Grammar
Forming adverbs from adjectives: spelling and sentence position
A colleague can give a clear explanation, but when you describe the action, you usually need an adverb: She explained the rule clearly.
Form common adverbs from adjectives and use them to say how an action happens.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
carefully and happily /ˈkeəfəli ən ˈhæpɪli/
The short answer
To form many adverbs, add -ly to an adjective: careful becomes carefully. With an adjective ending in consonant plus y, change y to i and add -ly: happy becomes happily. Check the sentence too: an adjective describes a noun, while an adverb often tells how an action happens.
The careful driver checked the map carefully.
Why it works: Careful describes the noun driver. Carefully describes how the driver checked.
5 more examples
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Mina gave a polite reply to the customer.
Polite is an adjective because it describes the noun reply.
Not this:Mina
replied politelyto the customer. What changes: Politely is an adverb because it describes how Mina replied. -
The children were happy about the trip.
Happy follows the linking verb were, so it describes the children.
Not this:The children
sang happilyon the trip. What changes: Happily describes the action sang. The y changes to i before -ly. -
The train is fast on this route.
Fast describes the noun train after a linking verb.
Not this:The train
moved fastthrough the tunnel. What changes: Fast can also work as an adverb. English does not normally use fastly here. -
We had a late meeting on Tuesday.
Late is an adjective because it describes the noun meeting.
Not this:We
arrived latefor the meeting. What changes: Late can also be an adverb of time. Lately has a different meaning: recently. -
The guide gave us a friendly welcome.
Friendly describes the noun welcome.
Not this:The guide welcomed us
in a friendly way. What changes: Friendly is usually an adjective. Use a phrase such as in a friendly way instead of friendlyly.
Read the full guide
Start by asking what the word describes. Use an adjective after a linking verb or before a noun: The soup smells wonderful. Use an adverb with an action verb when you mean how the action happens: The chef worked wonderfully under pressure.
Choose an adjective or an adverb
An adjective describes a noun or follows a linking verb such as be, seem, look, feel, smell, or become. An adverb of manner usually describes an action verb and answers the question how?
The room looks quiet before the concert.
Quiet describes the room after looks, so it is an adjective.
Please wait quietly before the concert.
Quietly describes how people should wait, so it is an adverb.
Which word fits: The baby slept peaceful or peacefully?
Use peacefully because it describes the action slept.
Add -ly to many common adjectives
For many adjectives, forming an adverb is straightforward: add -ly. This gives forms such as careful/carefully, sudden/suddenly, and normal/normally. Read the full sentence after making the form, because the word still needs to describe an action naturally.
The nurse spoke calmly to the worried patient.
Calmly says how the nurse spoke. Calm would describe a noun, as in a calm nurse.
The lights suddenly went out.
Suddenly can come before the main verb to show how the event happened. It does not describe a noun in this sentence.
Make an adverb from careful to complete: Read the instructions ____.
Carefully. The adverb describes how someone should read.
Watch the spelling changes
If an adjective ends in consonant plus y, change the y to i before adding -ly: happy becomes happily, easy becomes easily, and angry becomes angrily. If the adjective ends in -le after a consonant, the usual form often ends in -ly with the e removed: simple becomes simply and gentle becomes gently.
Omar answered the difficult question easily.
Easy changes to easily. The adverb tells us how Omar answered.
Please hold the glass gently.
Gentle becomes gently, not gentlely.
What is the usual adverb from simple?
Simply. For example: The teacher explained the rule simply.
Keep common exceptions in their usual form
Some common adverbs do not use -ly. Fast, hard, and late can be both adjectives and adverbs. Do not add -ly just because the word follows a verb: Drive fast, work hard, and arrive late are normal English patterns.
The team worked hard before the deadline.
Hard describes how the team worked. Hardly would change the meaning to almost not.
She has hardly any free time this week.
Hardly is an adverb, but it means almost not. It is not the -ly version of work hard.
Choose the natural word: The cyclist rode fast or fastly down the hill?
Fast. Use The cyclist rode fast down the hill.
Avoid false -ly forms and place the adverb clearly
Not every adjective can become an adverb by adding -ly. Friendly is normally an adjective, so say She spoke in a friendly way. When an adverb is available, place it near the verb or the part of the sentence it modifies.
The receptionist greeted every visitor in a friendly way.
In a friendly way replaces the unnatural form friendlyly.
The receptionist carefully checked each appointment.
Carefully is placed before checked, making it clear that the checking was careful.
Rewrite He gave a friendly answer using a phrase that describes how he answered.
He answered in a friendly way.
Before you go
Remember this
Use an adjective for a noun or after a linking verb. Use an adverb to describe an action. Add -ly to many adjectives, change consonant plus y to -ily, and keep common exceptions such as fast and late in their usual form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Forming adverbs from adjectives: spelling and sentence position"
How do I make an adverb from an adjective?
Add -ly to many adjectives: polite becomes politely and careful becomes carefully. Use the adverb when you want to describe an action, as in Mina replied politely to the customer.
Mina gave a polite reply to the customer.
When do I change y to i in an adverb?
With many adjectives ending in consonant plus y, change y to i and add -ly: happy becomes happily and easy becomes easily. The lesson example The children sang happily shows the adverb describing an action.
Mina replied politely to the customer.
Why are fast and late not usually written with -ly?
Fast and late can already work as adverbs: The train moved fast and We arrived late. Fastly is not the usual English form, while lately has the different meaning recently.
The children were happy about the trip.
Is friendly an adverb?
Friendly is usually an adjective, as in a friendly welcome. To describe an action, use a phrase such as The guide welcomed us in a friendly way rather than friendlyly.
The children sang happily on the trip.
What is the difference between hard and hardly?
Hard means with effort or force, as in The team worked hard before the deadline. Hardly means almost not, as in She has hardly any free time, so the two words cannot be exchanged.
The train is fast on this route.
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