Adjectives & Adverbs Explanation

Adverbs of manner in English

Adverbs tell us in what way someone does something. Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing. Adjectives can modify nouns or pronouns.

Adjective	Adverb
Mandy is a careful girl.	Mandy drives carefully.
Mandy is very careful.

Mandy is a careful driver. This sentence is about Mandy, the driver, so use the adjective.

Mandy drives carefully. This sentence is about her way of driving, so use the adverb.

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Form

Adjective + -ly

Adjective	Adverb
dangerous	dangerously
careful	carefully
nice	nicely
easy	easily
horrible	horribly
electronic	electronically
irregular forms
good	well
fast	fast
hard	hard

If the adjective ends in -le, the adverb ends in -ly.
Example: terrible - terribly

If the adjective ends in -e, then add -ly.
Example: safe - safely

Tip: Not all words ending in -ly are adverbs.

adjectives ending in -ly: friendly, silly, lonely, ugly
nouns, ending in -ly: ally, bully, Italy, melancholy
verbs, ending in -ly: apply, rely, supply

There is no adverb for an adjective ending in -ly.

Some verbs can only be used with adjectives, others might change their meaning when used with an adverb.

verb	used with an adjective	used with an adverb
look	look good (= appearance)	look well (= healthy)
feel	feel good (= state of health/mind)	feel well (= have a good sense of touch)
smell	smell good (= odour)	smell well (= have a good sense of smell)
taste	taste good (= preference)	taste well (= have a good sense of taste)

The following verbs can only be used with adjectives:

• be
• become
• get
• grow
• keep
• remain
• seem
• sound
• stay