ESL Grammar: ADVERBS (4) – Irregular Adverbs

This ESL grammar exercise introduces students to some common irregular adverbs (far, fast, hard, high, late, long, low, well), followed by a short error correction exercise.

This lesson is designed to help you understand and use irregular adverbs that do not follow the typical -ly pattern. Mastering these adverbs will enhance your ability to describe actions with greater accuracy and detail.

ESL Grammar: What Are Irregular Adverbs?

Irregular adverbs are special words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Unlike regular adverbs, which are typically formed by adding -ly to an adjective (e.g., quick becomes quickly), irregular adverbs have unique forms that must be memorized. They provide detailed information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs.

ESL Grammar: Common Irregular Adverbs and Their Usage

Here are some common irregular adverbs and examples of how to use them in sentences:

1. Far: Describes distance.
   • Example: We walked far from my house.
2. Fast: Describes high speed.
   • Example: She runs fast in the race.
3. Hard: Describes the effort or intensity of an action.
   • Example: He worked hard to finish the project.
4. High: Describes great height.
   • Example: The kite flew high in the sky.
5. Late: Describes an action happening after the expected time.
   • Example: They arrived late to the meeting.
6. Long: Describes the duration of time or extent of distance.
   • Example: The movie was long but interesting.
7. Low: Describes a small height or level.
   • Example: The cat sat low on the ground.
8. Well: Describes how skillfully or effectively something is done.
   • Example: She sings well in the choir.

The English grammar lesson below introduces some common irregular adverbs in a clear and simple manner that is easy for beginner or intermediate English learners to understand. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on all different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and lots more!) in our comprehensive, beginner-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 1: Parts of Speech).