Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed, adding richness and detail to your sentences. They modify verbs, adjectives, phrases, and other adverbs, making your language more precise and vivid.
What Are Adverbs of Manner?
Adverbs of manner explain how an action happens. They usually come after the verb they describe.
Example:
- “She sings beautifully.” (How does she sing? Beautifully.)
Forming Adverbs of Manner
Regular Formation
- Add “-ly” to adjectives:
- Beautiful : Beautifully
- Creative : Creatively
- Adjectives ending in “-y”: Replace “y” with “i” and add “-ly”:
- Happy : Happily
- Greedy : Greedily
Examples of Adverbs of Manner
“She walked slowly to enjoy the view.”
Quick : Quickly
“He finished the race quickly.”
Beautiful : Beautifully
“She sang beautifully in the choir.”
Quiet : Quietly
“They spoke quietly during the lecture.”
Loud : Loudly
“The baby cried loudly in the room.”
Creative : Creatively
“He painted creatively on the wall.”
Hungry : Hungrily
“They ate their dinner hungrily after the hike.”
Clear : Clearly
“He explained the rules clearly to everyone.”
Graceful : Gracefully
“She danced gracefully at the wedding.”
Fierce : Fiercely
“The dog barked fiercely at the stranger.”
Peaceful : Peacefully
“She meditated peacefully under the tree.”
Diligent : Diligently
“He worked diligently on the project.”
Hard : Hard
“They studied hard to pass the exam.”
Careful : Carefully
“She drove carefully in the rain.”
Greedy : Greedily
“He grabbed the last slice of pizza greedily.”
Wise : Wisely
“The king ruled his land wisely.”
Passionate : Passionately
“She sang passionately during the performance.”
Expert : Expertly
“He surfed expertly on the huge wave.”
Dramatic : Dramatically
“The actor reacted dramatically to the news.”
Sound : Soundly
“The baby slept soundly all night.”
Silent : Silently
“They entered the room silently.”
Skillful : Skillfully
“She sketched the portrait skillfully.”
Perfect : Perfectly
“He baked the cake perfectly for the party.”
Thorough : Thoroughly
“She cleaned the house thoroughly before guests arrived.”
Easy : Easily
“He lifted the weights easily.”
Sweet : Sweetly
“The bird sang sweetly in the morning.”
Accurate : Accurately
“She aimed at the target accurately.”
Rhythmic : Rhythmically
“They moved rhythmically to the music.”
Brave : Bravely
“He climbed the cliff bravely despite the danger.”
Efficient : Efficiently
“The repairman fixed the machine efficiently.”
Steady : Steadily
“The plant grew steadily over the weeks.”
Polite : Politely
“He answered the phone politely.”
Content : Contentedly
“The cat purred contentedly on her lap.”
Neat : Neatly
“She wrapped the gift neatly.”
Legible : Legibly
“He wrote his notes legibly on the paper.”
Energetic : Energetically
“She cycled energetically through the park.”
Bright : Brightly
“The sun shone brightly in the sky.”
Happy : Happily
“They ate ice cream happily on the beach.”
Gentle : Gently
“The breeze blew gently across the field.”
Powerful : Powerfully
“He threw the bowling ball powerfully down the lane.”
Professional : Professionally
“The actor performed professionally on stage.”
Rapid : Rapidly
“The water flowed rapidly down the stream.”
Swift : Swiftly
“The rabbit ran swiftly into its burrow.”
Angry : Angrily
“He shouted angrily at the referee.”
Violent : Violently
“The waves crashed violently onto the shore.”
Deep : Deeply
“She thought deeply about the problem.”
Silent : Silently
“The owl flew silently through the night.”
Honest : Honestly
“She answered the question honestly.”
Elegant : Elegantly
“The ballerina moved elegantly across the stage.”
Cheerful : Cheerfully
“He greeted his friends cheerfully.”
Irregular Adverbs of Manner
Some adverbs do not follow the standard “-ly” formation and must be memorized as irregular forms.
Examples:
Good : Well
She sings well.
Fast : Fast
He runs fast.
Hard : Hard
They work hard.
Late : Late
She arrived late.
Early : Early
He wakes up early.
Daily : Daily
They exercise daily.
Straight : Straight
Go straight ahead.
Long : Long
They waited long.
Far : Far
He travels far.
High : High
The eagle soars high.
Adverbs That Share Form with Adjectives
Some adjectives and adverbs share the same form; context determines their function in the sentence.
Examples:
Adjective: It’s a fast car.
Adverb: She drives fast.
Adjective: This is a hard task.
Adverb: They work hard.
Adjective: The late train arrived.
Adverb: He arrived late.
Adjective: The early bird catches the worm.
Adverb: She wakes up early.
Adjective: It’s a daily routine.
Adverb: They meditate daily.
Adjective: Follow the straight path.
Adverb: Go straight to the point.
Adjective: It’s a long road.
Adverb: He waited long.
Adjective: It’s a far country.
Adverb: She travels far.
Adjective: That’s a high mountain.
Adverb: The plane flies high.
Incorrect Usage:
Adjective: That’s the wrong answer.
Adverb: You did it wrong.
Placement of Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner typically come after the verb or after the object they modify. For example:
- After the Verb:
“She sings beautifully.”
“He runs quickly.”
“They write neatly.”
“She danced gracefully.”
- After the Object:
“He explained the concept clearly.”
“They fixed the car carefully.”
“She prepared the meal quickly.”
“The teacher explained the topic thoroughly.”
