Some adverbs are formed from an adjective + -ly: happy ― happily, etc. When an adjective already ends in –ly (cowardly, daily, friendly, kindly, lively, lonely) we don’t add –ly to it to make an adverb. Instead we can use a prepositional phrase with the words fashion, manner, or way:
He smiled at me in a friendly way.
She waved her hands around in a lively fashion.
| N + -ly = Adj in a [Adj] manner/way = Adv
| Adj = Adv (in form)
|
| N
| Adj
| Adv (phrase)
|
|
| man
woman
friend
coward
life
love
mother
father
brother
sister
king
soldier
sick
| manly
womanly
friendly
cowardly
lively
lovely
motherly
fatherly
brotherly
sisterly
kingly
soldierly
sickly
silly
| in a manly way
in a womanly way
in a friendly way
in a cowardly way
in a lively way
in a lovely way
in a motherly way
in a fatherly way
in a brotherly way
in a sisterly way
in a kingly way
in a soldierly way
in a sickly way
in a silly way
| better
best
daily
early
fast
hourly
monthly
weekly
worse
worst
yearly
|
Most participle adjectives ending in –ed don’t have an adverb form and we can use a similar prepositional phrase:
They rose to greet me in a subdued manner.
She walked around the room in an agitated way. (or in agitation.)
However, some do have an adverb form with –ly, including the following common ones: allegedly, belatedly, contentedly, dejectedly, deservedly, excitedly, hurriedly, markedly, pointedly, repeatedly, reportedly, reputedly, supposedly, unexpectedly, wholeheartedly, wickedly:
The weather had turned unexpectedly stormy.
Some adverbs have two forms, one ending in –ly and the other ― without it: cheap(ly), clean(ly), clear(ly), fine(ly), slow(ly), thin(ly). These pairs of adverbs usually have different meanings. Compare:
| We live close to the church (=near).
| The prisoners were guarded closely (= very attentively).
|
| The rain stopped dead (suddenly and completely).
I am dead certain (= completely) / dead tired / dead asleep / dead drunk / dead calm / dead sure / dead right.
| He is deadly serious (= very).
She is deadly pale today (= like death).
(adj) deadly poison / deadly struggle
(adj) a deadly sin (= mortal)
|
| He pushed his stick deep into the sand (= to a great depth).
| He wasdeeplyoffended (= very).
I am deeply privileged.
|
| ‘Do I have to change trains in Leeds?’ ‘No, you can go direct (= without stopping)’.
| I’ll be with you directly(= very soon).
He saw Susan directly(= straight) ahead.
|
| Just take it easy (= remain calm) and tell us exactly what happened.
Easy does it = тише едешь, дальше будешь
| I can easily finish it today (= without difficulty).
She is easily the best student in the class. (= undoubtfully)
|
| You must play fair. (= in a just or honest manner, or according to the rules)
| Cut the meat fairly small, but not too small. (= to some degree, rather, quite)
|
| She worked really hard and passed her exams.
| The telephone line was so bad, I could hardly (= only just) hear what he was saying.
|
| He kicked the ball high over the goal.
| Everyone thinks highly of her teaching.
(= they praise her for it).
|
| She was sitting just here (= exactly)
| As you justly observed (= rightly, correctly)
|
| They stayed up late to watch the election results on television. (= after the usual, arranged, or expected time)
| I’ve been feeling very well lately (= in the recent past and up until now).
|
| They live quite near(her) (= not far from, close to).
| He was nearly as tall as his friend (= not exactly, approximately).
|
| It’s pretty cold today. (= quite, rather)
| She smiledprettily. The room was prettilydecorated.
|
| The meeting starts at 3 o’clock sharp (= exactly).
Turn sharp right at the crossroads (= suddenly and quickly).
| · “Don’t talk nonsense”, she said sharply
· (= suddenly and rather firmly or angrily)
|
| They cut short their holiday when John became ill. (= went home early)
| The speaker will be arriving shortly
(= soon). Please take your seats.
|
| The windows were shut tight against the rain (= shut very firmly).
| I wouldn’t like to live in a society, which is very tightly controlled(= closely, firmly).
|
| The door was wide (= completely) open so I just went straight in.
| It won’t be difficult to get the book. It’s widely available. (= in many places)
|
Remember that good is an adjective and well is an adverb:
I asked Francis to clean the car, and he did a good job. / and he did the job well.
However, well is also an adjective meaning healthy:
You’re not looking too well. Are you okay?
I don’t feel very well today.
Note that after the link verbs look, sound, smell, taste, feel, seem we use adjectives, not adverbs:
She looks nice / bad / pale / awful / strange.
It smells sweet / horrible / bad / wonderful.
