Adjectives and Adverbs 2 (good/well, fast/hard/lately, hardly)
Using good vs. well, words that are both adjectives and adverbs, and the difference between hard and hardly
Good vs. Well
Good is an adjective. Well is an adverb.
| Adjective (good) | Adverb (well) |
|---|---|
| She gave a good presentation. | She presented the data well. |
| His report was really good. | He writes well. |
| That’s a good idea. | The team worked well together. |
You cannot use good as an adverb. Say *She speaks English well*, not She speaks English good.
Well + past participle
Use well (not good) before a past participle to form compound adjectives:
- a well-known brand
- a well-organized event
- a well-paid position
- a well-written report
- *well-educated candidates*
Well meaning “in good health”
Well is also an adjective when it means “healthy”:
- How are you? — I’m very well, thanks.
- She didn’t feel well yesterday, so she worked from home.
Words That Work as Both Adjective and Adverb
Some common words keep the same form whether they describe a noun (adjective) or a verb (adverb). Do not add -ly to these.
| Adjective | Adverb | |
|---|---|---|
| fast | We need a fast response. | She types fast. |
| hard | This is a hard deadline. | The whole team worked hard on the launch. |
| late | Sorry for the late reply. | The shipment arrived late. |
| early | We had an early meeting. | He always arrives early. |
Pay attention: the adverb of hard is hard, not hardly. They mean different things (see below).
Lately = recently
Lately does not mean “in a late manner.” It means recently.
- Have you seen any good candidates lately?
- Sales have been strong lately.
Hard vs. Hardly
This is a common trap. Hard and hardly have completely different meanings.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hard (adverb) | with a lot of effort | She studied hard for the certification exam. |
| hardly (adverb) | very little, almost not | She hardly studied, so she failed the exam. |
More examples:
- He tried hard to meet the deadline, but he ran out of time. (= he put in a lot of effort)
- He hardly tried to meet the deadline. (= he put in almost no effort)
Position of hardly
Hardly goes before the main verb:
- We hardly use that software any more. (not
We use that software hardly) - I can hardly hear you — could you speak up? (= it’s almost impossible for me to hear you)
Hardly + any / anybody / anything / anywhere / ever
Use hardly with these words to mean “almost none,” “almost nobody,” “almost nothing,” etc.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hardly any | almost no / almost none | There’s hardly any budget left this quarter. |
| hardly anybody | almost nobody | *Hardly anybody showed up to the 8 a.m. meeting.* |
| hardly anything | almost nothing | The intern hardly said anything during the call. |
| hardly anywhere | almost nowhere | There’s hardly anywhere to park near the office. |
| hardly ever | almost never | I hardly ever take a lunch break when we’re busy. |
Hardly = certainly not
You can also use hardly to say something is “certainly not” the case:
- We lost one small client. It’s hardly a disaster. (= it’s certainly not a disaster)
- He’s been here two weeks. He can hardly be expected to know everything already. (= he certainly can’t be expected to)
Quick Self-Check
Our finance team did _____ on the annual audit this year.
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She worked _____ to finish the proposal before the deadline.
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Have you had any interesting projects _____?
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There is _____ any difference between the two contracts.
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He is a _____ researcher in the field of supply chain management.
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