25 Best Exercises on Adjectives and Adverbs with Worksheet

Getting adjectives and adverbs right is a challenge many ESL learners face. They look similar but have different roles, which can confuse without plenty of clear examples and hands-on exercises for practice.

This post is designed to solve that problem by offering 25 carefully crafted exercises that guide your students through the differences in a practical way.

Each activity targets a specific skill—from spotting whether a word is an adjective or adverb, to using them correctly in sentences, to more challenging tasks like sentence building and word transformation.

These exercises work well for classroom use, homework, or review sessions, making your teaching more dynamic and focused.

The instructions are straightforward, so you don’t have to spend time creating extra materials. Whether you’re teaching beginner or intermediate students, you’ll find useful exercises here to build their confidence and accuracy.

Plus, if you want, there’s a printable PDF version available for easy distribution—but everything you need is fully included in this post.

What Are Adjectives and Adverbs?

Adjectives and adverbs are both describing words, but they describe different things.

• Adjectives describe nouns (people, places, or things).
  Example: The car is fast. (“fast” describes the car)
• Adverbs describe verbs (actions), adjectives, or other adverbs.
  Example: She runs quickly. (“quickly” describes how she runs)

How to Tell the Difference

• Adjectives answer questions like: What kind? Which one? How many?
  Example: The happy dog barked loudly.
• Adverbs answer questions like: How? When? Where? To what extent?
  Example: He finished the test early.

Common Endings

• Many adverbs end in -ly: quickly, happily, loudly.
• But not all do! Words like fast, well, and late can also be adverbs.

Common Adjectives and Their Adverb Forms (with Examples)

Adjective	Adverb	Adjective Example	Adverb Example
quick	quickly	She is a quick learner.	She learns quickly.
happy	happily	The dog looks happy.	The dog barked happily.
loud	loudly	That is a loud noise.	He shouted loudly.
careful	carefully	Be a careful driver.	He drives carefully.
slow	slowly	It’s a slow process.	She walked slowly.
polite	politely	He is a polite student.	He greeted us politely.
soft	softly	This is a soft pillow.	She spoke softly.
strong	strongly	He has a strong opinion.	He strongly disagrees.
brave	bravely	She is a brave woman.	She fought bravely.
kind	kindly	They are kind people.	He treated her kindly.
easy	easily	This is an easy task.	I solved it easily.
bad	badly	That’s a bad idea.	He performed badly.
good	well	She’s a good cook.	She cooks well.
angry	angrily	He had an angry face.	He shouted angrily.
beautiful	beautifully	What a beautiful dress!	She danced beautifully.

Common Adjectives and Adverbs That Look the Same

Adjective	Adverb (same)	Adjective Example	Adverb Example
fast	fast	He drives a fast car.	He drives fast.
hard	hard	This is a hard question.	She works hard.
late	late	We took the late bus.	They arrived late.
early	early	I took the early train.	He came early.
high	high	That’s a high mountain.	The bird flew high.
straight	straight	Walk in a straight line.	He looked straight at me.
wrong	wrong	That is the wrong answer.	You guessed wrong.
right	right	That’s the right decision.	You did it right.
daily	daily	It’s a daily routine.	He exercises daily.
long	long	It was a long journey.	He waited long for the bus.
low	low	The table is low.	The plane flew low.
near	near	The near building is ours.	Come near and look.
straight	straight	A straight answer is best.	He came straight home.
wide	wide	This is a wide road.	Open your eyes wide.
deep	deep	A deep hole in the ground.	He breathed deep.

Also see: Gradable and Non-gradable Adjectives Exercises.

Exercise 1: Identify Adjectives (Easy)

Instruction: Underline the adjective in each sentence.

1. The red apple is on the table.
2. He is a tall man.
3. She wore a beautiful dress.
4. This is an easy question.
5. They live in a small house.
6. I saw a cute puppy.
7. The soup is hot.
8. My father is kind.
9. We had a long meeting.
10. The movie was funny.

Exercise 2: Identify Adverbs (Easy)

Instruction: Underline the adverb in each sentence.

1. She sings beautifully.
2. He runs fast.
3. They worked hard.
4. The baby slept quietly.
5. I always eat breakfast.
6. We walked slowly.
7. She smiled happily.
8. He answered politely.
9. They played well.
10. I usually go to bed at 10.

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Form (Beginner)

Instruction: Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.

1. She is a (quick / quickly) learner.
2. He ran (fast / fastly) to school.
3. My mother is (kind / kindly).
4. She sings (good / well).
5. This test is (easy / easily).
6. Please speak (clear / clearly).
7. The car is (slow / slowly).
8. He answered (angry / angrily).
9. We had a (bad / badly) day.
10. They worked (quiet / quietly).

Exercise 4: Fill in the Blank (Beginner)

Instruction: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word.

1. She spoke _____ (soft/softly).
2. He is a _____ (great/greatly) teacher.
3. I feel _____ (happy/happily) today.
4. The children played _____ (loud/loudly).
5. She looked _____ (sad/sadly).
6. He drives _____ (careful/carefully).
7. We had a _____ (nice/nicely) dinner.
8. She runs _____ (fast/fastly).
9. The song sounds _____ (beautiful/beautifully).
10. I waited _____ (patient/patiently).

Exercise 5: Sorting Practice (Beginner)

Instruction: Sort the words into adjectives and adverbs.

Words: quickly, sweet, softly, red, high, slowly, funny, kindly, blue, happily

Adjectives:

Adverbs:

Exercise 6: Match the Columns (Beginner)

Instruction: Match the adjectives and adverbs to their appropriate pair.

1. Quick → a. quietly
2. Loud → b. quickly
3. Careful → c. kindly
4. Kind → d. loudly
5. Quiet → e. carefully

Exercise 7: Error Correction (Beginner to Intermediate)

Instruction: Find and correct the error in each sentence.

1. He answered the question good.
2. She is a nicely person.
3. They work very hardly.
4. This soup tastes badly.
5. He did his job perfect.
6. She runs very quick.
7. The weather feels coldly.
8. I feel happily today.
9. He is very politely.
10. She looked angrily at the mirror.

Exercise 8: Create Sentences (Intermediate)

Write your own sentences using the word in parentheses.

1. (slowly)
2. (bright)
3. (happily)
4. (good)
5. (strong)
6. (quickly)
7. (loudly)
8. (soft)
9. (calmly)
10. (bad)

Exercise 9: Picture Description Practice (Intermediate)

Instruction: Look at the picture and describe what is happening using at least one adjective and one adverb in each sentence.

Exercise 10: Dialogue Gap Fill (Intermediate)

Instruction: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adjective or adverb.

A: How was the movie?
B: It was _____ (exciting/excited).
A: Did the actors perform well?
B: Yes, they acted _____ (great/greatly).
A: Was it too long?
B: No, it ended _____ (perfect/perfectly).
A: I’m glad you had a _____ (good/well) time.

Exercise 11: Rewrite with Correct Form (Intermediate)

Instruction: Rewrite each sentence using the correct adjective or adverb form.

1. She dances graceful at the party.
2. The exam was extreme hard.
3. The cake smells wonderfully.
4. He answered the question confident.
5. The flowers look beautifully.
6. The student behaved bad.
7. She painted the picture creative.
8. It feels coldly in here.
9. He drives careless.
10. This book is really well.
11. The engine runs smooth.
12. My dog barked aggressive last night.
13. The news sounds sadly.
14. She arrived lately to the meeting.
15. He sings good.

Exercise 12: Sentence Completion (Intermediate)

Instruction: Complete the sentence with either the adjective or adverb form of the word in parentheses.

1. She smiled _____ at the compliment. (happy)
2. The weather was _____ yesterday. (terrible)
3. Please speak _____ so everyone can hear. (clear)
4. His answer was _____. (correct)
5. That soup tastes _____. (delicious)
6. You must drive _____ during the rain. (careful)
7. This math problem is _____ hard. (real)
8. She’s a _____ talented singer. (natural)
9. The students completed the project _____. (efficient)
10. Her handwriting is very _____. (neat)
11. He answered the question _____. (intelligent)
12. Your voice sounds _____ today. (tired)
13. We worked _____ until midnight. (quiet)
14. The new system works _____. (smooth)
15. That movie was surprisingly _____. (funny)

Exercise 13: Choose Correct Form in Context (Intermediate)

Instruction: Choose the correct form of the word to complete the sentence.

1. She acted (natural / naturally) during the interview.
2. This sounds (bad / badly).
3. He was (angry / angrily) about the mistake.
4. Please drive (safe / safely).
5. I feel (well / good) today.
6. He looked (calm / calmly) after the argument.
7. The athlete performed (brilliant / brilliantly).
8. Her voice sounds (soft / softly).
9. The lecture was (boring / boringly).
10. He spoke (quiet / quietly) to avoid waking the baby.
11. She made a (quick / quickly) decision.
12. The car drives (smooth / smoothly).
13. This computer runs (fast / fastly).
14. He answered (correct / correctly) every time.
15. The weather became (cold / coldly).

Exercise 14: Transformation Challenge (Intermediate)

Instruction: Transform the adjective into the adverb or the adverb into the adjective.

1. Quick → _____
2. Slowly → _____
3. Happy → _____
4. Loudly → _____
5. Soft → _____
6. Beautiful → _____
7. Carelessly → _____
8. Angry → _____
9. Quietly → _____
10. Well → _____
11. Calm → _____
12. Easily → _____
13. Hard → _____
14. Strongly → _____
15. Nicely → ______

Exercise 15: Sentence Correction & Explanation (Intermediate)

Instruction: Correct the mistake and explain whether the word should be an adjective or an adverb.

1. She performed good on stage.
2. That meal tasted badly.
3. He is very nicely person.
4. The kids are behaving bad.
5. It smells well in here.
6. They worked hardly to finish it.
7. She looked happily.
8. This chair feels roughly.
9. He responded politelyly.
10. The test was extremely hardly.
11. You sing beautiful.
12. He did good in the exam.
13. That sounds greatly.
14. I feel coldly.
15. She answered wrong.

Exercise 16: Adjective or Adverb Challenge (Intermediate)

Instruction: Write “Adjective” or “Adverb” next to each underlined word.

1. She played the piano beautifully.
2. The happy children were singing.
3. He answered politely.
4. That soup smells delicious.
5. The book is boring.
6. She danced gracefully.
7. This test seems easy.
8. He behaved badly in class.
9. Her voice sounds soft.
10. He acted bravely during the fire.
11. It feels cold this morning.
12. The student spoke confidently.
13. He became angry when he lost.
14. She sang loudly.
15. I feel tired after the trip.

Exercise 17: Mixed Sentence Building (Intermediate)

Instruction: Use the given words to form a sentence with both an adjective and an adverb.

1. (dog, bark, loud)
2. (cake, smell, sweet)
3. (teacher, speak, clear)
4. (sky, look, beautiful)
5. (boy, run, fast)
6. (weather, feel, cold)
7. (children, play, happy)
8. (worker, perform, efficient)
9. (music, sound, soft)
10. (student, answer, polite)
11. (flower, look, lovely)
12. (bird, sing, cheerful)
13. (movie, end, sudden)
14. (cake, taste, delicious)
15. (wind, blow, gentle)

Exercise 18: Complete the Table (Intermediate)

Instruction: Write the adverb and adjective form of each word.

Word Base	Adjective	Adverb
Quick
Happy
Soft
Loud
Beautiful
Angry
Careful
Bright
Polite
Calm
Strong
Neat
Sad
Slow
Nice

Exercise 19: Listening Activity (Intermediate)

Instruction: Listen to your teacher read 10 short sentences. Decide whether the underlined word is an adjective or an adverb.

1. He walked slowly.
2. The soup is hot.
3. She speaks clearly.
4. The day was sunny.
5. He drives carefully.
6. The beach looks amazing.
7. She danced elegantly.
8. The bed feels soft.
9. They worked quickly.
10. The baby is quiet.

(Teacher’s note: This activity works best with a short audio clip.)

Exercise 20: Adjective + Adverb Combinations (Intermediate)

Instruction: Use each adjective with a suitable adverb to write a sentence.

1. angry + suddenly
2. sweet + gently
3. loud + very
4. strong + physically
5. happy + extremely
6. careful + always
7. calm + surprisingly
8. quick + incredibly
9. good + really
10. neat + quite
11. polite + very
12. brave + extremely
13. tired + visibly
14. cold + unusually
15. kind + genuinely

Exercise 21: Adjective or Adverb Maze (Intermediate)

Instruction: Help the student get to the finish by following only the adjectives or only the adverbs.

Instructions: Start at the top-left corner. Move through the grid by selecting only words that are either adjectives or adverbs (teacher chooses one type beforehand).

soft	quick	run	lovely	blue
kindly	apple	loud	slowly	speak
house	neatly	red	cold	play
jump	clear	careful	desk	happily
fast	sweet	read	sad	bark

Exercise 22: Mixed Multiple Choice (Intermediate to Advanced)

Instruction: Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1. He completed the task (efficient / efficiently).
   a) efficient
   b) efficiently
2. This pizza tastes (amazing / amazingly).
   a) amazing
   b) amazingly
3. She responded (angry / angrily) to the comment.
   a) angry
   b) angrily
4. That movie was (funny / funnily).
   a) funny
   b) funnily
5. The singer performed (perfect / perfectly) last night.
   a) perfect
   b) perfectly

Exercise 23: Group Discussion Prompts (Advanced)

Instruction: Use at least two adjectives and two adverbs in your response.

Instructions: Discuss the following topics in pairs or small groups.

1. Describe your favorite holiday.
2. Talk about your daily routine.
3. Explain how you prepare for an exam.
4. Talk about a person you admire.
5. Describe a memorable meal or restaurant experience.

Exercise 24: Sentence Correction (Advanced)

Instruction: Some of these sentences use adjectives or adverbs incorrectly. Rewrite them correctly.

1. She sings beautiful.
2. The food tastes wonderfully.
3. He runs quick.
4. They speak polite.
5. This flower smells nicely.
6. I feel happily today.
7. He behaves rude.
8. The test seems hardly.
9. The baby sounds loudly.
10. He looked sadly at me. (correct)
11. She smiled happy.
12. The cake looks deliciously.
13. He performed bad in the test.
14. The soup tasted warmly.
15. She arrived late. (correct)

Exercise 25: Contextual Usage Practice (Advanced)

Instruction: Use both an adjective and an adverb to complete each of these short paragraphs meaningfully.

1. The sky was ______ as the sun set ______.
2. He walked into the room looking ______ and spoke ______.
3. The baby looked ______ but cried ______.
4. She answered the question ______ and smiled ______.
5. The mountain appeared ______ as the wind blew ______.
6. He was ______ tired and collapsed ______ onto the couch.
7. The music sounded ______ and played ______ through the speakers.
8. Her voice was ______, and she spoke ______ to calm us down.
9. The day started ______ but ended ______.
10. They worked ______ on the project, finishing it ______.
11. The teacher looked ______ and explained the topic ______.
12. His clothes were ______, and he moved ______.
13. The dog appeared ______ and barked ______.
14. The exam was ______, and we all wrote ______.
15. She looked ______ and danced ______ under the lights.

Download the PDF worksheet on 25 Adjectives vs. Adverbs Exercises

Conclusion

Mastering adjectives and adverbs opens many doors for ESL learners to express themselves clearly and accurately. With these 25 exercises, you have a versatile toolkit to help your students practice at their own pace and in different contexts.

Using these activities regularly will deepen their understanding and improve their confidence in both speaking and writing. Feel free to mix and match exercises based on your students’ needs or lesson plans.

Remember, consistent practice is key, and these exercises make it easy and engaging. Don’t forget to check out the printable PDF if you want a ready-made resource for your classroom or to share with your students.

Keep exploring, practicing, and supporting your learners — they’ll thank you for it!

FAQs on Adjectives vs Adverbs Exercises

What is the main difference between an adjective and an adverb?
An adjective describes a noun (e.g., a fast car), while an adverb describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., drive fast).

Do all adverbs end in -ly?
No. Many adverbs do end in -ly (e.g., quickly), but some common adverbs like fast, hard, early, and late do not.

Can the same word be both an adjective and an adverb?
Yes. Words like fast and hard can function as both adjectives and adverbs, depending on how they are used in a sentence.

Why is it important for ESL students to learn the difference?
Using adjectives and adverbs correctly helps learners speak and write more clearly and sound more natural in English.

How can I use these exercises in my classroom?
You can use them as in-class activities, homework, quizzes, or for group work. They’re designed to be flexible and adaptable to different teaching styles.

Are these exercises suitable for all ESL levels?
They are mainly designed for beginner to advanced levels but can be adapted for any levels with some modification.

Is there a printable version of these exercises?
Yes, there is a PDF available for easy printing and distribution to your students.

How often should students practice adjectives and adverbs?
Regular practice, even a few minutes daily, helps students improve faster and retain what they learn.

Can these exercises help with speaking as well as writing?
Absolutely. Understanding adjectives and adverbs improves both written and spoken English skills.

What if my students confuse adjectives with adverbs?
Encourage them to look at what the word is describing: noun = adjective, verb/adjective/adverb = adverb.

Can I use these exercises for test preparation?
Yes, many of these exercises mimic test formats and help build confidence for exams.

Are the exercises focused on American or British English?
The exercises use general English suitable for both American and British learners.

Can I modify the exercises for my students’ specific needs?
Definitely! Feel free to adjust the examples or difficulty level to best fit your students.