GRAMMAR - ADVERBS OF MANNER

USE: 

Adverbs of manner describe how actions happen or how things are done. 

Linking verbs: There are certain verbs that take adjectives instead of adverbs because they connect the subject to a word that describes it, not the action.

Forms of "be": am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being

Senses: sound, smell, taste, feel

State of Being / Condition: 

     Appear, become, come, fall, get, grow, keep, look, turn, prove, remain, seem, stay.

POSITION:

- We put adverbs of manner after the verb when there is no object: She runs rapidly.

 - We put them after the verb + object: Miguel speaks English perfectly.

- With verbs of movement we put them after adverbial phrases of place: I go home early.

- In questions, we put them at the end of the sentence: Doesn’t she play the piano beautifully?

FORMATION:

In general, we form adverbs of manner by adding –ly to the adjective: slow → slowly.

Adjectives ending in consonant + y, change y to i+-ly: happy → happily.

Adjectives ending in –e don’t omit it: brave → bravely. Except: true →truly, due → duly.

Adjectives ending in –able /-ible change the –e to –y: probable → probably.

IRREGULAR ADVERBS:

"Flat adverbs" remain in the exact same form as their adjective counterparts: early, fast, hard, late, low, straight.

Attention - Some adverbs have a -ly form, but its meaning changes completely: bare, hard, late, scarce, short.

Nora drives fast. We travelled far. They work hard. The athlete jumped high. She never comes late. 

Attention - Adjective "good": My friend is a good football player. → Adverb "well": My friend plays football well.

COMPARISON OF ADVERBS:

- Adverbs ending in -ly form the comparative of superiority with MORE and the superlative of superiority with MOST:

slowly → more slowly →  most slowly

happily → more happily → most happily

carefully → more carefully → most carefully

- One-syllable adverbs form the comparative of superiority adding -ER and the superlative of superiority adding -EST:

fast→ faster →  fastest

late→  later → latest

hard→ harder → hardest

high → higher → highest

- Some adverbs form the comparative and superlative forms of superiority irregularly:

badly → worse →  worst

well →  better → best

far → farther /further→ farthest/furthest

- All the adverbs form the comparative of inferiority with LESS and the superlative of inferiority with LEAST:

slowly → less slowly →  least slowly

happily → less happily → least happily

carefully → less carefully → least carefully

fast → less fast →  least fast

- All the adverbs form the comparative of equality using AS... AS

late →  as late as 

badly → as badly as

GRAMMAR - COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS OF ADJECTIVES: PRACTICE

1. Complete with the COMPARATIVE FORM of the adjectives in brackets. Then rewrite the sentences into negative comparisons, making all the necessary changes:

a. Cars are faster than (fast) horses. Horses are less fast than cars.

b. Comics are ________________________ (funny) History books.

c. Vegetables are _________________________ (healthy) hamburgers.

d. Cars are ______________________________ (expensive) bicycles.

e. Football is ________________________ (popular) volleyball.

f. That pullover is _______________________ (large) yours.

2. Complete with the SUPERLATIVE FORM of the adjectives in brackets, using the positive or negative comparison as necessary:

a. New York is the biggest (big) city in USA.  

b. The Vatican is ____________________________ (big) country in the world.

c. In my opinion, cycling is ___________________________ (exciting) sport.

d. Messi is _________________________ (good) football player in the world.

e. Cartagena is ___________________________ (old) city in Spain.
f. Summer is ___________________________ (cold) season.

GRAMMAR - COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS OF ADJECTIVES: THEORY

1. ADJECTIVES - COMPARATIVE OF SUPERIORITY: 

ADJECTIVES	EXAMPLES	COMPARATIVE FORM (más + adjetivo + que)
SHORT ADJECTIVES ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN "Y"	LONG, NICE, BIG LAZY, EASY	ADJECTIVE + -ER +   THAN
		LONGER   THAN, NICER THAN, BIGGER THAN LAZIER   THAN, EASIER THAN
LONG ADJECTIVES TWO OR MORE SYLLABLES	BORING, INTERESTING	MORE  +  ADJECTIVE  +   THAN
		MORE   BORING   THAN MORE  INTERESTING THAN

Spelling rules:

1. Adjectives ending with a silent e → Add –r: NICE  –  NICER THAN

2. One-syllable adjectives ending with one vowel + one consonant (exceptions: w, x, y) → Double the final consonant: BIG  -  BIGGER THAN 

3. Adjectives ending in l → Double the final l: CRUEL  -  CRUELLER THAN

4. Adjectives ending in consonant + y → Change y to i: HAPPY  -  HAPPIER THAN

Attention - Some monosyllable adjectives don't add -er:  just, real, right, wrong.

Emphasis patterns:

- Comparative correlative: To show how one change causes another. ("Cuanto más....")

                    The [comparative] [subject + v], the [comparative] [subject + v]

The more I practise English, the better I become. / The newer the phone, the more expensive it is.

- Repeated comparative - Comparative and comparative: To show continuous change. ("Cada vez más...") Colder and colder, bigger and bigger, more and more interesting.

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES
                                                                  

ADJECTIVES	COMPARATIVE FORM (más + adjetivo + que)
GOOD  BAD  FAR  LITTLE	BETTER   THAN WORSE   THAN FA/URTHER  THAN LESS THAN

2. ADJECTIVES - SUPERLATIVE OF SUPERIORITY:

ADJECTIVES	EXAMPLES	SUPERLATIVE FORM (el/la más + adjetivo)
SHORT ADJECTIVES ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN "Y"	LONG, NICE, BIG LAZY, EASY	THE + ADJECTIVE + -EST
		THE   LONGEST, THE NICEST, THE BIGGEST THE   LAZIEST, THE EASIEST
LONG ADJECTIVES TWO OR MORE SYLLABLES	BORING INTERESTING	THE  +  MOST  +  ADJECTIVE
		THE   MOST   BORING THE   MOST   INTERESTING

Spelling rules:

1. Adjectives ending with a silent e → Add –st: NICE  –  THE NICEST

2. One-syllable adjectives ending with one vowel + one consonant (exceptions: w, x, y) → Double the final consonant: BIG  -  THE BIGGEST

3. Adjectives ending in l → Double the final l: CRUEL  -  THE CRUELLEST

4. Adjectives ending in consonant + y → Change the y to i: HAPPY  -  THE HAPPIEST

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES
                                                                  

ADJECTIVES	SUPERLATIVE FORM (el/la más + adjetivo)
GOOD  BAD  FAR  LITTLE	THE BEST THE WORST THE FA/URTHEST THE LEAST

3. ADJECTIVES - COMPARATIVE OF EQUALITY:  

AS ... AS (“TAN … COMO”)

AS RICH AS, AS LAZY AS, AS NICE AS, AS BORING AS, AS BAD AS, AS INTERESTING AS.

4. ADJECTIVES - COMPARATIVE OF INFERIORITY:  

LESS ... THAN (“MENOS … QUE”)

LESS RICH THAN, LESS LAZY THAN, LESS NICE THAN, LESS BORING THAN, LESS 
BAD THAN, LESS INTERESTING THAN.


5. ADJECTIVES - SUPERLATIVE OF INFERIORITY:  

THE LEAST ... ("EL/LA MENOS ...")

THE LEAST RICH, THE LEAST LAZY, THE LEAST NICE, THE LEAST BORING, THE LEAST BAD, THE LEAST INTERESTING.