Verbs are incomplete without adverbs, which describe the action taking place. Adverbs of manner identify the way an action occurs. Other categories of adverbs include time, degree, frequency, and commentary. Adverbs of manner usually appear after the verb and are created by adding ly to an adjective, but there are exceptions. Not every word ending in ly is an adverb.
As most people know, verbs are words that describe movement, action, or states of being. Without verbs nothing happens and if nothing happens a sentence is incomplete. Adverbs, as the name suggests, add something to the verb in terms of describing the action taking place. An adverb of manner is one that defines the way an action occurs.
Adverbs are easy to identify because they often, though not always, end in ly. Actions can be performed in an almost infinite range of ways. An adverb of manner identifies mood or attitude, style or physicality.
A gardener might dig a hole easily if there are no rocks in the soil and irritated if the soil is largely clayey and difficult to break. Some children behave obediently, while others misbehave. A gossip couple might trade their opinions loudly or quietly, depending on whether they want others to hear it.
An adverb of manner is actually just one of five categories of adverbs. Others include adverbs of time, grade, frequency, and comment. Some linguists break these larger categories into many smaller ones, including adjectives of place, circumstance, or certainty.
Adverbs of time offer details about the time or general time of day, day of the week, season, or other time designation. Descriptions that focus on how little or how much one is doing fall into the category of adverbs of degree; for example, a baby might cry constantly. Adverbs of frequency look at repeated action and include adverbs such as usually, rarely, and seldom. Adverbs that lead a listener into the speaker’s opinion, such as the adverbs fortunately, horribly, and adorably, are adverbs of commentary.
The adverb of manner category contains many more than the other groups. These adverbs always appear either at the end of the sentence or, more often, immediately after the verb. This is typical of most adverbs, with the exception of commentary adverbs, which can also appear at the beginning of the sentence. Almost every adverb of manner is created by adding the suffix ly to an adjective.
There are some exceptions, including the adverbs how, straight and hard. It’s important to note that not every word ending in ly is an adjective, however. Describing someone as friendly does not describe the action, but the character, which means that friendly is actually an adjective. While the root of most adverbs of manner is an adjective, the root of an adjective ending in ly is a noun.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
