the final -e and add -ly.

Adjective Adverb of manner

due duly
true truly

7. When the adjective ends in -y preceded by a consonant, the -y is usually

changed to -i before –ly.

Adjective Adverb of manner

happy happily
easy easily
shy Shyly exception
sly Slyly execption

8. When the adjective ends in -y preceded by a vowel, we simply add –ly to the adjective.

Adjective Adverb of manner

coy coy ly
grey greyly
gay gaily exception

9. Other types of adverb may also end in -ly.

Consequently Connecting adverb

subsequently Connecting adverb
frequently Frequency adverb
generally Frequency adverb
usually Frequency adverb
rarely Frequency adverb

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10. Adverbs of manner which do not use the ending –ly.

Adjective Adverb of manner

Fast Fast
hard hard
little little
loud loud or loudly
much much
straight straight
good well

Well can also be used as an adjective with the meaning of “healthy”.

Well, oltre ad essere avverbio, può anche essere aggettivo con il significato di “healthy”.

I hope you are well. (adjective)

He did well on the examination. (adverb)

11. Adverbs of place, time and frequency which have the same forms as the corresponding
adjectives.
Avverbi di luogo, tempo e frequenza che hanno la stessa forma dell’aggettivo corrispondente.

Adjective Adverb of place

far far
high high
low low
near near
wide wide

Adjective Adverb of time

early early
first first
late late
long long

Adjective Adverb of frequency

daily daily
monthly monthly
weekly weekly
yearly yearly

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12. Several adjectives ending in -ly have no corresponding adverbs:

friendly
Likely
Ugly
Lively
silly
lonely

13. The following pairs of adverbs are closely related, but have different meanings.

Adverb Meaning Adverb Meaning

hard With effort hardly scarcely
high Opposite of low highly very
late opposite of early lately recently
near opposite of far nearly almost
wide opposite of narrow widely commonly

What’s the function of an adjective? What’s the function of an adverb?

Adjectives modify nouns, pronouns, and expressions which serve the same grammatical functions as
nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

He is a quiet boy. (adjective modifies noun)

The boy entered quietly. (adverb modifies verb)
A large wooden door. (adjective modifies noun)
 A largely wooden door. (adverb modifies adjective)