Manner adverbs describe how an action happens. They answer questions like “How did it happen?” or “In what way?” They usually modify a verb, but they can also modify an adjective or another adverb.

Many manner adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. Spelling sometimes changes: -y often becomes -ily, and adjectives ending in -le often become -ly. Some adverbs do not use -ly and must be learned as fixed forms.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
adjective + -ly	🧩 形容词 + -ly	most common way to form a manner adverb	🧩 形成方式最常见的方法	She spoke calmly.	🧩 她平静地说话。
happy → happily	🧩 高兴 → 高兴地	-y changes to -ily	🧩 -y 变为 -ily	He smiled happily.	🧩 他笑得很开心。
gentle → gently	🧩 温和 → 温和地	-le often changes to -ly	🧩 -le 常变为 -ly	Please hold it gently.	🧩 请温柔地握着它。
fast	🧩 快速/快	adverb and adjective have the same form	🧩 副词和形容词形式相同	They work fast.	🧩 他们工作得很快。
well	🧩 well	irregular adverb of good	🧩 good 的不规则副词	She sings well.	🧩 她唱得很好。

Manner adverbs can appear in several positions, but meaning and naturalness depend on placement. They often go after the verb or after the object. They can also go before the main verb for emphasis, but they usually do not go between a verb and its object.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Common position is after the verb	📌 常见位置在动词之后	He laughed loudly.	📌 他大声地笑了。
Often go after the object when there is one	📌 当有宾语时，通常在宾语之后	She closed the door quietly.	📌 她把门安静地关上了。
Avoid placing the adverb between verb and object	📌 避免把副词放在动词与宾语之间	She quietly closed the door.	📌 她安静地关上了门。
Can go at the beginning for emphasis or style	📌 为强调或风格可放在句首	Quietly, she closed the door.	📌 安静地，她关上了门。

Manner adverbs most often modify verbs, describing the way an action is done. They can also modify adjectives or other adverbs to describe degree or style, especially with adverbs like extremely, surprisingly, and unusually. Not every -ly word is a manner adverb, so check what it modifies in the sentence.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Modify a verb to show how an action happens	🎯 修饰动词以显示动作是如何发生	They answered politely.	🎯 他们礼貌地回答。
Modify an adjective to describe intensity or evaluation	🎯 修饰形容词以描述强度或评价	It is unusually cold.	🎯 它异常寒冷。
Modify another adverb	🎯 修饰另一个副词	She ran incredibly quickly.	🎯 她跑得极快。

A few very common manner adverbs are irregular or look identical to adjectives. Good becomes well when it means “in a good way.” Some words like fast, hard, and late can be adjectives or adverbs depending on their role, so context is important.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use well, not good, to modify most verbs	⚠️ 使用 well，而不是 good，来修饰大多数动词	He plays the piano well.	⚠️ 他钢琴弹得很好。
Some adverbs have no -ly form in common use	⚠️ 一些副词在日常使用中没有 -ly 形式	Drive fast.	⚠️ 驾驶得很快。
Some words can be adjective or adverb	⚠️ 有些词可以是形容词也可以是副词	She works hard.	⚠️ 她工作努力。

Adjectives describe nouns, while manner adverbs describe actions or the way something happens. If you are describing the subject itself, use an adjective after linking verbs like be, seem, feel, look, sound, taste, and smell. If you are describing the action, use an adverb.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
After linking verbs, use an adjective	🔎 连系动词之后，使用形容词	She looks happy.	🔎 她看起来很高兴。
With action verbs, use an adverb for manner	🔎 对于动作动词，使用副词表示方式	She smiled happily.	🔎 她开心地微笑。
Same word can change meaning depending on verb type	🔎 同一词因动词类型不同而含义不同	He feels bad. He behaved badly.	🔎 他感觉不好。 他举止不端。

Changing the manner adverb can change the speaker’s evaluation, not just the speed or style. Some adverbs describe speed, care, politeness, or emotion, while others suggest judgment such as rudely or carelessly. Choose an adverb that matches both the action and the tone you want.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
carefully	🎭 carefully	with attention and little risk	🎭 专注且小心	He packed the glass carefully.	🎭 他小心地打包玻璃。
quickly	🎭 quickly	fast, in a short time	🎭 快速，在短时间内	She replied quickly.	🎭 她回答得很快。
politely	🎭 politely	with good manners	🎭 礼貌地	They disagreed politely.	🎭 他们礼貌地意见不同。
angrily	🎭 angrily	showing anger	🎭 表现出愤怒	He spoke angrily.	🎭 他生气地说话。
carelessly	🎭 carelessly	without enough attention	🎭 不足够注意	She wrote it carelessly.	🎭 她写得很草率。

When a sentence has more than one adverbial idea, manner usually comes after place and time in the most typical end position. If you stack many adverbs at the end, the sentence can feel heavy, so writers often move one part earlier or rephrase. In natural speech, intonation can also highlight which adverb matters most.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 Rule	Example	🇨🇳 中文 Example
Typical end order is place, then time, then manner is often last or placed near the verb depending on emphasis	🔎 After linking verbs, use an adjective	She worked at home yesterday quietly.	🔎 She looks happy.
If the sentence sounds unnatural, move the manner adverb nearer the verb	🔎 With action verbs, use an adverb for manner	She quietly worked at home yesterday.	🔎 She smiled happily.

Some manner adverbs fit naturally only with certain verbs and objects. If an adverb describes the action, it should be placed where it clearly attaches to the verb, especially when the object is long. When the object is a clause or a long phrase, end placement often sounds clearest.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 词/短语	Example	🇨🇳 中文 定义
With a long object, place the adverb after the object for clarity	🎭 carefully	She explained the process in detail patiently.	🎭 专注且小心
Or place it before the verb to avoid confusion	🎭 quickly	She patiently explained the process in detail.	🎭 快速，在短时间内

Manner adverbs explain how actions happen, most often by adding -ly to adjectives, with a few important irregular forms. Their placement usually comes after the verb or after the object, and adjectives are used instead after linking verbs. Choosing the right adverb and position helps your meaning sound clear and natural.