Formation of adverbs

Filed in English Grammar

Most adverbs are formed by adding –ly to an adjective. Examples are: able, ably; cheerful, cheerfully; wise, wisely; clever, cleverly; modest, modestly; kind, kindly; probable, probably, earnest, earnestly etc.

• He is a strange (adjective) person.
• He behaved strangely (adverb).
• She is a beautiful (adjective) girl.
• She sang beautifully (adverb).

The suffixes wise, ways, ward and wards are also used to form adverbs.

• She glanced sideways at the strangers.
• She looked upwards.
• They marched onward.
• She walked backwards.

Note that most of these words can be used both as adjectives and adverbs.

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