CHAPTER 25. ADVERBS OF MANNER AND ADVERBS USED IN COMPARISONS
1. Adverbs of manner
Adverbs of manner are the largest group of adverbs. Most adverbs of manner are closely related to corresponding adjectives. Although some words can be used as either adjectives or adverbs, in most cases, adverbs of manner are formed by adding ly to the corresponding adjectives.
a. Spelling rules for adding ly
In most cases, ly is simply added to the positive form of the adjective. For example:
Adjective
Adverb of Manner
bad
badly
complete
completely
normal
normally
surprising
surprisingly
i. Adjectives ending in ic
However, when the adjective ends in ic, the syllable al is usually added before the ly ending. For example:
Adjective
Adverb of Manner
dramatic
dramatically
scientific
scientifically
specific
specifically
ii. Adjectives ending in le
When the adjective ends in le preceded by a consonant, the final e is usually changed to y, to form the ly ending. For example:
Adjective
Adverb of Manner
favorable
favorably
humble
humbly
simple
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
agilely
sole
solely
However, in the case of the adjective whole, the final e is removed before the ending ly is added:
Adjective
Adverb of Manner
whole
wholly
iii. Adjectives ending in ll
When the adjective ends in ll, only y is added. For example:
