Better writing

Forming adverbs

Many adverbs are formed from adjectives and end in -ly. Here are some tips to help you form adverbs and spell them correctly: 

  •  The basic rule is that -ly is added to the end of the adjective:

adjective
adverb
quick
quickly
sudden
suddenly
straightforward
straightforwardly

  •     If the adjective has two syllables and ends in -y, then you need to replace the final -y with -ily:

adjective
adverb
happy
happily
hungry
hungrily
lazy
lazily

  •    If the adjective ends with a consonant followed by -le, replace the final -e with -y on its own:

adjective
adverb
terrible
terribly
comfortable
comfortably
incredible
incredibly

  •  Adjectives that end in -ly, such as friendly or lively, can’t be made into adverbs by adding -ly. You have to use a different form of words, e.g. ‘in a friendly way’ or ‘in a lively way’ instead