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Formation of Adverbs
Filed in English Grammar
Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to their corresponding adjectives. Examples are: kindly (kind), slowly (slow), hardly (hard), sweetly (sweet) etc.
- She is very beautiful (adjective).
- She is beautifully (adverb) dressed.
- He is a strange (adjective) person.
- He behaved strangely (adverb).
Points to be noted
1. If the adjective ends in -y, replace it with -i and then add -ly.
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| happy | happily |
| angry | angrily |
| lucky | luckily |
|
2. If the adjective ends in -able, -ible, or -le, replace the -e with -y. |
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| probable | probably |
| gentle | gently |
| humble | humbly |
|
3. If the adjective ends in -ic, add -ally. |
| Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|
| basic | basically |
| economic | economically |
|
This rule, however, has an exception. The adverb formed from public is publicly, and not publically. |
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