Adverbs of Manner and Adverbs Used in Comparisons

7/31/2019 Adverbs of Manner and Adverbs Used in Comparisons

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CHAPTER 25. ADVERBS OF MANNER AND ADVERBS USED INCOMPARISONS

1. Adverbs of manner

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

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannerbad badlycomplete completelynormal normallysurprising surprisingly

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannerdramatic dramaticallyscientific scientificallyspecific specifically

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannerfavorable favorablyhumble humblysimple 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 agilelysole solely

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannerwhole wholly

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

Adjective Adverb of Manner



dull dullyfull fullyshrill 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 Mannerdue dulytrue truly

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannerbusy busilyeasy easilyhappy happily

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannershy shylysly slyly

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannercoy coylygrey greyly

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

Adjective Adverb of Mannergay gaily

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 correspondingadjectives.

Adjective Adverb of Frequencyfrequent frequentlyrare rarelyusual usually



b. Adverbs which do not use the ending lyThe 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 Mannergood well

It should be noted that in addition to being used as an adverb, the word well can also be used as anadjective 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 secondexample, well is an adverb of manner, modifying the verb did .

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

Adjective Adverb of Manner

fast fasthard hardlittle littleloud loud or loudlymuch muchstraight straight

Adjective Adverb of Location

far far high highlow lownear near wide wide

Adjective Adverb of Time

early earlyfirst firstlate latelong long

Adjective Adverb of Frequency

daily dailymonthly monthlyweekly weeklyyearly yearly

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

friendlylikelylively



lonelysillyugly

When it is desired to use one of these words to modify a verb, an adverb phrase of manner may beused. 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 havedifferent 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 adverbsWhen 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 ina given situation.

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

i. Adjectives which modify nouns compared with adverbs which modify verbsThe following examples illustrate the distinction which must be made between adjectives whichmodify 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 adverbquietly modifies the verb passed . In the second pair of sentences, the adjective good modifies thenoun 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.

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

Adverb: a largely wooden building

Adjective: conspicuous dark cloudsAdverb: conspicuously dark clouds

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

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

iii. Predicate adjectives which modify the subjects of verbs compared with adverbs whichmodify verbsAs pointed out previously, certain verbs, called linking verbs , can be followed by predicateadjectives. 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 bemodified by adverbs of manner. In the following examples using the verb to be , the nouns whichare 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 predicateadjectives, 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 secondexample, 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 becometo feel to growto look to remainto smell to soundto 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, theverbs to grow , to look and to turn are used first as linking verbs followed by adjectives, and thenas non-linking verbs modified by adverbs. The adjectives and adverbs are printed in bold type, andthe 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 .

2. Adverbs used in comparisons

a. The formation of comparative and superlative forms of adverbsIt 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 MostMost adverbs used in comparisons, including those formed from corresponding adjectives byadding the ending ly, form the comparative with the word more , and the superlative with the wordmost . For example:

Positive Form Comparative Form Superlative Formcarefully more carefully most carefullyeasily more easily most easilyfrequently more frequently most frequentlyslowly 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 thesame comparative and superlative forms as the corresponding adjectives. For example:

Positive Form Comparative Form Superlative Formearly earlier earliestfast faster fastesthard harder hardesthigh higher highestlate later latestlong longer longestlow lower lowestnear nearer neareststraight straighter straightest

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

Positive Form Comparative Form Superlative Formsoon sooner soonest

It should be noted that adverbs formed by adding ly to one-syllable adjectives are sometimes usedwith 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 adverbsThe irregular adverbs have the same comparative and superlative forms as the correspondingirregular adjectives:

Positive Form Comparative Form Superlative Formbadly worse worstfar farther or further farthest or furthestlittle less leastmuch more mostwell better best

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

i. The construction with As ... AsWhen 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. EllipsisEllipsis is often employed in comparisons using adverbs. For instance, in the second half of suchcomparisons, instead of repeating the verb, the first auxiliary may be used, or the verb may beomitted entirely. In the following examples, the words which would usually be omitted are enclosedin 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 ThanWhen 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 didwhen 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 aredistinguished by the clauses when they were on their way to school and when they were on theirway home . The use of ellipsis should be noted. In the first example, the auxiliary does is usedinstead of repeating the verb performs . In the second example, the auxiliary did is used instead of repeating the verb walked .

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

comparative form + and + comparative formof 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 formof 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 LessA similar construction, employing the expression less and less , can also be used. The expressionsless and less and more and more have opposite meanings.

less + and + less + positive formof 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.

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 twodifferent 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, thecomparative 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 beseparated by a comma.

d. Superlative forms of adverbs used in comparisons



i. The construction with TheWhen 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 formof 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.

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 LeastAdverbs 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 formof adverb

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

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Adverbs of Manner and Adverbs Used in Comparisons