English Grammar, Third edition (2011)
Reference Section
Forming adverbs
R136 The uses of adverbs are explained in Chapters 2, 4, 6, and 10.
R137 Most adverbs are related to adjectives in form, and often in meaning. They are formed by adding ly to the adjective. For information on which adjectives you can add ly to, see paragraphs 6.17 to 6.27.
sad |
sadly |
|
cheerful |
cheerfully |
|
private |
privately |
|
accidental |
accidentally |
|
surprising |
surprisingly |
R138 Sometimes the formation is slightly different.
With adjectives ending in le, you replace the le with ly.
suitable |
suitably |
|
terrible |
terribly |
|
gentle |
gently |
Note that whole has the related adverb wholly.
R139 With adjectives ending in y, you replace the y with ily.
easy |
easily |
|
satisfactory |
satisfactorily |
Note that one-syllable adjectives ending in y usually have ly added, in the normal way.
wry |
wryly |
|
shy |
shyly |
Note that the adverb related to dry can be spelled drily or dryly.
R140 With adjectives ending in ic, you add ally.
automatic |
automatically |
|
tragic |
tragically |
Note that public has the related adverb publicly.
R141 With a few adjectives ending in e (not le), you replace the e with ly.
due |
duly |
|
true |
truly |
|
undue |
unduly |
|
eerie |
eerily |
R142 With full and dull, you just add y.
full |
fully |
|
dull |
dully |
R143 Note that ly is not generally added to adjectives ending in ed to form adverbs. However, here is a list of adverbs that are formed in this way:
absent-mindedly
admittedly
allegedly
assuredly
belatedly
blessedly
contentedly
crookedly
decidedly
dejectedly
delightedly
deservedly
determinedly
distractedly
doggedly
exaggeratedly
excitedly
fixedly
frenziedly
guardedly
half-heartedly
heatedly
hurriedly
light-heartedly
markedly
pointedly
repeatedly
reportedly
reputedly
resignedly
single-handedly
supposedly
undoubtedly
unexpectedly
unhurriedly
wholeheartedly
wickedly
R144 A few adverbs that end in ly are related to nouns.
These include some time adverbs.
day |
daily |
|
fortnight |
fortnightly |
|
hour |
hourly |
|
month |
monthly |
|
quarter |
quarterly |
|
week |
weekly |
|
year |
yearly |
Note the spelling of daily. These words are also themselves used as adjectives. Other adverbs related to nouns are shown below.
name |
namely |
|
part |
partly |
|
purpose |
purposely |
|
body |
bodily |
R145 A few adverbs ending in ly are not related to any adjective or noun.
accordingly
exceedingly
jokingly
longingly
manfully
presumably
R146 Here is a list of adverbs that have the same form as adjectives:
alike
all right
alone
clean
deep
direct
even
extra
far
fast
fine
first
free
freelance
full
full-time
further
hard
high
just
kindly
last
late
little
long
loud
low
next
non-stop
off-hand
only
outright
overall
part-time
past
pretty
quick
right
slow
solo
still
straight
tight
well
wide
wrong
Note that the adverb is sometimes not related in meaning to the adjective whose form it shares. Check the meanings in a Cobuild dictionary.
With some of these words, there are also related forms ending in ly.
cleanly
directly
deeply
evenly
finely
firstly
freely
fully
hardly
highly
justly
lastly
lately
loudly
quickly
rightly
slowly
tightly
widely
wrongly
Note that these ly forms sometimes have the same meaning as the other adverb form, and sometimes not.
The time adverbials ending in ly, which are mentioned in paragraph R144, also have the same form as adjectives.
R147 Note that ordinal numbers are used both as modifiers and as adverbs. They also have related adverbs ending in ly.
R148 Here is a list of adverbs that are not related to any adjective:
afresh
alas
alike
almost
aloud
also
altogether
anyhow
anyway
apart
besides
doubtless
either
enough
forthwith
furthermore
half
hence
hereby
however
indeed
instead
likewise
maybe
meanwhile
more
moreover
much
nevertheless
nonetheless
otherwise
perhaps
quite
rather
regardless
so
somehow
somewhat
therefore
thereupon
though
thus
together
too
very
whatsoever
R149 Time adverbials and many adverbs of place are also not related to adjectives. See Chapters 4 and 6 for lists of these adverbs.