591. Adding -ly to Adjectives Ending in -y

We can make an adjective into an adverb by adding -ly to the adjective. If the adjective ends in a -y, change the -y to an -i before adding -ly.

Here are some adjectives that end in -y. Notice how we change the spelling when adding -ly to make an adverb.
busy – busily
happy – happily
steady – steadily
lucky – luckily
cheery – cheerily
drowsy – drowsily
stingy – stingily
breezy – breezily

Adjectives ending in -y change the -y to -i before adding -ly when they become an adverb.

▶Now you try it. Change the adjective in the first sentence to an adverb for the blank in the second sentence. Be sure to spell the adverb correctly when adding -ly. John is a happy boy. He plays ____ in the back yard.