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English grammar

slowly, carefully, well

A2 · Elementary Building the sentence Questions 10

The rule

To say HOW something is done, English adds -ly to the adjective: slow → slowly, careful → carefully, quick → quickly. A few keep their own form — fast stays fast, hard stays hard — and good becomes well. The adverb describes the verb; the adjective describes the thing.

Pattern

adjective + -ly · fast → fast · hard → hard · good → well

Examples

  1. Could you speak more slowly, please?

  2. She explained everything very clearly.

  3. He drives too fast.

  4. They work very well together.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: She speaks very good English, and she speaks it good.

    Right: She speaks very good English, and she speaks it well.

    good describes the thing, well describes the doing.

  • Wrong: He drives very fastly.

    Right: He drives very fast.

    fast has no -ly form.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Fill in the gap.

    Please write more _____.

    1. care
    2. carefully
    3. carefuly
    4. careful
    Show answer

    Answer: B Please write more carefully.

    The adverb takes -ly.

  2. 2Fill in the gap.

    She sings very _____.

    1. better
    2. well
    3. good
    4. goodly
    Show answer

    Answer: B She sings very well.

    good → well as an adverb.

  3. 3Fill in the gap.

    The bus came very _____ today.

    1. quickly
    2. quick
    3. more quick
    4. quickley
    Show answer

    Answer: A The bus came very quickly today.

    The adverb takes -ly.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    He works very _____.

    1. harder
    2. hardly
    3. hardy
    4. hard
    Show answer

    Answer: D He works very hard.

    hard keeps its form; hardly means almost not.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    Read the label _____ before you take it.

    1. care
    2. careful
    3. carefull
    4. carefully
    Show answer

    Answer: D Read the label carefully before you take it.

    The adverb takes -ly.

  6. 6Choose the correct sentence.

    1. She answered the phone politly.
    2. She answered the phone politely.
    3. She answered the phone polite.
    4. She answered the phone more polite.
    Show answer

    Answer: B She answered the phone politely.

    polite → politely.

  7. 7Choose the correct sentence.

    1. He speaks English goodly.
    2. He speaks English well.
    3. He speaks English good.
    4. He speaks well English.
    Show answer

    Answer: B He speaks English well.

    good → well after a verb.

  8. 8This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. She is a careful driver.
    2. She drives very carefully.
    3. She drives very carefull.
    4. She drives carefully.
    Show answer

    Answer: C She drives very carefull.

    The adverb ends in -ly.

  9. 9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. The train arrived late.
    2. The train arrived latly.
    3. The train arrived on time.
    4. The train was late.
    Show answer

    Answer: B The train arrived latly.

    late has no -ly form in this sense.

  10. 10Put the words in the right order.

    Please speak a little more slowly

    Show answer

    Answer: Please speak a little more slowly.

    The adverb follows the verb.

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