What is the différence between an adjective and an adverb?

An adjective modifies a noun (a significant increase). An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (increased significantly ). On the TOEIC®, the key is to identify what is being modified in the sentence.

Are all -ly words adverbs?

No. Some -ly words are adjectives: friendly , costly , likely , lonely , lovely , timely . This is a classic TOEIC® trap. Always check the function of the word in the sentence.

What is the différence between hard and hardly?

Hard (adverb) means "with effort, intensely": She works hard. Hardly means "barely, almost not": She hardly works. The meaning is completely opposite.

Where do frequency adverbs go in a sentence?

Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never) go before the main verb but after the verb be : She always arrives on time. She is always on time.

What is a sentence adverb?

A sentence adverb modifies the entire sentence, not just one word. Examples: Unfortunately , the shipment was delayed. Apparently , the meeting has been rescheduled. They are placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma.

Adverbs for TOEIC®: Decision Rules, Confusing Pairs & Sentence Adverbs

English Adverbs: A TOEIC® Key Point

The adjective/adverb distinction accounts for roughly 10% of Part 5 questions on the TOEIC®. This is a grammar point where points are easily scored if you master a few simple rules: identify what is being modified, recognize suffixes, and know the exceptions.

Educational illustration showing the différent types of English adverbs and their placement in sentences

Quick Décision: Adjective or Adverb? (3 Steps)

When you hesitate between an adjective and an adverb in Part 5, follow these 3 steps:

Identify the modified word: is it a noun? Use an adjective. Is it a verb, an adjective, or another adverb? Use an adverb.
Check for linking verbs: after be, seem, appear, remain, become, use an adjective, not an adverb. The report seems accurate (not *accurately).
Spot the position: between subject and verb, or after an action verb? Adverb. Before a noun? Adjective.

Situation	Choice	Example
Modifies a noun	Adjective	a significant* increase in revenue*
Modifies a verb	Adverb	Revenue increased significantly.
Modifies an adjective	Adverb	The results were extremely* positive.*
After a linking verb	Adjective	The proposal seems reasonable.

Types of Adverbs

Adverbs of Manner (how?)

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed. They are usually placed after the verb or after the direct object:

Adverb	TOEIC® Example
carefully	Please review the contract carefully.
efficiently	The team completed the project efficiently.
promptly	All inquiries will be handled promptly.
thoroughly	The auditor examined the records thoroughly.

Adverbs of Frequency (how often?)

They go before the main verb but after the verb be:

Adverb	Frequency	TOEIC® Example
always	100%	She always* meets her deadlines.*
usually	~80%	The manager usually* approves requests within 24 hours.*
often	~60%	Clients often* request additional information.*
sometimes	~40%	Deliveries are sometimes* delayed during peak season.*
rarely	~10%	Complaints are rarely* received about this product.*
never	0%	The company never* discloses confidential data.*

Adverbs of Degree (to what extent?)

They modify an adjective or another adverb and are placed right before it:

Adverb	TOEIC® Example
extremely	The deadline is extremely* tight.*
highly	She is highly* qualified for the position.*
considerably	Sales have increased considerably* this quarter.*
slightly	The budget was slightly* over the estimate.*
quite	The présentation was quite* impressive.*

Sentence Adverbs

They modify the entire sentence and are placed at the beginning, followed by a comma. Very common on the TOEIC® in emails and reports:

Adverb	Function	TOEIC® Example
Unfortunately	regret	Unfortunately, the shipment was delayed.
Apparently	reported information	Apparently, the meeting has been rescheduled.
Consequently	conséquence	Consequently, the project was put on hold.
Additionally	addition	Additionally, all employees must complète the training.
Reportedly	according to sources	Reportedly, the company is planning an expansion.

Adverb Formation Rules

Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to the adjective, but there are rules to know:

Rule	Adjective	Adverb
General rule: + ly	quick	quickly
-le → -ly	considerable	considerably
-y → -ily	easy	easily
-ic → -ically	automatic	automatically
-ue → -uly	true	truly
-ll → -lly	full	fully
Same form	fast, hard, early, late	fast, hard, early, late

Adverb Position

Adverb position depends on its type and what it modifies:

Position	Adverb Type	Example
Beginning of sentence	sentence adverbs, connectors	Unfortunately, the order was canceled.
Before the main verb	frequency, certainty	She always* submits reports on time.*
After be / auxiliary	frequency, certainty	The office is usually* closed on weekends.*
After the verb / object	manner	He completed the task efficiently.
Before the adjective/adverb	degree	The results were remarkably* positive.*

8 Confusing Pairs (Common TOEIC® Traps)

These pairs are particularly tricky because adding -ly completely changes the meaning of the word:

Word	Meaning	TOEIC® Example
hard	with effort, intensely	The team worked hard* to meet the deadline.*
hardly	barely, almost not	There was hardly* any time left for questions.*
late	not on time	The shipment arrived late.
lately	recently	Sales have declined lately.
near	close in distance	The new office is near* the station.*
nearly	almost	The project is nearly* complète.*
free	without charge	Employees can park free* in the garage.*
freely	without restriction	Information should flow freely* between departments.*
high	at a great height (physical)	The drone flew high* above the warehouse.*
highly	very, to a great degree	She is highly* recommended for the position.*
deep	at a great depth (physical)	The pipes run deep* underground.*
deeply	profoundly (figurative)	We are deeply* concerned about the results.*
wide	fully open (physical)	The door was wide* open.*
widely	by many people, extensively	The software is widely* used in the industry.*
close	near in distance	Stay close* to the group during the tour.*
closely	carefully, attentively	The committee closely* monitored the budget.*

-ly Words That Are Adjectives (TOEIC® Trap)

Beware: not all -ly words are adverbs. The following are adjectives and modify nouns:

-ly Adjective	TOEIC® Example
friendly	The receptionist was very friendly.
costly	The renovation proved to be quite costly.
likely	A merger is likely* to be announced.*
timely	We appreciate your timely* response.*
lovely	The venue has a lovely* garden.*
lonely	Working remotely can feel lonely.
orderly	Please keep the workspace orderly.
quarterly	The quarterly* report is due next week.*

Frequently Asked Questions

Master Adverbs with 990prep

The adjective/adverb distinction accounts for ~10% of Part 5 questions. Practice with 990prep to spot the traps and score easy points.

Realistic exercises Detailed explanations Progress tracking

Free, no credit card required