Adverbs of Manner

From Beginner to Expert - Master How Actions Happen

An adverb of manner describes how an action is performed. It answers: How? or In what way?

Example: "She sang beautifully." (How did she sing? Beautifully.)

Core Rules

  • End in -ly: Quickly, softly, carefully (but exceptions exist!).
  • Position: Usually after the verb or object: "He drove recklessly."
  • Not adjectives: "She runs fast" (adverb) vs. "She is fast" (adjective).

How to Form Adverbs of Manner

Adjective Adverb Rule
Quick Quickly Add -ly
Happy Happily y → i + ly
Terrible Terribly Drop -e + ly
Public Publicly Common error: Not "publically"

💡 Irregular Adverbs: Good → Well, Fast → Fast, Hard → Hard (e.g., "She works hard").

Where to Place Adverbs of Manner

  • After the verb: "She speaks clearly."
  • After the object: "He opened the door quietly."
  • Before the verb (for emphasis): "He suddenly stopped."
  • At the start (dramatic effect): "Silently, she left the room."

⚠️ Avoid splitting infinitives:
✖ "She tried to quickly finish."
✔ "She tried to finish quickly."

Adverbs vs. Adjectives

Type Example Key Difference
Adverb "He runs fast." Describes how the action happens.
Adjective "He is a fast runner." Describes the noun (runner).
Common Mistake:

✖ "She sings beautiful." (Incorrect — "beautiful" is an adjective.)
✔ "She sings beautifully." (Correct — adverb.)

Advanced Usage & Nuances

1. Comparative & Superlative Forms

  • Quickly → More quickly → Most quickly
  • Fast → Faster → Fastest (irregular)
  • Well → Better → Best (e.g., "She sings better than him.")

2. Tone & Formality

  • Informal: "He ate messily."
  • Formal: "He ate in a messy manner."

3. Intensifiers

Use adverbs to strengthen descriptions:
- "She danced incredibly gracefully."
- "He spoke extremely loudly."

Real-World Applications

📚 Literature:

"She closed the door gently, as if afraid to wake the house."

💼 Business:

"The manager responded professionally to the complaint."

🗣️ Daily Speech:

"Drive carefully in the rain!"

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Hard vs. Hardly:
    ✖ "He works hardly." (Means "almost never.")
    ✔ "He works hard." (Correct adverb.)
  • Good vs. Well:
    ✖ "She sings good." (Incorrect — "good" is an adjective.)
    ✔ "She sings well." (Correct adverb.)

Practice Activities

1. Adverb Detective

Underline adverbs of manner in this sentence:
"The cat moved stealthily, jumped effortlessly, and landed perfectly."

2. Sentence Upgrade

Add an adverb to improve these:
- "She answered." → "She answered confidently."
- "He walked." → "He walked slowly."

3. Error Correction

Fix the mistakes:
✖ "They behaved bad." → ✔ "They behaved badly."
✖ "She runs fastly." → ✔ "She runs fast."

Quick Quiz

  1. Which is correct?
    a) "He speaks English good."
    b) "He speaks English well."
  2. Identify the adverb of manner:
    "The bird flew swiftly across the sky."
  3. Correct the error:
    "She smiled happy."
Answers

1. b) ("Well" is the adverb.)
2. "Swiftly" (describes how the bird flew.)
3. "She smiled happily." (Adverb form needed.)

FAQs

Can adverbs of manner modify adjectives?

Rarely. They usually modify verbs, but exceptions exist: "The test was terribly hard."

Is "friendly" an adverb?

No! It's an adjective. The adverb is "in a friendly way".