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Unit 86 · Adjectives and adverbs

quickly/badly/suddenly etc. (adverbs)

Study

A
›

He ate his dinner very quickly.

›

Suddenly the shelf fell down.

Quickly and suddenly are adverbs.

adjective + -ly → adverb:

adjective quick bad sudden careful heavy etc.
adverb quickly badly suddenly carefully heavily

Spelling (→ Appendix 5): easy → easily heavy → heavily

B

Adverbs tell you how something happens or how somebody does something:

›

The train stopped suddenly.

›

I opened the door slowly.

›

Please listen carefully.

›

I understand you perfectly.

Compare:

adjective adverb
Sue is very **quiet**. Sue speaks very **quietly**. (not speaks very quiet)
Be **careful**! Listen **carefully**! (not listen careful)
It was a **bad** game. Our team played **badly**. (not played bad)
I felt **nervous**. I waited **nervously**.
(= I was nervous)
C

hard fast late early

These words are adjectives and adverbs:

›

Sue's job is very hard.

›

Sue works very hard. (not hardly)

›

Ben is a fast runner.

›

Ben can run fast.

›

The bus was late/early.

›

I went to bed late/early.

D

good (adjective) → well (adverb)

›

Your English is very good.

›

You speak English very well. (not very good)

›

It was a good game.

›

Our team played well.

But well is also an adjective (= not ill, in good health):

›

'How are you?' 'I'm very well, thank you. And you?'

Exercises (4)

0/4 exercises checked
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86.1

Look at the pictures and complete the sentences with these adverbs:

angrilybadlydangerouslyfastheavilyquietly
  1. 1It is raining heavily
    It's raining .example
  2. 2A man singing very badly
    He sings very .
  3. 3People tiptoeing quietly into a room
    They came in .
  4. 4Angry woman shouting at a man
    She shouted at me .
  5. 5Woman running very fast on a track
    She can run very .
  6. 6Man driving a car dangerously
    He was driving .
86.2

Complete the sentences. Choose from the boxes.

comeknowsleepwinexplainlistenthinkworkcarefullyclearlyhardwelleasilyquickly
  1. 1
    I'm going to tell you something very important, so please .example
  2. 2
    They . At the end of the day they're always tired.
  3. 3
    I'm tired this morning. I didn't last night.
  4. 4
    You play tennis much better than me. When we play, you always .
  5. 5
    before you answer the question.
  6. 6
    I've met Alice a few times, but I don't her very .
  7. 7
    Our teacher doesn't things very . We never understand him.
  8. 8
    Helen! I need your help! .
86.3

Which is right?

  1. 1
    Don't eat so quick / quickly. It's not good for you.
  2. 2
    Why are you angry / angrily? I haven't done anything.
  3. 3
    Can you speak slow / slowly, please?
  4. 4
    Come on, Dave! Why are you always so slow / slowly?
  5. 5
    Sam is a very careful / carefully driver.
  6. 6
    Amy is studying hard / hardly for her examinations.
  7. 7
    'Where's Anna?' 'She was here, but she left sudden / suddenly.'
  8. 8
    Please be quiet / quietly. I'm studying.
  9. 9
    Some companies pay their workers very bad / badly.
  10. 10
    Those oranges look nice / nicely. Can I have one?
  11. 11
    I don't remember much about the accident. Everything happened quick / quickly.
86.4

Write good or well.

  1. 1
    Your English is very . You speak it very .example
  2. 2
    Jackie did very in her exams.
  3. 3
    The party was very . I enjoyed it very much.
  4. 4
    Mark has a difficult job, but he does it .
  5. 5
    How are your parents? Are they ?
  6. 6
    Did you have a holiday? Was the weather ?