English Grammar - Adverbs of Manner and Adverbs Used in Comparisons

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CHAPTER 25. ADVERBS OF MANNER AND ADVERBS USED IN COMPARISONS

1. Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner are the largest group of adverbs. Most adverbs of manner are closely related to corresponding adjectives. Although some words can be used as either adjectives or adverbs, in most cases, adverbs of manner are formed by adding ly to the corresponding adjectives.

a. Spelling rules for adding ly
In most cases, ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
bad	badly
complete	completely
normal	normally
surprising	surprisingly

i. Adjectives ending in ic
However, when the adjective ends in ic, the syllable al is usually added before the ly ending. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
dramatic	dramatically
scientific	scientifically
specific	specifically

ii. Adjectives ending in le
When the adjective ends in le preceded by a consonant, the final e is usually changed to y, to form the ly ending. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
favorable	favorably
humble	humbly
simple	simply

When the adjective ends in le preceded by a vowel, in most cases, ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
agile	agilely
sole	solely

However, in the case of the adjective whole, the final e is removed before the ending ly is added:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
whole	wholly

iii. Adjectives ending in ll
When the adjective ends in ll, only y is added. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
dull	dully
full	fully
shrill	shrilly

iv. Adjectives ending in ue
When the adjective ends in ue, the final e is usually omitted before the ending ly is added. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
due	duly
true	truly

v. Adjectives ending in y
When the adjective ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is usually changed to i before the ending ly is added. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
busy	busily
easy	easily
happy	happily

However, in the case of the adjectives shy and sly, ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
shy	shyly
sly	slyly

When the adjective ends in y preceded by a vowel, in most cases, ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective. For example:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
coy	coyly
grey	greyly

However, in the case of the adjective gay, y is changed to i before the ending ly is added:

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
gay	gaily

See Exercise 1.

It should be noted that while most adverbs which end in ly are adverbs of manner, other types of adverb may also end in ly. For instance, consequently and subsequently are connecting adverbs. The following are adverbs of frequency which are formed by adding ly to the corresponding adjectives.

Adjective	Adverb of Frequency
frequent	frequently
rare	rarely
usual	usually

b. Adverbs which do not use the ending ly
The adverb of manner well appears unrelated to the corresponding adjective, good. Good and well both have the comparative form better and the superlative form best.

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
good	well

It should be noted that in addition to being used as an adverb, the word well can also be used as an adjective with the meaning healthy. The adjective well is most often used as a predicate adjective.
e.g. Well used as an Adjective: I hope you are well.
Well used as an Adverb: He did well on the examination.
In the first example, well is a predicate adjective, modifying the pronoun you. In the second example, well is an adverb of manner, modifying the verb did.

The following table gives examples of adverbs of manner, location, time and frequency which have the same forms as the corresponding adjectives.

Adjective	Adverb of Manner
fast	fast
hard	hard
little	little
loud	loud or loudly
much	much
straight	straight

Adjective	Adverb of Location
far	far
high	high
low	low
near	near
wide	wide

Adjective	Adverb of Time
early	early
first	first
late	late
long	long

Adjective	Adverb of Frequency
daily	daily
monthly	monthly
weekly	weekly
yearly	yearly

See Exercise 2.

It should also be noted that there are several adjectives ending in ly which have no corresponding adverbs:

friendly
likely
lively
lonely
silly
ugly

When it is desired to use one of these words to modify a verb, an adverb phrase of manner may be used. In the following examples, the adverb phrases are underlined.
e.g. He behaved in a friendly manner.
They acted in a silly way.

The following table gives examples of pairs of adverbs which are closely related, but which have different meanings.

Adverbs With and Without ly Endings

Adverb	Meaning	Adverb	Meaning
hard	with effort	hardly	scarcely
high	opposite of low	highly	very; very well
late	opposite of early	lately	recently
near	opposite of far	nearly	almost
wide	opposite of narrow	widely	commonly

The meanings of these adverbs are illustrated in the following examples.
e.g. I worked hard.
I have hardly enough time to finish.

He threw the ball high into the air.
He is highly successful in what he does.

The class began late.
The weather has been cold lately.

I held my breath as the squirrel crept near to get the nuts.
I have nearly finished reading the book.

I opened the door wide.
That theory is widely believed.

c. The differing functions of adjectives and adverbs
When an adverb differs in form from a corresponding adjective, it is necessary to distinguish between the functions of adjectives and adverbs in order to determine which form should be used in a given situation.

Whereas adjectives modify nouns, pronouns, and expressions which serve the same grammatical functions as nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

i. Adjectives which modify nouns compared with adverbs which modify verbs
The following examples illustrate the distinction which must be made between adjectives which modify nouns and adverbs which modify verbs. The adjectives and adverbs are printed in bold type, and the words which are modified are underlined.
e.g. Adjective: It has been a quiet afternoon.
Adverb: The afternoon passed quietly.

Adjective: She is a good musician.
Adverb: She plays the flute very well.

In the first pair of sentences, the adjective quiet modifies the noun afternoon, whereas the adverb quietly modifies the verb passed. In the second pair of sentences, the adjective good modifies the noun musician, whereas the adverb well modifies the verb plays.

In informal English, adjectives are sometimes used to modify verbs.
e.g. She plays good.
In this example, the adjective good is used to modify the verb plays. However, this use of adjectives is considered to be grammatically incorrect.

See Exercise 3.

ii. Adjectives which modify nouns compared with adverbs which modify adjectives
The following examples illustrate the distinction which must be made between adjectives which modify nouns and adverbs which modify adjectives.
e.g. Adjective: a large wooden building
Adverb: a largely wooden building

Adjective: conspicuous dark clouds
Adverb: conspicuously dark clouds

In the first pair of phrases, the adjective large modifies the noun building, and the adverb largely modifies the adjective wooden. Thus, the phrase a large wooden building has the meaning a big wooden building, whereas the phrase a largely wooden building has the meaning a building mostly made of wood.

In the second pair of phrases, the adjective conspicuous modifies the noun clouds, and the adverb conspicuously modifies the adjective dark. Thus, the phrase conspicuous dark clouds means that the clouds themselves are noticeable; whereas the phrase conspicuously dark clouds means that the darkness of the clouds is noticeable.

See Exercise 4.

iii. Predicate adjectives which modify the subjects of verbs compared with adverbs which modify verbs
As pointed out previously, certain verbs, called linking verbs, can be followed by predicate adjectives. A distinction must be made between predicate adjectives which modify the subjects of linking verbs, and adverbs which modify verbs.

A few linking verbs, such as the verb to be, can be followed by predicate adjectives, but cannot be modified by adverbs of manner. In the following examples using the verb to be, the nouns which are modified are underlined.
e.g. He is happy.
The wind was strong.
In these examples, the predicate adjectives happy and strong modify the subjects he and wind.

However, there are several verbs which can be used either as linking verbs followed by predicate adjectives, or as non-linking verbs modified by adverbs of manner. The following examples illustrate the use of the verb to appear as a linking verb and as a non-linking verb.
e.g. Linking Verb: His uncle appeared kind.
Non-linking Verb: His uncle appeared punctually at ten o'clock.

In the first example, kind is a predicate adjective which modifies the noun uncle. In the second example, punctually is an adverb of manner which modifies the verb appeared.

The verbs below can be used either as linking or non-linking verbs:

to appear	to become
to feel	to grow
to look	to remain
to smell	to sound
to taste	to turn

If the subject of the verb is to be modified, a predicate adjective is required after such verbs; whereas if the verb is to be modified, an adverb is required. In the pairs of examples below, the verbs to grow, to look and to turn are used first as linking verbs followed by adjectives, and then as non-linking verbs modified by adverbs. The adjectives and adverbs are printed in bold type, and the words which are modified are underlined.

e.g. Adjective: As he became old, he grew slow at remembering dates.
Adverb: The tree grew slowly.

Adjective: They looked anxious.
Adverb: We looked anxiously up the street.

Adjective: The weather turned cold.
Adverb: She turned coldly away from the salesman.

In these examples, the predicate adjectives slow, anxious and cold modify the subjects he, they and weather; whereas the adverbs of manner slowly, anxiously and coldly modify the verbs grew, looked and turned.

See Exercise 5.

2. Adverbs used in comparisons

a. The formation of comparative and superlative forms of adverbs
It should be noted that many adverbs, such as sometimes, never, here, there, now, then, first, again, yesterday and daily have no comparative or superlative forms.

i. Adverbs used with More and Most
Most adverbs used in comparisons, including those formed from corresponding adjectives by adding the ending ly, form the comparative with the word more, and the superlative with the word most. For example:

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
carefully	more carefully	most carefully
easily	more easily	most easily
frequently	more frequently	most frequently
slowly	more slowly	most slowly
softly	more softly	most softly

ii. Adverbs used with the endings er and est
Adverbs which have the same positive forms as corresponding adjectives generally also have the same comparative and superlative forms as the corresponding adjectives. For example:

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
early	earlier	earliest
fast	faster	fastest
hard	harder	hardest
high	higher	highest
late	later	latest
long	longer	longest
low	lower	lowest
near	nearer	nearest
straight	straighter	straightest

The adverb of time soon also uses the endings er and est:

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
soon	sooner	soonest

It should be noted that adverbs formed by adding ly to one-syllable adjectives are sometimes used with the endings er and est.
e.g. We walked slower and slower.
They sang the softest.

However, in modern English, it is generally considered to be more correct to write:
We walked more and more slowly.
They sang the most softly.

iii. Irregular adverbs
The irregular adverbs have the same comparative and superlative forms as the corresponding irregular adjectives:

Positive Form	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
badly	worse	worst
far	farther or further	farthest or furthest
little	less	least
much	more	most
well	better	best

b. Positive forms of adverbs used in comparisons
The constructions employed when adverbs are used in comparisons are very similar to those employed when adjectives are used in comparisons.

i. The construction with As ... As
When used in making comparisons, the positive form of an adverb is usually preceded and followed by as. This construction is summarized below, followed by examples.

	as +	positive form +	as
		of adverb

I can run	as	fast	as	you can.
He moves	as	slowly	as	a snail.
Her eyes shone	as	brightly	as	stars.

If desired, an adverb may be placed before the first occurrence of as:

	adverb +	as +	positive form +	as
			of adverb

I can run	twice	as	fast	as	you can.
Her eyes shone	almost	as	brightly	as	stars.

ii. Ellipsis
Ellipsis is often employed in comparisons using adverbs. For instance, in the second half of such comparisons, instead of repeating the verb, the first auxiliary may be used, or the verb may be omitted entirely. In the following examples, the words which would usually be omitted are enclosed in square brackets.
e.g. I can run as fast as you can [run].
He moves as slowly as a snail [moves].
Her eyes shone as brightly as stars [shine].

c. Comparative forms of adverbs used in comparisons

i. The construction with Than
When used in making comparisons, the comparative form of an adverb is usually followed by than. This construction is summarized below, followed by examples.

	comparative form +	than
	of adverb

He can swim	farther	than	I can.
She sings	more beautifully	than	her sister does.

As is the case with comparisons using adjectives, comparisons using adverbs can be combined with phrases or clauses.
e.g. She performs better in front of an audience than she does in rehearsal.
They walked faster when they were on their way to school than they did
when they were on their way home.

In the first example, the two situations being compared are distinguished by the phrases in front of an audience and in rehearsal. In the second example, the two situations being compared are distinguished by the clauses when they were on their way to school and when they were on their way home. The use of ellipsis should be noted. In the first example, the auxiliary does is used instead of repeating the verb performs. In the second example, the auxiliary did is used instead of repeating the verb walked.

See Exercise 6.

ii. Progressive comparisons
The comparative forms of adverbs can be used in progressive comparisons. For adverbs with the ending er, the following construction is used:

	comparative form +	and +	comparative form
	of adverb		of adverb

e.g. The plane flew	higher	and	higher.
The team performed	better	and	better.

The meanings expressed in these examples can also be expressed as follows:
e.g. The plane flew increasingly high.
The team performed increasingly well.

For adverbs which form the comparative with more, the following construction is used:

	more +	and +	more +	positive form
				of adverb

He solved the problems	more	and	more	easily.
We visited them	more	and	more	frequently.

The meanings expressed in these examples can also be expressed as follows:
e.g. He solved the problems increasingly easily.
We visited them increasingly frequently.

iii. The construction with Less and Less
A similar construction, employing the expression less and less, can also be used. The expressions less and less and more and more have opposite meanings.

	less +	and +	less +	positive form
				of adverb

He solved the problems	less	and	less	easily.
We visited them	less	and	less	frequently.

The meanings expressed in these examples can also be expressed as follows:
e.g. He solved the problems decreasingly easily.
We visited them decreasingly frequently.

See Exercise 7.

iv. The construction with The ..., the ...
Two clauses, each beginning with the, and each containing a comparative form of an adjective or adverb, can be used together in order to indicate a cause and effect relationship between two different things or events. This construction is summarized below, followed by examples.

	comparative	1st part of		comparative	2nd part of
The +	form of adverb +	comparison, +	the +	form of adverb +	comparison
	or adjective			or adjective

The	more	they eat,	the	fatter	they get.
The	faster	we skated,	the	warmer	we felt.

The following are further examples of the use of this type of construction. In these examples, the comparative forms are underlined.
e.g. The more cleverly we hid the Easter eggs, the more enthusiastically the children searched for them.
The more I scold her, the worse she behaves.
As shown in the examples, in this type of construction the two clauses beginning with the must be separated by a comma.

d. Superlative forms of adverbs used in comparisons

i. The construction with The
When used in making comparisons, the superlative form of an adverb is usually preceded by the. This construction is summarized below, followed by examples.

	the +	superlative form
		of adverb

He jumped	the	highest	of all the boys in the class.
Our team plays	the	best	of all the teams in the league.
They sing	the	most sweetly	of all the choirs I have heard.

See Exercises 8 and 9.

In the case of adverbs which form the superlative with the ending est, the superlative is sometimes preceded by a possessive adjective, instead of by the definite article, the. In the following examples, the possessive adjectives are printed in bold type.
e.g. He ran his fastest.
I did my best.

ii. The construction with The Least
Adverbs may also be preceded by the expression the least. This construction is summarized below, followed by examples. The words least and most have opposite meanings.

	the +	least +	positive form
			of adverb

She speaks	the	least	loudly	of all the children.
This bus runs	the	least	often.

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Word Power

CHAPTER 25. ADVERBS OF MANNER AND ADVERBS USED IN COMPARISONS

1. Adverbs of manner

Adverbs With and Without ly Endings

2. Adverbs used in comparisons

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