ESL Grammar: ADVERBS (5) – Irregular Adverbs #2

In this ESL grammar exercise, students must fill in the blanks with a suitable irregular adverb (hard/hardly or late/lately).

ESL Grammar: Understanding Irregular Adverbs

Irregular adverbs do not follow the standard patterns for forming adverbs. Unlike regular adverbs, which are typically formed by adding -ly to an adjective (e.g., quick becomes quickly), irregular adverbs have unique forms and usages. Let’s break down how to use “hard” and “hardly”, as well as “late” and “lately”.

1. Hard vs. Hardly

1.1 Hard (Adverb)

• Meaning: Refers to the intensity or effort put into an action. It can also describe something with a firm texture or difficulty level.
• Usage: Describes how an action is performed or the nature of something.
• Examples:
  • She worked hard on her presentation. (Describes how she worked)
  • The surface is hard to touch. (Describes the texture)

1.2 Hardly (Adverb)

• Meaning: Indicates a small degree or extent, meaning almost not or barely.
• Usage: Describes how rarely or minimally an action occurs.
• Examples:
  • I can hardly hear you. (Describes the extent to which something is heard)
  • She hardly ever eats out. (Describes the frequency of an action)

2. Late vs. Lately

2.1 Late (Adverb/Adjective)

• Meaning (Adjective): Occurring after the expected or usual time; delayed.
• Usage: Describes the timing of an event or the punctuality of a person.
• Examples:
  • He arrived late to the meeting. (Describes when he arrived)
  • The train is late. (Describes the timing of the train)
• Meaning (Adverb): Indicates an action happening after the usual or expected time.
• Usage: Often used with verbs to describe the timing of an action.
• Examples:
  • She worked late last night. (Describes when she worked)
  • They stayed up late. (Describes how late they stayed up)

2.2 Lately (Adverb)

• Meaning: Refers to the recent past; recently.
• Usage: Describes actions or events that have happened in the recent past.
• Examples:
  • I have been feeling tired lately. (Describes recent feelings)
  • Have you been watching TV lately? (Describes recent activity)

The English grammar lesson below introduces the irregular adverb pairs “hard/hardly” and “late/lately” 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).