Adverbs of manner say how something happens or is done.
Examples: quickly, happily, terribly, fast, badly, well.
1) Adverbs of manner with verbs
These adverbs should not be confused with adjectives (happy, quick etc).
We use adverbs, not adjectives, to modify verbs.
We'll have to think quickly, (not ... to think quick.)
She sang badly, (not
But note that adjective forms are sometimes used as adverbs in an informal style, especially in American English. She talks funny
2) Other uses
These adverbs can also modify adjectives, past participles, other adverbs and adverbial phrases.
adverb + adjective
It's terribly cold today, (not ... terrible cold.)
adverb + past participle
This steak is very badly cooked, (not ... bad cooked.)
They're playing unusually fast, (*not
adverb + adverbial phrase
He was madly in love with her. (not .. .mad...)
a) adjectives ending in -ly
Some words ending in -ly are adjectives, and not normally adverbs. Common examples: costly, cowardly, deadly, friendly, likely, lively, lonely, lovely, silly, ugly, unlikely.
She gave me a friendly smile.
Her singing was lovely.
There are no adverbs friendly/friendlily, lovely/lovelily etc:
She smiled in a friendly way. (not She smiled friendly.)
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, early and leisurely are both adjectives and adverbs.
It's a daily paper. It comes out daily.
an early train I got up early.
b) adjectives and adverbs with the same form; adverbs with two forms
Some adjectives and adverbs have the same form: for example, a fast car goes fast; if you do hard work, you work hard. In other cases, the adverb may have two forms (e.g. late and lately), one like the adjective and the other with -ly. There is usually a difference of meaning or use. Some examples follow; for more detailed information, check in a good dictionary.
clean - The adverb clean means 'completely' before forget (informal) and some expressions of movement.
Sorry I didn 't turn up -I clean forgot.
The explosion blew the cooker clean through the wall.
dead - The adverb dead is used in certain expressions to mean 'exactly', 'completely' or 'very'. Examples: dead ahead, dead certain, dead drunk, dead right, dead slow (GB only), dead straight, dead sure, dead tired. Note that deadly is an adjective, meaning 'fatal', 'causing death'.
The adverb for this meaning is fatally. Compare:
Cyanide is a deadly poison.
She was fatally injured in the crash.
direct - Direct is often used as an adverb in British English, referring to journeys and timetables.
The plane goes direct from London to Houston without stopping.
easy - Easy is used as an adverb in some informal expressions.
Take it easy! (= Relax!) Easier said than done.
Go easy! (= Not too fast!) Easy come, easy go.
fair - Fair is used as an adverb after a verb in some expressions. to play fair to fight fair to hit something fair and square
fast - Fast can mean both 'quick' and 'quickly' (a fast car goes fast). Fast means 'completely' in the expression fast asleep, and it means 'tight', 'impossible to remove' in expressions like holdfast, stick fast, fast colors.
fine - The adverb/me (= 'well') is used in some informal expressions.
That suits me fine. You're doing fine.
The adverb finely is used to talk about small careful adjustments and similar ideas.
flat - Flat can be used as an adverb in a musical sense (to sing flat means 'to sing on a note that is too low'). In most other cases, the adverb is flatly.
free - The adverb free (used after a verb) means 'without payment'; freely means 'without limit or restriction'. Compare:
You can eat free in my restaurant whenever you like.
You can speak freely -I won't tell anyone what you say.
hard - The adverb hard has a similar meaning to the adjective.
Hit it hard. Don't work too hard. Hardly means 'almost not'.
I've hardly got any clean clothes left.
high - High refers to height; highly expresses an extreme degree (it often means 'very much'). Compare:
- He can jump really high.
Throw it as high as you can.
- It's highly amusing.
I can highly recommend it.
just - Just is an adverb with several meanings. There is also an adjective, meaning 'in accordance with justice or the law'; the adverb is justly.
He was justly punished for his crimes.
late - The adverb late has a similar meaning to the adjective late; lately means 'recently'. Compare:
I hate arriving late. I haven't been to the theatre much lately.
loud - Loud is often used informally as an adverb after a verb.
Don't talk so loud-you'll wake the whole street.
low - Low is an adjective and adverb (a low bridge, a low voice, bend low).
most - Most is the superlative of much, and is used to form superlative adjectives and adverbs.
Which part of the concert did you like most?
This is the most extraordinary day of my life. In a formal style, most can be used to mean 'very' .
You're a most unusual person. Mostly means 'mainly', 'most often' or 'in most cases'.
My friends are mostly non-smokers.
pretty - The informal adverb of degree pretty is similar to rather. Prettily means 'in a pretty way'. Compare:
I'm getting pretty fed up. Isn't your little girl dressed prettily?
quick - In an informal style, quick is often used instead of quickly, especially after verbs of movement.
I'll get back as quick as I can.
real - In informal American English, real is often used instead of really before adjectives and adverbs.
That was real nice. He cooks real well.
right - Right with adverb phrases means 'just', 'exactly' or (GB only) 'all the way'.
She arrived right after breakfast.
The snowball hit me right on the nose.
Turn the gas right down. (GB) Right and rightly can both be used to mean 'correctly'. Right is only used after verbs, and is usually informal. Compare:
I rightly assumed that Henry was not coming.
You guessed right. It serves you right. (... rightly is not possible.)
sharp - Sharp can be used as an adverb to mean 'punctually'.
Can you be there at six o'clock sharp?
It also has a musical sense to sing sharp means 'to sing on a note that is too high'), and is used in the expressions turn sharp left and turn sharp right (meaning 'with a big change of direction'). In other senses the adverb is sharply.
She looked at him sharply. I thought you spoke to her rather sharply.
short - Short is used as an adverb in the expressions stop short (= 'stop suddenly') and cut short (= 'interrupt'). Shortly means 'soon'; it can also describe an impatient way of speaking.
slow - Slow is used as an adverb in road signs (e.g. SLOW- DANGEROUS BEND), and informally after go and some other verbs (especially in American English). Examples: go slow, drive slow.
sound - Sound is used as an adverb in the expression sound asleep. In other cases, soundly is used (e.g. She's sleeping soundly).
straight - The adverb and the adjective are the same. A straight road goes straight from one place to another.
sure - Sure is often used to mean 'certainly' in an informal style, especially in American English.
'Can I borrow your tennis racket?' 'Sure.' Surely (not) usually expresses surprise .
Surely you're not going out in that old coat?
tight - After a verb, tight can be used instead of tightly, especially in an informal style. Typical expressions: hold tight, packed tight (compare tightly packed).
well - Well is an adverb corresponding to the adjective good (a good singer sings well). Well is also an adjective meaning 'in good health' (the opposite of ill).
wide The normal adverb is wide; widely suggests distance or separation. Compare:
The door was wide open. She's travelled widely.
They have widely differing opinions. Note also the expression wideawake (the opposite of fast asleep).
wrong Wrong can be used informally instead of wrongly after a verb. Compare:
3) comparatives and superlatives
Informal uses of adjective forms as adverbs are especially common with comparatives and superlatives.
Can you drive a bit slower?
Let's see who can do it quickest.
4) American English
In informal American English, many other adjective forms can also be used as adverbs of manner.
Drive friendly.
He looked at me real strange.
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