Exercises Explanation Downloads
  • Adverbs of manner (slowly) or adjectives (slow)?

    Exercise 3

    Complete the sentences using adjectives or adverbs. Use the adjectives in the list and the adverbs formed from those adjectives.
    clear – easy – fast – incorrect – patient – quick

    EXAMPLE: I need a quick answer.
    EXAMPLE: He answered my question very quickly

    1 Please, can you speak ? I don't understand you.

    2 He won the race. He ran very .

    3 Your answer is . Can you answer it again?

    4 We were one hour late, but he waited until we arrived.

    5 It was an question. I answered it without thinking.

    6 You answered the question . Can you answer it again?

    7 Please, be with him. He's young and inexperienced.

    8 He's a really runner. He wins a lot of races.

    9 The water isn't ; it's dirty.

    10 We climbed the mountain . We weren't tired after doing it.


     

  • Adverbs of manner

    Grammar chart comparing adjectives to their corresponding adverbs of manner, including spelling changes and irregular forms.

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    Adverbs of manner: Use

    We use adverbs of manner after a verb to describe the verb. We use an adverb of manner to say how something happens or how we do something.

    • It rained heavily. (=We are describing how it rained.)
    • He always replies quickly. (=We are describing how he replies)

    Adverbs of manner: Position

    We use adverbs of manner after the verb or, if there is an object, after verb + object.

    • He drives carefully.
    • She plays the guitar well. 

    Very, really, quite

    We can use very, really, quite before an adverb of manner.

    • It rained quite heavily. 
    • He drives quite carefully. 
    • She plays the guitar really well.

    Adjectives

    We use adjectives before a noun or after the verb be.

    • This is an expensive guitar. 
    • This guitar is expensive. 

    Adverbs of manner vs adjectives

    Difference

    We use adjectives to describe a noun (before a noun or after the verb be), and we use adverbs of manner to describe a verb (after the verb or verb + object). Compare:

    • Robert plays the guitar well. (=We are describing the verb, i.e. how Robert plays the guitar.)
    • Robert is a good guitar player. (=We are describing the noun, Robert.)
    • Sara eats slowly. 
    • Sara is a slow eater. 

    For a common mistake with good and well, see our dictionary entry on good.

    Adjectives ending in -ly

    Some words end in -ly, but they are adjectives, NOT adverbs: friendly, lovely, silly. We CANNOT transform these adjectives into adverbs of manner.

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