Forming Adverbs from Adjectives

Here are some guidelines on forming adverbs from adjectives:

  1. In a large number of the cases, the adverb can be formed by simply adding ‘-ly’ to the adjective.
ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Cheap Cheaply
Quick Quickly
Strong Strong
  1. If the adjective ends in with ‘y’, replace the ‘y’ with an ‘i’ and add ‘-ly’.
ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Ready Readily
Merry Merrily
Easy Easily
  1. If the adjective ends with ‘-le’, replace the ‘e’ at the end with ‘y’.
ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Understandable Understandably
Forcible Forcibly
Possible Possibly
  1. If the adjective ends with ‘-ic’, add ‘-ally’.
ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Idiotic Idiotically
Tragic Tragically
Basic Basically

An exception to this rule is ‘public’, whose adverbial form is ‘publicly’.

  1. Some adjectives do not change form at all.
ADJECTIVE ADVERB
Fast Fast
Straight Straight
Hard Hard
  1. In the case of the adjective ‘good’, the corresponding adverb is ‘well’.