Adverbs on the TOEIC® Exam: Avoiding the Pitfalls (hard vs. hardly, adjective or adverb)

Adverbs modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

They provide details about how, when, where, or to what degree. In the TOEIC®, they are everywhere, but especially in Part 5 where you have to choose between an adverb and an adjective.

The trap that comes up constantly: confusing "hardly" (à peine) with "hard" (dur/intensément). These two forms have completely different meanings, contrary to what their appearance suggests.

Types of Adverbs to Recognize for the TOEIC®

Adverbs of Manner

They answer the question "how?" and usually end in "-ly".

Placement: after the verb or the object.

• "She completed the report quickly."
• "The team worked efficiently on the project."

Watch the placement: the adverb is NEVER placed between the verb and its direct object. You cannot say "She completed quickly the report."

Adverbs of Frequency

They indicate how often an action occurs: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never. Their position is strict: before the main verb, but after the verb 'to be'.

• "We always check the inventory on Mondays."
• "The manager is rarely late for meetings."

Adverbs of Degree

They specify intensity: very, quite, extremely, almost, nearly. They are placed before the adjective or adverb they modify.

• "The presentation was extremely well-prepared."

Classic Traps in Part 5

TOEIC® Part 5 directly tests your ability to distinguish adverbs and adjectives. Here are the most common mix-ups.

The "hardly" trap: this word trips up hundreds of candidates every month. "Hardly" does not mean "durement" but "barely" or "almost not." If you mean "durement," use "hard" (which is both an adjective AND an adverb).

• "She worked hard all week."
• "She hardly worked last week."

Irregular Adverbs and Special Cases

Some adverbs do not follow the "-ly" rule and keep the same form as the adjective. Others change meaning completely depending on whether or not they take the "-ly" suffix.

• "The company has expanded fast."
• "We have lately received many complaints."

The Importance of Adverb Placement in the Sentence

The position of the adverb sometimes changes the meaning of the sentence. In the TOEIC®, incorrect placement can turn a correct sentence into an incorrect one.

Adverbs of frequency: they always come before the main verb (except with the verb 'to be' where they come after).

• "He often arrives early." -> Correct
• "He arrives often early." -> Incorrect

Adverbs of manner: they come after the verb or after the object, never between the two.

• "She answered the question correctly." -> Correct
• "She answered correctly the question." -> Incorrect

Adverbs of degree: they are placed before the adjective or adverb they modify.

• "The project is almost complete." -> Correct

This is where many people get tripped up in Part 5. The confusion between adjective and adverb is one of the most frequent errors.

Why? Because in many languages, you can use the short form after a verb. But in English, the rule is strict. You must say "she speaks clearly," not "she speaks clear."

Adjective or Adverb?

Simple method for choosing between the two forms on the TOEIC®.

Linking verbs: they require an adjective, not an adverb. The most frequent ones in the TOEIC® are: be, seem, appear, look, sound, feel, taste, smell, remain, become.

• "The proposal sounds reasonable."
• "She feels confident about the presentation."

Linking Adverbs

These adverbs connect two ideas and appear regularly in Part 6 and 7. They are often confused with conjunctions.

Frequent linking adverbs: however, therefore, moreover, furthermore, consequently, nevertheless, otherwise.

• "The budget is limited. However, we can still hire two interns."
• "Sales increased last quarter. Therefore, bonuses will be distributed."

Punctuation rule: a linking adverb is placed between two complete sentences, preceded by a period or a semicolon, and followed by a comma. Do not confuse it with a coordinating conjunction that links two clauses in the same sentence.

Even among candidates who already use a preparation platform through their school, the confusion between "however" (adverb) and "but" (conjunction) comes up regularly in Part 6. The difference is in the structure: "but" connects two clauses with a comma, "however" separates two complete sentences with a period.

Strategy to Use in Part 5

When you see a question with a choice between four similar forms (quick/quickly/quickness/quicken), apply this method in 5 seconds:

1. Look at the word following the blank space
2. If it's a noun → choose the adjective
3. If it's a verb, an adjective, or an adverb → choose the -ly adverb
4. If it's a linking verb (be, seem, look) → choose the adjective
5. Check the irregular cases (hard/hardly, late/lately, high/highly)

This method works 95% of the time in Part 5. Exceptions involve irregular adverbs and fixed expressions, but they are far less common.

Ready to practice?

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