Meanings of Adjectives and Adverbs and Exceptions
Different meanings of adjectives and adverbs in the English grammar
Many adverbs seem to have been formed with the suffix –ly. But here, appearances are deceptive. In many cases adjectives and adverbs have different meanings in the English language.
| adjectives | adverbs | examples | ||
| deep | far distant | deeply | to a great depth psychologically | You were in deep thoughts. We were deeply disappointed. |
| direct | straight | directly | immediately | I want a direct answer! Send him to me directly, please! |
| free | without charge | freely | straightforward, frank | Free words in a free press! They walked around freely. |
| hard | firm, solid, tough | hardly | barely, just | I worked hard all day. I hardly worked all day. |
| high | far or farther from a reference point | highly | extremely, very | It was high time to leave. TNT is highly explosive. |
| late | not on time | lately | recently | The bus leaves late at night. Have you seen Joe lately? |
| most | the greatest number or degree | mostly | generally, usually | What I hate most is milk! They played mostly Hip Hop. |
| near | to, at, or within a short distance (time, space) | nearly | almost | Dad parked near the church. He nearly forgot to come. |
Exceptions
Many adverbs are not built with the suffix –ly. Either they have the same form as the adjective or they have a special form.
| adject. | adverb | examples |
|---|---|---|
| good | well | This is a very good text. You've done it very well. |
| fast | fast | My dad always has fast cars. He likes to drive fast. |
| hard | hard | This was a hard day for me. I had to work hard all day. |
| high | high | George loves high mountains. He has a house high on the mountain. |
| early | early | My mum is an "early riser". She gets up very early in the morning. |
| late | late | Nick usually takes the late bus home. But he is never late for school. |
Some adjectives with the ending –ly don’t have an adverbial form. In these cases one uses the expression "in a (adjective) way/manner".
The following words belong to this group: friendly, lonely, lovely und silly, etc.
- Maggie is a friendly girl. She always smiles and laughs in a friendly way/manner.
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