Question

Questions 1–11: Write the correct adverbial form of the word in parentheses.

Answer 1

1. However, we can ship them less expensively by train. - the comparative adverbial form of little is less, and the superlative is least

2. This letter will get there more quickly if we send it on the fax machine. Regular mail and overnight express are both slower. - the word quick is an adjective, and here we need its adverb form, which is quickly. To create a comparative form, you just add more, to create more quickly

3. When this machine runs more slowly, the finished product is better. - similar to the previous sentence; the word slow is an adjective, and its adverb is slowly; to create the comparative form, just add the word more in order to create more slowly

4. Tim is the least critical person I have ever known. - as mentioned in the first sentence, little - less - least

5. In fact, Tim is the most near-perfect person I know. - although the usual form of this adjective is nearest, it wouldn't fit in this example

6. You must turn the nut more tightly than that if you want it to stay. - the word tight is an adjective, and here we need its adverb form tightly; to make a comparative form of that adverb, just add the word more in order to make it more tightly

7. You aren’t being careful enough. Handle the chemicals more properly so no one gets hurt. - the same explanation as for the previous sentence

8. That piece resembles the broken part more closely than the other one does. - the same explanation as for the previous sentence

9. Bob drives the forklift truck more carelessly than Randy does. - here, the word carelessly is an adverb already, so we just need to add more/less here in order to make a comparative form; you can use either more or less because we don't know the context

10. However, Bob deals with customers more cheerfully than Randy. - since cheerful is an adjective, you first have to create an adverb (cheerfully), and then add either more or less, depending on the previous sentence; if you chose more in 9, you will choose less here, and vice versa

11. This is the loosest clamp-on device we have ever had to use. - you need an adjective here, and since the word loose is already an adjective, the only thing you need to do is create its superlative form, which you do by adding -est to the adjective