Language/English/Grammar/Adjectives-ending-in-ly
In English, there are many adjectives that end in "-ly" and yet are not adverbs.
Adjectives ending in -ly
Here is a list of adjectives that end in -ly and sometimes get mistaken for adverbs:
- Beastly
- Costly
- Cowardly
- Daily (Can also be an adverb)
- Deadly
- Early
- Elderly
- Fatherly
- Fortnightly (Can also be an adverb)
- Friendly
- Gentlemanly
- Ghastly
- Ghostly
- Godly
- Goodly
- Holy
- Homely
- Humanly
- Kingly
- Leisurely
- Lively
- Lonely
- Lovely
- Slowly (Can also be an adverb)
- Maidenly
- Manly
- Masterly
- Matronly
- Miserly
- Monthly
- Motherly
- Nightly
- Painterly
- Poorly (Can also be an adverb)
- Priestly
- Princely
- Saintly
- Scholarly
- Shapely
- Silly
- Sisterly
- Timely
- Ugly
- Ungainly
- Unruly
- Unsightly
- Unseemly
- Unworldly
- Weekly
- Womanly
- Worldly
- Yearly
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun. Adjectives may come before the word they change.
- Example: "It is a cute dog."
Adjectives may also follow the word they modify:
- Example: "That cat looks nice."
What is an adverb?
An adverb is a word that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Adverbs answer how, when, where, why, or to what extent—how often or how much (e.g., daily, completely).
- Examples: "He walks slowly" (tells how)
How to change an adjective into an adverb?
Many adverbs are formed from adjectives by adding the ending -ly:
- beautiful becomes beautifully
- bad become badly
Adjectives ending in -ly cannot be turned into adverbs by adding -ly.
You need to use a different structure:
- For example "in a lovely way".
If an adjective has 2 syllables and ends in -y, replace the final -y with -ily:
- easy becomes easily
- happy becomes happily
If an adjective ends with a consonant followed by -le, replace the final -e with -y:
- terrible becomes terribly
- comfortable becomes comfortably
Authors
Contributors
Vincent, 128.12.122.14, 66.131.29.221, Maintenance script, 97.135.118.90, Skyfly876, 187.251.104.10, 73.88.92.169 and 92.158.92.135