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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.

AdjectiveAdverb
happyhappily
angryangrily
luckyluckily

 

 

 

2. If the adjective ends in -able, -ible, or -le, replace the -e with -y.

AdjectiveAdverb
probableprobably
gentlegently
humblehumbly

 

 

 

3. If the adjective ends in -ic, add -ally.

AdjectiveAdverb
basicbasically
economiceconomically

 

 

This rule, however, has an exception. The adverb formed from public is publicly, and not publically.

 

Sections In This Article
Introduction To Adverbs
 Formation of Adverbs
 Adjectives or Adverbs - Confusing Cases
 Adverbs of Certainty
 Adverbs of Degree
 Adverbs of Indefinite Frequency
 Adverbs of Manner
 Adverbs of Place
 Adverbs of Time and Definite Frequency
 Focusing Adverbs

See also
Adverbs: definition
 Adverb clause
 Adverb particle

 

 

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