Adverbs tell us more about a verb — how, when or where something happens. Many adverbs are made by adding -ly to an adjective: quick becomes quickly, and happy becomes happily.
What your child will learn
- Know that adverbs describe how an action is done
- Add -ly to adjectives to make adverbs
- Spell tricky -ly words like happily, gently and easily
- Choose an adverb that fits the meaning of a sentence
Adding -ly
Most words just add -ly: slow → slowly. Words ending in y change it to i: happy → happily. Words ending in -le drop the e and add y: gentle → gently.
Not every -ly word is an adverb. “Lovely” and “friendly” describe nouns, so they are adjectives — a good puzzle for sharp readers.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. quick + ly =
- quicky
- quickily
- quickly
- quickley
Show answer
Answer: quickly. Just add -ly: quickly.
2. Many adverbs end in…
- -s
- -ly
- -ing
- -ed
Show answer
Answer: -ly. Quickly, slowly, loudly, sadly…
3. True or false? An adverb can tell you how something was done.
Show answer
Answer: True. “He ran quickly” — quickly tells us how.
Tips for grown-ups
- Play “in the manner of the word”: walk slowly, quickly, sleepily or proudly.
- Ask how a character moved or spoke in a story.