Adjectives in -ly
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Typical mistakes: He spoke to me very friendly. She sang lovely.
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Many adjectives can be made into adverbs by adding -ly. Compare the following sentences:
The engine is very quiet. > It runs very quietly.
He is a wonderful guitarist. > He plays wonderfully.
But some words that end in -ly are adjectives, not adverbs. For example: friendly, lovely, lonely, likely, ugly, deadly, cowardly, silly. These words cannot be used as adverbs.
Examples:
He spoke to me in a very friendly way.
Her singing was lovely (or she sang beautifully).
Other words that end in -ly can be both adjectives and adverbs. Examples are daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, early. A daily paper is published daily, we get up early to catch an early train.
Adjectives and adverbs with the same form, adverbs with two forms
Sometimes, an adjective and an adverb have the same form. For example, a fast car goes fast. In other cases, the adverb has two forms (for example, late and lately), one like the adjective and the other with -ly. There is usually a difference of meaning or use between the two forms. The most important adverbs in this group are as follows:
Bloody
Bloody, and several other swearwords ('bad words') can be used both as adjectives and as adverbs.
For example:
'You bloody fool. You didn't look where you were going.' - 'I bloody did.'
Cheap
Cheap is often used instead of cheaply, especially in casual conversation and with the verbs 'buy' and 'sell'.
Example:
Do you like this shirt? I bought it really cheap.
Clean
The adverb 'Clean' means 'completely'. It is used (in an informal style) with the verb 'forget', the preposition 'over' and 'through', and the adverbs 'away' and 'out'.
Examples:
Sorry I didn't turn up - I clean forgot.
The ball sailed clean over the roof.
The explosion blew the cooker clean through the wall.
The prisoners got clean away.
I'm afraid I'm clean out of (= have no more) food.
The adverb 'cleanly' means 'precisely, without making a mess, not clumsily'. It is not often used with the verb 'cut'. For example, the surgeon cut cleanly through the abdominal wall.
Clear
Clearly has a similar meaning to the adjective 'clear', in the sense of 'without confusion', 'distinctly'. For example, I can't see clearly without my glasses. It can also mean 'obviously': We clearly need to think again.
The adverb 'clear' is used with 'of' to mean 'not touching', 'clear across' means 'right across'.
Examples:
Stand clear of the gate!
He threw her clear across the room.
Clear means 'clearly' in the expression loud and clear.
Close
The adverb 'close' usually means 'near'. Before a past participle, closely is used.
Examples:
Come close, I want to tell you something.
She's closely related to the Duke of Halifax.
The adverb 'closely' often means 'carefully, with great attention'. For example, study this closely: it is very important.
Dead
The adverb 'dead' is used in certain expressions to mean 'exactly' or 'completely'. Examples: dead right, dead sure, dead certain, dead tired, dead slow, dead ahead, dead drunk, dead straight.
Note that 'deadly' is an adjective, meaning 'fatal, causing, death' (For example, a deadly poison). The adverb for this meaning is fatally. Example: She was fatally injured in the crash.
Direct
Direct is often used instead of 'directly' in talking about journeys and timetables. Example: the place goes direct from London to Houston without stopping.
Easy
Easy is used as an adverb instead of 'easily' in certain expressions.
Examples:
Take it easy (= relax).
Go easy (= not too fast).
Easier said than done.
Easy come, easy go.
Fair
Fairly is the normal adverb corresponding to the adjective 'fair', in the sense of 'justly, honestly, according to the rules'. For example, I think I was quite fairly treated by the police.
Fair is used as an adverb in the expressions 'play fair, fight fair (to hit something), fair and square.
Faily is also used, with a quite different meaning, as an adverb of degree, like 'quite' and 'rather' (e.g. fairly good).
Fast
Fast is used to mean both 'quick' and 'quickly' (e.g. a fast car goes fast). Fast means 'completely' in the expressions like 'hold fast, stick fast, fast colors.
Fine
Fine is used as an adverb, meaning 'well', in some conversational expressions.
Examples:
That suits me fine.
You are doing fine.
Finely is not very common: a finely tuned engine is one that is very carefully adjusted to run as efficiently as possible, if things are finely cut or finely chopped, they are cut into very small pieces.
Flat
Flat can be used as ad adverb in a musical sense (to sing flat means 'to sing on a note that is too low'). In most other cases, the adverb is 'flatly'.
Free
The adverb 'free' (used after a verb) means 'without payment', 'freely' means 'without limit or restriction'. Compare the following:
You can eat free in my restaurant whenever you like.
You can speak freely in front of George - he knows everything.
Hard
The adverb 'hard' has a similar meaning to the adjective.
Examples:
Hit it hard.
I'm working too hard this year.
Hard means 'almost not', for this instance. For example, I've hardly got any clean clothes left.
High
The adverb 'high' refers to height, highly expresses an extreme degree (it often means 'very much'). Compare the following:
He can jump really high.
Throw it as high as you can.
It's highly amusing.
I can highly recommend it.
S/he is very highly paid.
Just
Just is a common adverb: it can be used for 'focusing' or to mean ' a moment ago'. Justly means 'in accordance with justice or the law'. For example, he was justly punished for his crimes.
Late
The adverb 'late' has a similar meaning to the adjective; lately means 'recently'. Compare the following:
I hate arriving late.
I haven't been to the theatre lately.
Loud
Loud is often used after a verb (especially in informational conversation) instead of 'loudly'. This is common with the verbs talk, speak, shout, laugh and in the expression loud and clear.
Example:
Don't talk so loud - you'll wake the whole street.
Low
Low is the normal adverb (bow low, aim low, speak low). Lowly is an unusual adjective meaning 'humble'.
Most
Most is the superlative of much and is used to form superlative adjectives and adverbs. In rather formal style, most can be used to mean 'very'.
Examples:
Which part of the concert did you like most?
This is the most extraordinary day of my life.
You're a most unusual person.
Mostly means 'mainly', 'most often' or 'in most cases'. For example, my friends are mostly teachers.
Pretty
The adverb 'pretty' is similar to rather. Prettily means 'in a pretty way'. Compare the following:
Isn't the little girl dressed prettily?
I am getting pretty fed up.
Quick
In informal conversational English, 'quick' is often used instead of quickly, especially after verbs of movement. For example, I'll get back as quick as I can.
Real
In informal conversational English (especially American English), 'real' is often used instead of 'really' before adjectives and adverbs.
Examples:
That was real nice.
You cook real well.
Right
It is used as an adverb before prepositional phrases, to mean 'just' 'exactly' or 'all the way.
Examples:
She turned up right after breakfast.
The snowball hit me right on the nose.
Keep right on to traffic lights.
Right and rightly can both be used to mean 'correctly'. Right is more common in informal conversation and is only used after the verb. Compare the following:
Examples:
I rightly assumed that William wasn't coming.
You guessed right(ly).
It serves you right.
In the sense of 'to the right-hand side', only right is possible. For example, Turn right at the traffic-lights.
Sharp
Sharp can be used as an adverb to mean 'punctually', in expressions like at six o'clock sharp; we start at twelve-twenty sharp. It also has a musical sense (to sing sharp means 'to sing on a note that is too high'), and it is used in the expressions turn sharp left and turn sharp right (a sharp turn in one that nearly takes you back where you came from). In other senses we used 'sharply' (for example, look sharply, speak sharply).
Short
'Short' is used as an adverb in the expressions 'stop short (= stop suddenly)', 'cut short (= interrupt)'. Shortly means 'soon', it can also describe an impatient way of speaking.
Slow
'Slow' is used as an adverb instead of 'slowly' in road signs, as in Slow, dangerous bend, and in informal conversation after go, and some other verbs in American English. Typical expressions: go slow, drive slow.
Sound
'Sound' is used as an adverb in the expression sound asleep. In other cases, soundly is used (e.g. She is sleeping soundly).
Straight
The adverb and the adjective are the same. A straight road goes straight from one place to another.
Sure
'Sure' is often used to mean 'certainly' in conversational American English. For example, 'Can I borrow your tennis racket?' - 'Sure'.
Tight
After a verb, tight can be used instead of tightly, especially in informal conversational English. Typical expressions: hold tight, packed tight (compare tightly packed).
Well
'Well' is an adverb corresponding to 'good' (a good singer sings well). In this sense, 'well' is only used after the verb: we can say I'm well but not 'a well person.
Wide
The normal adverb is wide, widely means 'in many different places'. Compare the following:
He opened the door wide.
He has travelled widely.
Wrong
'Wrong' is like right: it can be used instead of wrongly after the verb, especially in informal conversation. Compare the following:
I wrongly believed that you wanted to help me.
You guessed wrong(ly).
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