Defining an Adverb
Adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. If an adverb answers how and can end in –ly, use the –ly suffix.
Example: She thinks quickly. (Quickly answers “How does she think?”)
Example: She thinks fast. (Although fast answers how she thinks, there is no such word as fastly.)
Also, use –ly when making a comparison and add the words more or less.
Example: Answer the questions more quickly to win the prize.
When talking about the senses of taste, smell, look, and feel, don’t ask “how”; ask “Is it being actively used?” If it is, use –ly.
Example: Daisies smell sweet. (There is no –ly on sweet because daisies don’t smell with noses.)
Example: She feels badly since slamming her fingers in the door. (Use
–ly because she is feeling with her fingers.)
Determining when –ly is needed on the end of a word can be tricky, so keep these rules in mind when writing and your adverbs will be correctly written!
Try It!
Choose the correct form of the word in italics.
- She sang sweet/sweetly at the concert.
2. Get dressed quick/more quickly to get to work on time.
3. Jim plays soccer aggressive/aggressively.
4. The students answered the test questions easy/easily.
5. The theater sold out of tickets rapid/rapidly.
6. Tom arrives late/lately to class every Monday.
7. My cousin is living with us permanent/permanently.
8. John writes careful/carefully.
9. My mom’s pumpkin pie tastes delicious/deliciously.
10. Sam appeared excited/excitedly today.
Answers: 1. sweetly; 2. more quickly; 3. aggressively; 4. easily;
5. rapidly; 6. late; 7. permanently; 8. carefully; 9. delicious; 10. excited