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One area that usually confuses students is the formation of adverbs. Adverbs are like seasoning for sentences, they add depth, precision, and flair. They help answer critical questions like when, how, where, and to what extent an action occurs, making communication richer and more effective. But how do adverbs form? In this complete article, we will break down the formation of adverbs in the easiest way.
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What is an Adverb?
Adverbs are words that can describe or modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or an entire sentence. An adverb can be used to express manner (how something happens), place (where), time (when), and degree (to what extent). In simple terms, it tells us how, when, where, how much, or to what extent something happens.
Adverbs are often created by adding -ly to the end of an adjective ( for example, ‘beautiful’ becomes ‘beautifully’), though certain adverbs do not have this ending. Additionally, there are word groups known as adverbial phrases that function as adverbs in grammar.
Examples for the Formation of Adverbs:
- He speaks loudly in meetings. How? (Manner)
- We rarely go out during the week. When? (Time)
- The kids play outside after school. Where? (Place)
- He writes neatly in his notebook. In what way?
- The soup is too spicy. To what extent?
Also Read: Types of Adverbs: Use, Examples & Exercises
How are Adverbs Formed?
An adverb is formed by adding -ly to an adjective, but there are other ways, too. Let’s explore all the main ways and know how adverbs are formed:
Rule 1: Add -ly to most adjectives
This is the most common method, formed by modifying adjectives, typically to describe how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs.
| Adjective | Adverb |
| quick | quickly |
| perfect | perfectly |
| loud | loudly |
| cheap | cheaply |
| slow | slowly |
Rule 2: If the Adjective Ends in –y: Change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and Add –ly
If the adjective ends in -y, replace y with i and add -ly
| Adjective | Adverb |
| happy | happily |
| easy | easily |
| lucky | luckily |
| angry | angrily |
Rule 3: If the adjective ends in -le, -able, or -ible, replace the final -e with -y
In the adjective ending in -le, -able, or -ible, you drop the -e and add -y
| Adjective | Adverb |
| gentle | gently |
| comfortable | comfortably |
| terrible | terribly |
| probable | probably |
| gentle | gently |
Rule 4: If the Adjective Ends in –ic: Add –ally
Most adjectives ending in -ic form adverbs by adding -ally instead of just -ly.
| Adjective | Adverb |
| basic | basically |
| tragic | tragically |
| economic | economically |
Adverbs Having the Same Form as Adjectives – Examples
Some words have the same form as both an adjective and an adverb: fast, hard, late, early, high
| Adjective | Adverb |
| fast | fast |
| hard | hard |
| late | late |
| early | early |
| high | high |
| straight | straight |
Important: Adverbs are not usually formed directly from verbs. Instead, they are formed by:
Step 1: Start with a verb
Step 2: Change the verb into an adjective (describes the action)
Step 3: Add -ly to the adjective to make an adverb
Also Read: 99+ Adverb Example Sentences
Formation of Adverbs Exercise
Here’s a user-friendly exercise for the formation of adverbs to help you understand the adverbs. This exercise is perfect for practice:
Instruction: Change the following adjectives into adverbs by adding -ly. Be careful with spelling changes!
- Quick → __________
- Happy → __________
- Careful → __________
- Easy → __________
- Angry → __________
- Gentle → __________
- Honest → __________
- Loud → __________
- Simple → __________
- Polite → __________
Answers:
- Quickly
- Happily
- Carefully
- Easily
- Angrily
- Gently
- Honestly
- Loudly
- Simply
- Politely
FAQs
An adjective’s meaning can be enhanced and modified by the use of an adverb. Adding the letters ‘-ly’ to adjectives is a common way to create adverbs. Because of this, recognizing adverbs in sentences is quite simple. This rule has many exceptions; some examples include upstairs, nowhere, and everywhere.
Examples of adverbs of manner: Quickly, promptly, clearly, rapidly, seriously, instantly, keenly, slowly, gradually, eventually, etc.
Here are the three orm of adverbs with examples:
– Adverbs of Manner: Explain the manner in which an action is carried out (e.g., rapidly).
– Time adverbs: Define the moment of an activity (e.g., tomorrow).
– Adverbs of Place: Describe the location of an action, such as ‘here.’
A verb, an adjective, or another adverb can all be changed by an adverb. The suffix -ly at the end of it is frequently used to identify it. Adverbs often explain how, when, where, and to what degree an activity took place.
Adverbial clauses often start with a subordinating conjunction, such as ‘after,’ ‘whether,’ ‘if,’ ‘because,’ ‘although,’ ‘even though,’ etc. In sentences, adverbial clauses can appear at the start, middle, or finish.
Related Reads
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