Representing when, where, how and why

Students' problems

page 9 of 12

Adjectives ending in -ly

Adjectives that end in -ly cause problems for students as they look like adverbs and some students try to use them in that way:

Don't be afraid when you are facing the customers. Just talk to them friendly and politely. (TeleNex Students)

This story teaches you how to describe one's character vividly, uniquely and lively. (TeleNex Students)

Friendly and lively are adjectives and so cannot be used here. The solution is to use a phrase of the type in a ... way/manner with the appropriate adjectives:

Don't be afraid when you are facing the customers. Just talk to them in a friendly and polite way.

This story teaches you how to describe one's character in a vivid, unique and lively manner.

For further information about adjectives ending in -ly, see Representing when, where, how and why: Representing how (p 4).

 Introduction
 Using on with days of the week
Using in as a time preposition
Between ... and ...
There and there be
Using on for forms of public transport
Between and among
Hard and hardly
Adjectives ending in -ly
Good and well
It is because
Prepositional phrase or conjunction?