Some adverbs of frequency form their comparative and superlative

with more'less most/least (e.g. more seldom, most seldom); often has two comparative forms: more often and (less common) oftener.

4 Compare latest/last: both words can be adjectives:
/ bought the latest (i.e. most recent) edition of today s paper
I bought the last (i.e. final) edition of todays paper
But normally only last is used as an adverb:
That was a difficult question so I answered it last
or before the main verb:
It last rained eight months ago (= The last time it rained was...)

Both farther and further can be used to refer to distance: / drove ten miles farther/further than necessary Further, but not farther, can be used to mean 'in addition': We learnt further that he wasn't a qualified doctor

Note the irregular adverb well (related to the adjective good) which

means 'in a pleasing or satisfactory way':

Jane Somers writes well [compare bad/badly and > 6.8.1, 6.17]

How we make comparisons using adverbs

Adverbial comparisons can be made with the following [compare > 6.27-30]:

Sylvia sings as sweetly as her sister I can't swim as well as you (can) She can't jump (quite) so high as Billy (can) The rain cleared more quickly than I expected The faster I type the more mistakes I make It rained more and more heavily Dave drives faster than anyone I know / work fastest when I'm under pressure Tim tries the hardest of all the boys in his class

We often use the comparative + than ever than anyone, than anything in: e.g. Magnus concentrated harder than ever/than anyone

This is preferable to the superlative in: e.g. Magnus concentrated the hardest

Adverbs of manner

7.7 Spelling and form of adverbs ending in '-ly'

1 Add -ly to an adjective

2 -y becomes -ily: consonant + y

Compare: vowel + y:

3 Delete -e and add -ly for endings in -le:

4 Adjectives ending in -ic take -ally.

Adverbs of manner