Good/well
Good is an adjective. The adverb is well:
* Your English is good. but You speak English well.
* Susan is a good pianist. but Susan plays the piano well.
We use well (not 'good') with past participles (dressed/known etc.):
well-dressed well-known well-educated well-paid
But well is also an adjective with the meaning 'in good health':
* 'How are you today?', 'I'm very well, thanks.' (not 'I'm very good')
Fast/hard/late
These words are both adjectives and adverbs:
adjective:
* Jack is a very fast runner.
* Ann is a hard worker.
* The train was late.
adverb:
* Jack can run very fast.
* Ann works hard. (not 'works hardly')
* I got up late this morning.
Lately = 'recently'
* Have you seen Tom lately?
Hardly
Hardly = very little, almost not. Study these examples:
* Sarah was rather unfriendly to me at the party. She hardly spoke to me. (= she spoke to me very little, almost not at all)
* George and Hilda want to get married but they've only known each other for a few
days. I don't think they should get married yet. They hardly know each other. (= they know each other very little)
Hard and hardly are completely different. Compare:
* He tried hard to find a job but he had no luck. (= he tried a lot, with a lot of effort)
* I'm not surprised he didn't find a job. He hardly tried to find one. (= he tried very little)
We often use hardly + any/anybody/anyone/anything/anywhere:
* A: How much money have you got?
B: Hardly any. (= very little, almost none)
* I'll have to go shopping. We've got hardly any food.
* The exam results were very bad. Hardly anybody in our class passed. (= very few students passed, almost nobody passed)
* She ate hardly anything. She wasn't feeling hungry. (= she ate very little, almost nothing)
Note the position of hardly. You can say:
* She ate hardly anything. or She hardly ate anything.
* We've got hardly any food. or We've hardly got any food. We often use can/could + hardly.
I can hardly do something = it's almost impossible for me to do it:
* Your writing is terrible. I can hardly read it. (= it is almost impossible for me to read it)
* My leg was hurting me. I could hardly walk. Hardly ever = almost never
* I'm nearly always at home in the evenings. I hardly ever go out.
EXERCISES
100.1 Put in good or well.
1. I play tennis but I'm not very _good._
2. Your exam results were very ---.
3. You did very --- in your exams.
4. The weather was very --- while we-were on holiday.
5. 1 didn't sleep very --- last night.
6. How are you? Are you ---?
7. George speaks German very ---.
8. George's German is very ---.
9. Our new business is going very --- at the moment.
10. I like your jacket. It looks --- on you.
11. I've met her a few times but I don't know her very ---.
100.2 Complete these sentences using well + one of the following words: balanced behaved done dressed informed kept known paid
1. The children were very good. They were _well-behaved._
2. I'm surprised you haven't heard of her. She is quite ---.
3. Our neighbours' garden is neat and tidy. It is very ---.
4. You should eat different types of food. Your diet should be ---.
5. Ann knows a lot about many things. She is quite ---.
6. His clothes are always smart. He is always ---.
7. Jill has a lot of responsibility in her job but she isn't very ---.
8. Congratulations on passing your examinations ---!
100.3 Are the underlined words right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.
1. I'm tired because I've been working _hard._ _RIGHT_
2. I tried _hard_ to remember her name but I couldn't.
3. This coat is practically unused. I've _hardly_ worn it.
4. She's a good tennis player. She hits the ball _hardly._
5. Don't walk so _fast!_ I can't keep up with you.
6. Why are you walking so _slow?_ Are you tired?
100.4 Write sentences with hardly. Use one of the following verbs (in the correct form):
change hear know recognise say sleep speak
1. George and Hilda have only met once before. They _hardly know_ each other.
2. You're speaking very quietly. I can --- you.
3. I'm very tired this morning. I --- last night.
4. We were so shocked when we heard the news, we could ---.
5. Kate was very quiet this evening. She --- a word.
6. You look the same now as you looked 15 years ago. You've ---.
7. I met Keith a few days ago. I hadn't seen him for a long time and he looks very different now. I --- him.
100.5 Complete these sentences with hardly + any/anybody/anything/anywhere/ever.
1. I'll have to go shopping. We've got _hardly any_ food.
2. It was a very warm day and there was --- wind
3. 'Do you know much about computers?' 'No ---.'
4. The hotel was almost empty. There was --- staying there.
5. I listen to the radio quite often but I --- watch television.
6. Our new boss is not very popular. --- likes her.
7. It was very crowded in the room. There was --- to sit.
8. We used to be good friends but we --- see each other now.
9. It was nice driving this morning. There was --- traffic.
10. 1 hate this town. There's --- to do and --- to go.
100.1
2 good 3 well 4 good
5 well 6 well 7 well
8 good 9 well 10 good
11 well
100.2
2 well-known
3 well-kept
4 well-balanced
5 well-informed
6 well-dressed
7 well-paid
8 Well done! (2 separate words)
100.3
2 right 3 right 4 wrong-hard
5 right 6 wrong-slowly
100.4
2 hardly hear
3 hardly slept
4 hardly speak
5 hardly said
6 hardly changed
7 hardly recognised
100.5
2 hardly any
3 hardly anything
4 hardly anybody/hardly anyone
5 hardly ever
6 Hardly anybody/Hardly anyone
7 hardly anywhere
8 hardly ever
9 hardly any
10 hardly anything ... hardly anywhere
