Learn to Use the Suffix -ly to Make Adverbs Including Exceptions

In this activity, we’re going to be using the suffix -ly to turn words into adverbs.

 

Adverbs tell us how something is done. For example, quickly is an adverb.

 

Here, the suffix -ly has been added on to the root word quick.

quick + ly = quickly

 

 

For lots of words, we can simply add -ly to create an adverb.

 

For example:

slow + ly = slowly

glad + ly = gladly

usual + ly = usually

final + ly = finally

 

If a word ends in an l, it ends up having a double l once -ly has been added.

 

What if the root word ends in a y?

If you do something in a happy way, how do you do it?

 

You do it happily!

 

Can you see how the word happy has changed to happily?

If the root word ends in a y, we remove the y and add -ily.

 

 

Here are some examples:

angry + ly = angrily

grumpy + ly = grumpily

lazy + ly = lazily

easy + ly = easily

 

 

What if the root word ends in -ic?

If you do something in a dramatic way, how do you do it?

 

You do it dramatically!

 

Can you see how dramatic changed to dramatically?

If the root word ends in -ic, we add -ally instead of -ly.

 

dramatic + ally = dramatically

basic + ally = basically

frantic + ally = frantically

 

There are some exceptions to these rules.

 

Annoyingly, we just have to learn these exceptions off by heart and here are some of them:

 

publicly

truly

duly

wholly

 

In this activity, you’ll be turning words into adverbs with the suffix -ly.

 

If the root word ends in a y, remember to remove the y and add -ily and if the root word ends in -ic, remember to add -ally.

 

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