Section outline

  • Adverbs of manner tell us how or in what manner an action is done.

    Features & position:

    1. It answers the question 'how'.
    2. It is placed after the main verb or direct object (if sentence has one).
    3. If the sentence has an auxiliary verb, then it is placed between the main & auxiliary verb. 

    Examples:

    1. The team played skillfully.
    2. He picked up the glasses carefully.
    3. They were happily watching the show.

    In these examples:

    1. The words 'carefully, skillfully, happily' are adverbs of manner.
    2. Adverb 'skillfully' is placed after the main verb 'played'.
    3. Adverb 'carefully' is placed after the object 'glasses'.
    4. Adverb 'happily' is placed between the auxiliary verb 'were' & main verb 'watching'.

    Let's understand the rules to form adverbs of manner.

    • Rules to form adverb of manner:

      It is formed by adding suffixes 'y / ly / ally / ily' to adjectives.

      Following are the rules:

      Adjective ending Rule Examples
      with 'le' Replace 'e' with 'y' gentle = gently
      simple = simply
      with 'e' Add 'ly'  brave = bravely
      large = largely
      with 'y' Replace 'y' with 'ily' easy = easily
      happy = happily
      with 'l' Add 'ly' general = generally
      careful = carefully
      with 'ic' Add 'ally'

      		 basic = basically
      tragic = tragically