Community Chat

[qualitygal]

When is right time to use a word with ly on the end. I wonder if I've used it incorrectly. I now hear people say a word, and I think it should have an ly on the end of it.

Like: bad, I think it should be badly. What's the old English rule on that? I guess it is Googleable but (that a word?) I'm not sure. Thanks.

[Preds]

I don't remember the rule on it either, but I "hear" myself adding it to words when someone it speaking to me and I think it should be there.

[KYToby]

Google the phrase ly adverbs for information.

[TN halfback]

I think grammarbook.com is one of the best websites. Unfortunately, I don't use it often enough!

[qualitygal]

Thank you so much, I will be looking into this.

[Yardlie]

English fascinates me. Here is what I found on the topic...from grammarbook(dot)com:

<h1>Adjectives and Adverbs: When to use -ly</h1>

Do you wonder when to add -ly to a word? For example, should you say, “He speaks slow” or “He speaks slowly.” What about, “He speaks slower than his brother.” Is this correct? Let’s find out.

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They may come before the word they describe: “That is a cute puppy.” Adjectives may also follow the word they describe: “That puppy is cute.”

Adverbs modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. If an adverb answers how and can have an -ly attached to it, place it there.

Example: She thinks slow/slowly. Slowly answers how she thinks.

Example: We performed bad/badly. Badly answers how we performed.

Example: She thinks fast/fastly. Even though fast answers how she thinks, there is no such word as fastly.

Rule: When comparing, don’t drop the —ly. Simply add more or less.

Example: Answer the questions more quickly/quicker to win the prize.

Rule: English grammar has one tricky caveat that seems like an exception to these easy rules: If the verb is one of these four senses–taste, smell, look, feel–don’t ask how. Instead, ask if the sense verb is used actively. If so, attach the -ly. If the sense verb is not used actively, which is more common, don’t attach -ly.

Example: Roses smell sweet/sweetly. Do roses actively smell with noses? No, so no -ly.

Example: The woman looked angry/angrily. Is the woman actively looking with eyes? No, only her appearance is being described.

Example: She feels bad/badly about the news. She is not feeling with fingers so no -ly.

Example: She feels bad/badly since burning her fingers. She feels with her fingers here so the adverb (-ly form) is used.

Pop Quiz

1. I feel bad/badly about telling that secret.
2. Walk slower/more slowly, please.
3. You look sad/sadly about the news.

Answers

1. bad
2. more slowly
3. sad

[RainCityGirl]

Most ly words are adverbs answering where, when, why, how or to what extent about an action verb. Bad is an adjective and you would either use it in front of a noun or pronoun that you are describing, or you would use it following a linking verb, such as is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been, or other designated linking verbs. It would be designated a predicate adjective in this case and would describe the subject of the sentence.

The athlete wanted badly to break his own record. (Adverb describes to what extent he wanted)

His injuries were bad and required stitches. (Predicate adjective, describing subject)

A bad manager can cause all kind of financial problems. (Adjective describing the noun it precedes.

The following verbs can or may be action or linking depending on context: taste, feel, smell, become, appear, stay, turn, look, grow seem, remain. The could possibly have adverbs in one context and have predicate adjectives in another.

[NoelSeven]

Just MHO but a lot of people have been using "badly" incorrectly.

As has been said, the ly is attached when bad is being used as an adverb: "The car performed badly in safety tests."

"I feel badly for her" is incorrect unless you are saying you don't do a good job of feeling for her. It should be, "I feel bad for her."

There! It is quite possible I've got something backward there, I'm working with a disadvantage

[shoesnbags]

On 1/1/2014 RainCityGirl said:

Most ly words are adverbs answering where, when, why, how or to what extent about an action verb. Bad is an adjective and you would either use it in front of a noun or pronoun that you are describing, or you would use it following a linking verb, such as is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been, or other designated linking verbs. It would be designated a predicate adjective in this case and would describe the subject of the sentence.

The athlete wanted badly to break his own record. (Adverb describes to what extent he wanted)

His injuries were bad and required stitches. (Adjective describing subject)

A bad manager can cause all kind of financial problems. (Adjective describing the noun it precedes.

The following verbs can or may be action or linking depending on context: taste, feel, smell, become, appear, stay, turn, look, grow seem, remain.

Bad is an adjective; badly is an adverb. And Raincitygirl's explanation is clear and easy to understand. Thanks, RCG!

[RainCityGirl]

On 1/1/2014 shoesnbags said:

On 1/1/2014 RainCityGirl said:

Most ly words are adverbs answering where, when, why, how or to what extent about an action verb. Bad is an adjective and you would either use it in front of a noun or pronoun that you are describing, or you would use it following a linking verb, such as is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been, or other designated linking verbs. It would be designated a predicate adjective in this case and would describe the subject of the sentence.

The athlete wanted badly to break his own record. (Adverb describes to what extent he wanted)

His injuries were bad and required stitches. (Adjective describing subject)

A bad manager can cause all kind of financial problems. (Adjective describing the noun it precedes.

The following verbs can or may be action or linking depending on context: taste, feel, smell, become, appear, stay, turn, look, grow seem, remain.

Bad is an adjective; badly is an adverb. And Raincitygirl's explanation is clear and easy to understand. Thanks, RCG!

You're welcome. I've always loved grammar. Guess that's why I became an English teacher. There's a certain twisted logic to the whole thing, believe it or not.