Grammar · Adverbs & Word Order
Adverbs of Manner
Quick or quickly? Learn the words that say how someone does something, with the film Fantastic Mr. Fox.
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The rule in one sentenceA describing word (an adjective) says what a thing is like: a quick fox. A how-word (an adverb) says how someone does something: he runs quickly.
About the film
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a film from 2009. Mr Fox is a clever fox in a suit. He plans cleverly. His son Ash is small. Ash’s cousin Kristofferson is calm, and he does everything well. Three farmers want to catch Mr Fox.
What do these words do?
A describing word tells you about a thing or a person. Quick. Quiet. Happy. It says what they are like.
A how-word tells you about the action. It says how someone does something. Most how-words are the describing word + -ly.
Look at the pairs. The describing word is on the left. The how-word is on the right:
Mr Fox is quick. (what he is like) Mr Fox runs quickly. (how he runs)
Same idea, two jobs. The describing word goes with the fox. The how-word goes with the action.
After be, look, feel and seem, use the describing word. These words say what someone is like, not how they do an action.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
Describing word → how-word
quick → quickly. Mr Fox runs quickly.
quiet → quietly · careful → carefullyhappy → happily. The animals dig happily.
Take off -y, add -ily. And gentle → gently: take off -e, add -y.good → well. Kristofferson does everything well.
Special ones: good → well · fast → fast · hard → hard · late → lateWhere the how-word goes
Mr Fox runs quickly.
After the action word.Mr Fox opens the door quietly.
After the thing. Not: opens quietly the door.Does Mr Fox plan carefully?
Does + person + action + how-word?When to use each one
Describing word — what a thing is like
How-word — how someone does it
Words that help: describing word or how-word?
Some words tell you which one to use.
Describing word → what it is like
How-word → how they do it
Common mistakes
❌ Mr Fox runs quick.
✅ Mr Fox runs quickly.
“Runs” is an action. How does he run? Use the how-word: quickly.
❌ Kristofferson looks calmly.
✅ Kristofferson looks calm.
After “looks”, say what he is like. Use the describing word: calm.
❌ Kristofferson does everything goodly.
✅ Kristofferson does everything well.
“Good” is special. The how-word is “well”, not “goodly”.
❌ Mr Fox opens quietly the door.
✅ Mr Fox opens the door quietly.
Put the how-word after the thing (the door). Not between the action and the thing.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
Hard and hardly. Hard does not change: hard work, they work hard. Hardly is a different word. It means “almost not”.
✅ The animals dig hard. (a lot of work) ✅ Ash hardly speaks. (almost not)
Practice: choose the right word
Eight questions. Choose one word. You get the answer, and why.
1. Mr Fox is a ___ fox.
“A ___ fox” is a thing. Use the describing word: quick.
2. Mr Fox runs ___.
“Runs” is an action. How does he run? Quickly.
3. Kristofferson looks ___.
After “looks”, use the describing word: calm.
4. Kristofferson does everything ___.
The how-word of “good” is “well”.
5. The animals dig ___.
“Dig” is an action. happy → happily.
6. Kylie eats ___.
“Eats” is an action. quiet → quietly.
7. Mrs Fox seems ___.
After “seems”, use the describing word: happy.
8. Rat drinks his cider ___.
“Fast” does not change. There is no word “fastly”.
Your turn
Choose one word. Then listen to your sentence.
Every word here is correct. After “runs” you need a how-word. After “is very” you need a describing word. Say it out loud too!
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