1. Name:___________________________
Adjective or Adverb?
All –ly words are not created equal! Some people see an –ly ending
on a word and immediately think that it’s an adverb. That’s because many
adverbs do end in –ly. But be careful. An –ly ending can also be found on
some adjectives.
How do you tell the difference?
An adverb describes a verb, while an adjective describes a noun.
Read each sentence. Circle the –ly word. Decide whether it is an adverb or an
adjective, and write the appropriate term on the line following the sentence.
1. No one wanted to live by the smelly landfill. adjective
2. Since they were late, they ran quickly to their seats.
3. The people in the town were very friendly.
4. I thought the painting was rather ugly.
5. The boat drifted peacefully down the river.
6. The man was too elderly to walk very far.
7. I like curly hair better than straight hair.
8. The soldiers fought bravely against the enemy attack.
9. The sun was shining brightly in the deep blue sky.
10. He drove dangerously fast through his neighborhood.
11. She listened to the lecture silently, though it took two hours.
12. They visited their grandparents frequently in the summer.
13. She foolishly gave him her phone number the day they met.
14. We walked cautiously down the side of the road in the rain.
15. The weather was chilly, so we put on our jackets.
16. The breeze blew gently through the tall trees.
17. She whispered softly in his ear, “I love you.”
18. The children enjoyed singing the silly songs.
19. They hiked tirelessly up the rugged mountain.
20. The tutor very patiently helped the struggling student.
21. He smiled at the lovely woman as she walked by.
22. We happily joined the party when we finished working.
23. They returned from the funeral, sadly lowering their heads.
24. She laughed joyfully when the comedian told his jokes.
25. The criminal was unjustly imprisoned without a trial.
26. Jennifer smiled shyly at the students in her new class.
27. We were upset when the man looked at us strangely.
28. My baby sister held her cuddly teddy bear while she slept.
Copyright ©2011 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com

2. Key
Name:___________________________
Adjective or Adverb?
All –ly words are not created equal! Some people see an –ly ending
on a word and immediately think that it’s an adverb. That’s because many
adverbs do end in –ly. But be careful. An –ly ending can also be found on
some adjectives.
How do you tell the difference?
An adverb describes a verb, while an adjective describes a noun.
Read each sentence. Circle the –ly word. Decide whether it is an adverb or an
adjective, and write the appropriate term on the line following the sentence.
1. No one wanted to live by the smelly landfill. adjective
2. Since they were late, they ran quickly to their seats. adverb
3. The people in the town were very friendly. adjective
4. I thought the painting was rather ugly. adjective
5. The boat drifted peacefully down the river. adverb
6. The man was too elderly to walk very far. adjective
7. I like curly hair better than straight hair. adjective
8. The soldiers fought bravely against the enemy attack. adverb
9. The sun was shining brightly in the deep blue sky. adverb
10. He drove dangerously fast through his neighborhood. adverb
11. She listened to the lecture silently, though it took two hours. adverb
12. They visited their grandparents frequently in the summer. adverb
13. She foolishly gave him her phone number the day they met. adverb
14. We walked cautiously down the side of the road in the rain. adverb
15. The weather was chilly, so we put on our jackets. adjective
16. The breeze blew gently through the tall trees. adverb
17. She whispered softly in his ear, “I love you.” adverb
18. The children enjoyed singing the silly songs. adjective
19. They hiked tirelessly up the rugged mountain. adverb
20. The tutor very patiently helped the struggling student. adverb
21. He smiled at the lovely woman as she walked by. adjective
22. We happily joined the party when we finished working. adverb
23. They returned from the funeral, sadly lowering their heads. adverb
24. She laughed joyfully when the comedian told his jokes. adverb
25. The criminal was unjustly imprisoned without a trial. adverb
26. Jennifer smiled shyly at the students in her new class. adverb
27. We were upset when the man looked at us strangely. adverb
28. My baby sister held her cuddly teddy bear while she slept. adjective
Copyright ©2011 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com