Adverbs with -ly change their meanings
Adjectives/ adverbs | Examples | Adverbs with ly-changing meanings | Examples |
deep = a long way down | Deep in my heart I know it is over. dig deep/ lie deep | deeply = greatly | I was deeply hurt./regret deeply |
direct = by the shortest rout | We are flying direct. | directly = immediately | I will tell you directly. |
clean = completely | It broke clean in two. He was knocked clean off his feet | I clean forgot her birthday | cleanly = without difficulty, smoothly, efficiently | I tackled him cleanly. He vaulted cleanly through the open window. |
easy = gently and slowly | Easy with that chair—one of its legs is loose. | easily = without difficulty | He climbed the mountain easily. |
free = without cost | ladies were admitted free | freely = willingly/readily/openly/without restriction | You may speak freely. |
full = exactly/very | The only way is to travel full west. Full in his face the lightning-bolt was driven. | fully = completely | I fully understand the fears of the workers. |
flat = in or to a horizontal position | He fell flat on his face. He was lying flat on his back | flatly = little interest or emotion, absolutely, in a smooth and even way | ‘You'd better go’ she said flatly. He flatly refused to go off. I applied the paint flatly. |
hard = intently/with effort | It was raining hard. | hardly = scarcely | It hardly matters now. |
high = at a high level | The dancer leapt high. | highly = very much | He is highly thought of. |
last = after all others | I came in last. | lastly = finally, in the last place | Lastly, I would like to thank my parents. |
late = not early | He arrived late. | lately = recently | I have not seen him lately. |
near = close | Who comes near him in wit? The new year draws near. | nearly = almost | She was nearly asleep. |
pretty = fairly | I feel pretty sick about it. | prettily = in a pretty way | Eat prettily, behave prettily. |
right = correctly, exactly, in a required way | Try and do it right this time. | rightly = justly | It is easy as you rightly say. |
sharp = precisely | Be there at 12 sharp. | sharply = harshly, roughly | I was sharply reprimanded. |
short = suddenly, unexpectedly | The car stopped short.She stopped short on the threshold with surprise.Bad news caught him short. | shortly = soon, in a few words, sharply | Shortly after, shortly before, ’Do you like cricket?’ ‘I do not,’ she said shortly. The letter shortly outlines the proposals. |
sure = certainly | sure enough/ I sure am sorry about it./It sure is hot, he thought. | surely = without a doubt | He will surely win. As surely as the leaf fades, so surely shall we fade. |
tight = very firmly, closely, or tensely | Hold me tight.The door was shut tight. I sleep tight. He went downstairs, holding tight to the bannisters. | tightly = in a tight manner | Hold on tightly. Mums hugged her tightly, too emotional to speak. |
wide = off-target, to the full extent | wide open eyes,/ The door was wide open.The news spread far and wide. | widely = to a large extent, extensively | Widely different, credit cards are widely accepted. |
wrong = incorrectly | You are doing it all wrong. | wrongly = unjustly | He was wrongly convicted. |