Collins Cobuild English Grammar (124 page)

easy

easily

fine

finely

first

firstly

hard

hardly

high

highly

last

lastly

late

lately

thick

thickly

thin

thinly

tight

tightly

Note that the
-ly
adverb often has a different meaning from the adverb with the same form as the adjective,

The river was running
high
and swiftly.
I thought
highly
of the idea.
He has worked
hard
.
Border could
hardly
make himself heard above the din.
When the snake strikes, its mouth opens
wide
.
Closing dates for applications vary
widely
.

Note that, with some words that are adverbs and adjectives, the addition of
-ly
forms a new adverb and a new adjective, for example
dead
and
deadly
,
low
and
lowly
.

no adverb from adjective

6.27
    Some adjectives do not form adverbs at all. These include the common qualitative adjectives listed in paragraph
6.23
, such as
big
and
old
.

Here is a list of some more adjectives that do not form adverbs:

afraid

alive

alone

asleep

awake

content

difficult

drunk

foreign

good

hurt

ill

little

long

sorry

standard

Note that the adverbs relating to
content
and
drunk
are formed by adding
-ly
to the forms
contented
and
drunken
, thus giving
contentedly
and
drunkenly
.

USAGE NOTE

6.28
    If there is no adverb related to an adjective, and you want to give additional information about an event or situation, you can often use a prepositional phrase.

In some cases, the prepositional phrase involves a noun that is related to the adjective. For example, there is no adverb related to the adjective
difficult
, but you can use the related noun
difficulty
in the prepositional phrase
with difficulty
instead.

He stood up slowly and
with difficulty
.

In other cases, for example with adjectives that end in
-ly
, a general noun such as
way
,
manner
, or
fashion
is used.

He walks
in a funny way
.
He greeted us
in his usual friendly fashion
.

Prepositional phrases may be used even if an adverb does exist, for example when you want to add more detailed information or to add emphasis.

She comforted the bereaved relatives
in a dignified, compassionate and personalized manner
.
At these extreme velocities, materials behave
in a totally different manner from normal
.

adverbs not related to adjectives

6.29
    Some adverbs are not related to adjectives at all. This is especially true of adverbs of time and place. See
Chapter 4
for adverbs of time, and the section beginning at paragraph
6.53
for adverbs of place.

It will
soon
be Christmas.

There are also some other adverbs that are not related to adjectives.

For a list of the common adverbs that are not related to adjectives, see the Reference Section.

Comparative and superlative adverbs

6.30
    You may want to say how something happens or is done in relation to how it happens on a different occasion, or how it was done by someone or something else. You can do this by using adverbs in the
comparative
or
superlative
.

He began to speak
more quickly
.
This form of treatment is
most commonly
used in younger patients.

Most
adverbs of manner
(see paragraph
6.36
) have comparatives and superlatives.

A few other adverbs also have comparatives and superlatives: some adverbs of
time
(
early
and
late
, see paragraph
4.71
),
frequency
(
often
and
frequently
, see paragraph
4.114
),
duration
(
briefly
,
permanently
, and
long
, see paragraph
4.123
), and
place
(
near
,
close
,
deep
,
high
,
far
, and
low
, see paragraphs
6.88
and
6.60
).

6.31
    The forms and uses of comparative and superlative adverbs are generally similar to those of adjectives. For more information about comparatives and superlatives of adjectives, see paragraphs
2.103
to
2.122
.

However, unlike adjectives, the comparative of an adverb is usually formed with
more
and the superlative with
most
, and not by adding
-er
and
-est
.

The people needed business skills so that they could manage themselves
more effectively
.
…the text that Professor Williams’s work
most closely
resembles.
Valium is
most often
prescribed as an anti-anxiety drug.

irregular forms

6.32
    Some very common adverbs have comparatives and superlatives that are single words and not formed using
more
and
most
. Note that adverbs that have irregular comparatives also have irregular superlatives.

Well
has the comparative
better
and the superlative
best
.

She would ask him later, when she knew him
better
.
I have to find out what I can do
best
.

Badly
has the comparative
worse
and the superlative
worst
.

‘I don’t think the crowd helped her,’ Gordon admitted. ‘She played
worse
.’
The expedition from Mozambique fared
worst
.

Note that
worse
and
worst
are also the comparative and superlative of
ill
when it is an adverb or adjective.

6.33
    Adverbs that have the same form as adjectives also have the same comparatives and superlatives as the adjectives. For example,
fast
has
faster
and
fastest
, and
hard
has
harder
and
hardest
. For a list of common adverbs that have the same form as adjectives, see paragraph
6.24
.

They worked
harder
, they were more honest.
The winning blow is the one that strikes
hardest
.
This would enable claims to be dealt with
faster
.
This type of sugar dissolves
fastest
.

6.34
    Some adverbs have comparatives and superlatives with
more
and
most
, but also have single-word comparatives and superlatives.

They can be built
more quickly
.
You probably learn
quicker
by having lessons.
Those women treated
quickest
were those most likely to die.
The American computer firm will be relying
more heavily
on its new Scottish plant.
It seems that the rights of soldiers weigh
heavier
than the rights of those killed.
The burden fell
most heavily
on Kanhai.
Illiteracy weighs
heaviest
on the groups who are already disadvantaged in other ways.

USAGE NOTE

6.35
    The structures involving comparatives and superlatives are generally the same for adverbs as for adjectives:

the use of
no
and
any
with comparatives: see paragraph
2.163