30.    Adverbs and adjectives with the same form

A. List of adverbs and adjectives with the same form:         

back, hard, little, right*, deep*, high*, long, short*, direct*, ill, low, still, early, just*, much/more/most*, straight, enough, kindly, near*, well, far, late*, pretty*, wrong*, fast, left *

Example:

B.     Starred words (word with *) above also have ly forms. Note the meanings.

deeply is used chiefly of feelings:

He was deeply offended.

directly can be used of time or connection:

He'll be here directly, (very soon)

The new regulations will affect us directly/indirectly. (For hardly, see 44.) highly is used only in an abstract sense:

He was a highly paid official.       They spoke very highly of him.

 justly corresponds to the adjective just (fair, right, lawful), but just can also be an adverb of degree. (See 41.)

lately = recently: Have you seen him lately?

mostly = chiefly nearly = almost: I'm nearly ready.

prettily corresponds to the adjective pretty (attractive):

Her little girls are always prettily dressed.

But pretty can also be an adverb of degree meaning very:

The exam was pretty difficult.

rightly can be used with a past participle to mean justly or correctly:

He was rightly/justly punished.

I was rightly/correctly informed.

But in each case the second adverb would be more usual.

shortly = soon, briefly or curtly, wrongly can be used with a past participle: You were wrongly (incorrectly) informed.

But He acted wrongly could mean that his action was either incorrect or morally wrong.

C.     long and near (adverbs) have a restricted use.

1.     long

longer, longest can be used without restriction:

It took longer than I expected.

But long is used mainly in the negative or interrogative:

How long will it take to get there? ~ It won't take long.

In the affirmative too/so + long or long + enough is possible. Alternatively a long time can be used:

It would take too long.

It would take a long time. In conversation (for) a long time is often replaced by (for) ages:

I waited for ages.

It took us ages to get there.

2.     near

nearer, nearest can be used without restriction:

Don't come any nearer.

But near in the positive form is usually qualified by very/quite/so/too or enough:

They live quite near.       Don't come too near.

You're near enough.

The preposition near with noun, pronoun or adverb is more generally useful:

Don't go near the edge.

The ship sank near here.