Ampersand Lab

Foundation grammar · Lesson 86 · A2

quickly/badly/suddenly etc. (adverbs)

Adverbs such as quickly, badly and suddenly tell you how something happens. Most are an adjective + -ly, with a few exceptions: hard, fast, late, early and well.

Start the lesson

16Steps · about 26 minutes

In this lesson

adjective + -ly = adverbA1 screen of questions
Adverbs tell you howB5 screens of questions
hard, fast, late, earlyC2 screens of questions
good (adjective) and well (adverb)D2 screens of questions

Point A of 4

adjective + -ly = adverb

Tom sat down at seven o'clock. At five past seven his plate was empty. He ate his tea very quickly.

Maya was reading on the sofa. Suddenly the cat jumped through the window.

Quickly and suddenly are adverbs. Most adverbs are adjective + -ly:

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

Spelling: a final -y becomes -ily: easy → easily, heavy → heavily.

  • He ate his tea very quickly.
  • Suddenly the cat jumped through the window.
  • I found the house easily.

Point A · Extra practice

Make an adverb from the adjective in brackets.

  1. Please drive . The road is icy. (careful)

  2. It was raining all afternoon. (heavy)

  3. the lights went out. (sudden)

Point B of 4

Adverbs tell you how

An adverb tells you how something happens, or how somebody does something. It usually describes a verb.

Compare the two. An adjective describes a noun, or comes after be, look, feel etc. An adverb describes the action.

adjective (Unit 85) adverb
Leo is very quiet. Leo speaks very quietly. (not 'speaks very quiet')
Be careful! Drive carefully! (not 'drive careful')
It was a bad game. We played badly. (not 'played bad')
I feel nervous. (= I am nervous) I waited nervously outside the office.
  • The bus stopped suddenly.
  • She closed the door slowly.
  • Please read the question carefully.
  • It's raining heavily.
  • You explained it perfectly.

Point B · Exercise 86.1 · part 1 of 2

Read each scene and complete the sentence with one of these adverbs.

Use these

badlycarefullyfastloudlypatientlyslowly

  1. Example

    A dog is standing at the gate, barking at the postman with its mouth wide open.

    The dog is barking loudly.

    AnswerThe dog is barking loudly.

  2. A man is painting a door. There is paint on the floor, on the window and on his shoes.

    He paints very .

  3. A waitress is crossing the room with a tray of full glasses, looking at each step.

    She's walking .

  4. An old man is driving along the motorway. Every other car is overtaking him.

    He's driving very .

  5. A girl is typing on a keyboard. Her fingers are moving so quickly you can hardly see them.

    She can type very .

Point B · Exercise 86.1 · part 2 of 2

Read each scene and complete the sentence with one of these adverbs.

Use these

badlycarefullyfastloudlypatientlyslowly

  1. A man has been in the queue at the post office for forty minutes. He is calm and reading a newspaper.

    He's waiting .

Point B · Exercise 86.3 · part 1 of 3

Which is right? Choose the adjective or the adverb.

  1. Example

    Please don't talk so loudly (loud / loudly). The baby's asleep.

    AnswerPlease don't talk so loudly. The baby's asleep.

  2. Why are you (nervous / nervously)? It's only a short test.

  3. Could you walk a bit more (slow / slowly)? I can't keep up.

  4. Get off the sofa, Jack! Why are you always so (lazy / lazily)?

  5. Megan is a very (patient / patiently) teacher.

Point B · Exercise 86.3 · part 2 of 3

Which is right? Choose the adjective or the adverb.

  1. Mum works very (hard / hardly). She has two jobs.

  2. We were watching the telly when the lights went out (sudden / suddenly).

  3. Please be (careful / carefully). That vase is very old.

  4. Our team played (bad / badly) and lost five nil.

Point B · Exercise 86.3 · part 3 of 3

Which is right? Choose the adjective or the adverb.

  1. This soup smells (wonderful / wonderfully). Can I have some?

Point C of 4

hard, fast, late, early

These four words are adjectives and adverbs. Do not add -ly.

adjective adverb
Nurses have a very hard job. My brother works very hard. (not 'hardly')
Holly is a fast swimmer. Holly can swim fast.
The train was late. We got home late.
We had an early lunch. I got up early.
  • Kieran works very hard.
  • Don't drive so fast.
  • The film finished late.

Point C · Exercise 86.2 · part 1 of 2

Complete each sentence with a verb from box A and an adverb from box B. Put the verb in the correct form.

Use these

cookdriveeatget upreadspeakstudyunderstandcarefullyclearlyearlyeasilyhardquicklywellwell

  1. Example

    The roads are icy tonight, so please drive carefully.

    AnswerThe roads are icy tonight, so please drive carefully.

  2. Lucy every evening. She wants to pass all her exams.

  3. Grandad can't hear very well, so you have to when you talk to him.

  4. Rhys never on Sundays. He stays in bed until eleven.

  5. My dad . His Sunday roast is famous in our street.

Point C · Exercise 86.2 · part 2 of 2

Complete each sentence with a verb from box A and an adverb from box B. Put the verb in the correct form.

Use these

cookdriveeatget upreadspeakstudyunderstandcarefullyclearlyearlyeasilyhardquicklywellwell

  1. Slow down! Don't . You'll get hiccups.

  2. I've read this letter three times, but I still don't it very .

  3. Isla's handwriting is terrible. You can't her notes very .

Point D of 4

good (adjective) and well (adverb)

Good is an adjective. The adverb is well.

adjective adverb
Your Spanish is very good. You speak Spanish very well. (not 'very good')
It was a good match. Both teams played well.

Well is also an adjective that means 'healthy, not ill'. It is the polite answer to a question about your health, whatever the truth of the matter.

  • "How are you?" "I'm very well, thanks. And you?"
  • Ellie sings really well.
  • That was a good meal.

Point D · Exercise 86.4 · part 1 of 2

Put in good or well.

  1. Example

    Kofi is a good cook. He cooks very well.

    AnswerKofi is a good cook. He cooks very well.

  2. Zara did very in her driving test.

  3. The film was really . I enjoyed it a lot.

  4. The boiler is twenty years old, but it still works .

  5. How's your grandma? Is she ?

Point D · Exercise 86.4 · part 2 of 2

Put in good or well.

  1. Did you have a time in Bristol? Was the food ?

Lesson 86 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: old/older, expensive / more expensiveBack to the course

–Right

Each point

A. adjective + -ly = adverb–Not checkedB. Adverbs tell you how–Not checkedC. hard, fast, late, early–Not checkedD. good (adjective) and well (adverb)–Not checked