Collins Cobuild English Grammar (208 page)

R145
  A few adverbs ending in
ly
are not related to any adjective or noun.

accordingly

exceedingly

jokingly

longingly

manfully

presumably

R146
  Here is a list of adverbs that have the same form as adjectives:

alike

all right

alone

clean

deep

direct

even

extra

far

fast

fine

first

free

freelance

full

full-time

further

hard

high

just

kindly

last

late

little

long

loud

low

next

non-stop

off-hand

only

outright

overall

part-time

past

pretty

quick

right

slow

solo

still

straight

tight

well

wide

wrong

Note that the adverb is sometimes not related in meaning to the adjective whose form it shares. Check the meanings in a Cobuild dictionary.

With some of these words, there are also related forms ending in
ly
.

cleanly

directly

deeply

evenly

finely

firstly

freely

fully

hardly

highly

justly

lastly

lately

loudly

quickly

rightly

slowly

tightly

widely

wrongly

Note that these
ly
forms sometimes have the same meaning as the other adverb form, and sometimes not.

The time adverbials ending in
ly
, which are mentioned in paragraph
R144
, also have the same form as adjectives.

R147
  Note that
ordinal numbers
are used both as modifiers and as adverbs. They also have related adverbs ending in
ly
.

R148
  Here is a list of adverbs that are not related to any adjective:

afresh

alas

alike

almost

aloud

also

altogether

anyhow

anyway

apart

besides

doubtless

either

enough

forthwith

furthermore

half

hence

hereby

however

indeed

instead

likewise

maybe

meanwhile

more

moreover

much

nevertheless

nonetheless

otherwise

perhaps

quite

rather

regardless

so

somehow

somewhat

therefore

thereupon

though

thus

together

too

very

whatsoever

R149
  Time adverbials and many adverbs of place are also not related to adjectives. See
Chapters 4
and
6
for lists of these adverbs.

Forming comparative and superlative adverbs

R150
  Information on how to use
comparatives
and
superlatives
of adverbs, and which adverbs have them, is given in
Chapter 6
(
6.30
to
6.35
).

R151
  The comparative of an adverb usually consists of the normal form of the adverb preceded by
more
.

freely		more freely
appropriately		more appropriately

R152
  The superlative of an adverb usually consists of the normal form of the adverb preceded by
most
.

commonly		most commonly
eagerly		most eagerly

R153
  A few very common adverbs have comparatives and superlatives that are single words and not formed using
more
and
most
.

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
.

She was treated far
worse
than any animal.

The manufacturing industries were hit
worst
.

Adverbs that have the same form as adjectives have the same comparatives and superlatives as the adjectives. For example, the comparative and superlative of the adverb
fast
are
faster
and
fastest
, and the comparative and superlative of the adverb
hard
are
harder
and
hardest
.