Adverbs without the -ly form

Just like the famous aphorism “not all that glitters is gold,” not all words that end in “-ly” are adverbs. Similarly, there are also words that don’t end in “-ly” but are considered adverbs. These words are called irregular adverbs. Irregular adverbs are words that do not follow the normal rules of forming an adverb. Since adverbs are commonly derived from adjectives, it can be confusing that some adjectives can also be used as adverbs.

What are irregular adverbs?

Irregular adverbs are words that do not follow the normal rules of forming an adverb. They are usually derived from adjectives, but can also be used as adverbs without changing their form. 

Here are examples of irregular adverbs:

Irregular Adverbs List
above	away	here
after	below	indeed
again	before	since
almost	everywhere	until
as	far	where

Adjectives vs Adverbs

Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. Meanwhile, adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adjectives usually come before the word they modify, while adverbs often come after the word they modify. For example, in the sentence “She is a fast learner,” “fast” is an adjective describing the noun “learner,” that links back to the pronoun “she.” In contrast, in the sentence “The girl ran fast to get away from the dog,” “fast” is an adverb of manner modifying the verb “ran.”

Adjectives That Are Also Adverbs

Since irregular adverbs usually retain their “base form,” it can be confusing to determine which words are adjectives and which ones are adverbs. Observe the table below to learn how to differentiate adjectives from irregular adverbs.

Adjective	Example	Adverb	Example
fast speedy movement	Cheetahs are fast animals. In this sentence, “fast” describes the word “cheetah,” which is a noun.	fast moving at a high speed	The cheetah ran fast to catch its prey. In this sentence, “fast” modifies the verb “ran.” It shows how the cheetah ran.
left relating to the left side of something	His left arm was injured.	left turning or going in the left direction or side	Turn left after you pass by the church.
hard solid or firm form of something	The ice was hard when I removed it from the freezer.	hard performed with great effort	She worked hard to achieve her dreams.
outside placed on the external/exterior surface of something	He replaced the outside lights because they were busted.	outside not within the area of something	The kids were playing outside.
daily something that is performed or made every day	Her day is incomplete without her daily workout.	daily an action that happens every day	I eat breakfast daily.
right something that is true, correct, or a fact	What my mother said about you is right.	right doing something correctly	During the quiz bee competition, our team answered a difficult question right.
straight not swerving, upright position	Highway 85 in Saudi Arabia is one of the longest straight roads.	straight doing something directly	He went straight to the manager to raise his concerns.
late behind a scheduled time	The late delivery of raw materials caused a problem in production.	late after the set time; end of a period	Hirohito became the emperor of Japan late in 1926.
only single; one of its kind	The only thing I saved from the fire was a bag of clothes.	only at most; nothing more	There are only five copies of this book left at the bookstore.

Adverbs That Change in Meaning with “-ly” Termination

There are uninflected adverbs (adverbs without -ly termination) that change in meaning once “-ly” is added. These are some of the adverbs with two forms:

Adjective	Adverb 1 (Irregular Form)	Adverb 2 (Regular Form)
last	last Meaning: previously; before now or the present Example: I went on a date with him last Christmas. Function: Adverb of Time	lastly Meaning: in the final place; also finally Example: Lastly, I want to thank my friends who have been there for me through thick and thin.  Function: Conjunctive Adverb of Sequence
hard	hard Meaning: performed with great effort Example: She cried hard after finding out about his infidelity. Function: Adverb of Manner	hardly Meaning: of a little or insignificant degree; also barely or rarelyExample: After moving abroad, Peter hardly calls his family back home. Function: Adverb of Degree
late	late Meaning: after the set time; end of a period Example: Our visitor arrived late in the afternoon. Function: Adverb of Time	lately Meaning: recently; not too long ago Example: He had been acting unusual lately. Function: Adverb of Time
wrong	wrong Meaning: acting in an inappropriate manner Example: I trusted him, but he did me wrong. Function: Adverb of Manner	wrongly Meaning: incorrectly; by mistake Example: The accountant wrongly computed my taxes. Function: Adverb of Manner
near	near Meaning: a short distance from something Example: The hotel is located near the mall. Function: Adverb of Place	nearly Meaning: very close; almost Example: The carnapper nearly escaped the police, but they were able to apprehend him just in time. Function: Adverb of Degree
new	anew Meaning: something recurring in a new or different way; starting over Example: Her life started anew when she won the lottery.  Function: Adverb of Manner	newly Meaning: only just lately; recently  Example: The newly built bridge was found to be substandard. Function: Adverb of Time

 More Examples of Irregular Adverbs Used in a Sentence

Irregular Adverbs of Time: already, later, soon, tonight, now	Irregular Adverbs of Frequency:  sometimes, never, often, always, just	Irregular Adverbs of Manner:  well, doubtless, soft, loud, tight	Irregular Adverbs of Place: here, there, away, under, somewhere	Conjunctive Adverbs:  likewise, further, meanwhile, however, thus
– I already drank my vitamins. – We will leave later. – See you soon! – Tonight, we will attend a party. – Submit your projects now.	– I feel lonely sometimes. – He never attended choir practice. – We often go to the park. – She always checks her wallet. – They just paid for a family vacation.	– He did well during the training. – The auditor would doubtless determine the discrepancies. – Keep your voice soft.* – Beat the drum loud.* – He climbed the tree by holding its branches tight.*	– Please sign here. – Don’t throw your garbage there. – She went away for a while. – He hid the money under his bed. – Let’s go somewhere else.	– I likewise agree with your opinion. – The company will further expand its operations. – Meanwhile, I’ll finish my report. – However, I still have some doubts about it. – Thus, we can conclude that the project is successful.

*Note that under the irregular adverbs of manner, the adverbs soft, loud, and tight are without the “-ly” termination because they are placed at the end of the sentence. However, when placing them in the middle, the “-ly” termination is a must, as in: 

• She sang softly in the choir.
• My sisters talk loudly when they argue.
• He held his bag tightly while making his way out of the crowded place.

Irregular Adverbs Exercises with Answers

Determine whether the highlighted words below are adjectives, regular adverbs or irregular adverbs.

1. The shirt he gave me is soft.

2. In the movie, the main character hardly escaped the villains.

3. Her daily routine helped her stay on track.

4. Billy has already decided to join the army.

5. The building in the near distance is a perfect example of modern architecture.

6. Your answer to this question is wrong.

7. She was only fifteen when she won the competition.

8. The rabbit ran fast to get away from the fox.

9. The car’s left side mirror is broken.

10. She always speaks her mind.

Answers:

1. Adjective

2. Regular Adverb 

3. Adjective

4. Irregular Adverb

5. Adjective

6. Adjective

7. Irregular Adverb

8. Irregular Adverb

9. Adjective

10. Irregular Adverb

Advice for ESL Students & English Language Learners

English is a tricky language to learn. As shown in this blog, one word can take two grammatical functions. To help you better understand irregular adverbs, try to practice using them in sentences. You can also look up examples of irregular adverbs online and use them as a reference. Additionally, it is important to remember that some irregular adverbs are used differently depending on where they are placed in the sentence. Lastly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Mistakes are part of learning and will help you become a better English speaker. However, to avoid making mistakes, know the common errors that ESL students make and try to avoid them. Additionally, it is important for learners to properly understand conjunctive adverbs and questions answered by adverbs.

Common Errors With Irregular Adverbs	Explanation	Correction
Using Good and Well Interchangeable	A tip to use “good” and “well” correctly is to observe the sentence construction. As you notice from the first set of examples, the sentence structure is “subject + linking verb + adjective + rest of the sentence.” Therefore, when you notice this pattern, it is proper to use “good in a sentence. For example: Incorrect: My brother is well at biking. Correct: My brother is good at biking. To know if “well” is appropriate in a sentence, examine if the word(s) beside it is an action verb, an adverb, or an adjective. For example: Incorrect: My brother biked good yesterday. Correct: My brother biked well yesterday. “Biked” is an action verb; therefore, it is proper to use the adverb “well.”	A tip to use “good” and “well” correctly is to observe the sentence construction. As you notice from the first set of examples, the sentence structure is “subject + linking verb + adjective + rest of the sentence.” Therefore, when you notice this pattern, it is proper to use “good in a sentence. For example: Incorrect: My brother is well at biking. Correct: My brother is good at biking. To know if “well” is appropriate in a sentence, examine if the word(s) beside it is an action verb, an adverb, or adjective. For example: Incorrect: My brother biked good yesterday. Correct: My brother biked well yesterday. “Biked” is an action verb; therefore, it is proper to use the adverb “well.”
Using Adjectives Instead of Adverbs	Since the base form of adverbs are adjectives, some learners use these two different part of speech incorrectly.  For example: Incorrect: Cotton is a softly material. Correct: Cotton is a soft material. An adjective (soft) must be used in the sentence above since the sentence follows the “subject + linking verb + adjective” formula.	The first step on constructing sentences correctly is knowing the parts of speech. Through this, you can observe how words are grouped to form a coherent sentence.  Remember that an adjective describes a non and pronoun. An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. For example: Adverb: He drove away from the to hospital.  “Away” is an adverb of place modifying where the subject went.
Converting “Fast” Into “Fastly”	While “fastly” may be acceptable in colloquial English, it is not the standard form. “Fast” is both an adjective and an adverb. It doesn’t need the “-ly” termination to become an adverb. For example: Adjective: Since he drives a Maserati, he always stays in the fast lane. Adverb: He drives his Maserati fast on the highway.	To avoid this mistake, use the alternative adverb of “fast” like quickly, swiftly, and rapidly. For example: He moved quickly to clean the house. The panther swiftly pounced on its prey. The fire spread rapidly throughout the forest.

Irregular Adverbs Frequently Asked Questions