“Beautiful” and “beautifully” are very similar words, but they have one distinct difference. It’s important to know what an adjective and an adverb are, and this article will help you to figure out how to use them both in the appropriate manner.
What Is The Difference Between “Beautiful” and “Beautifully”?
“Beautiful” is an adjective. We use adjectives to modify nouns in our writing. You might hear a phrase like “you are beautiful,” where “you” is the noun being modified. “Beautifully” is an adverb. This is only correct when modifying verb forms, like saying “you sang beautifully.”
Most of the time, adjectives are reserved for nouns and adverbs for verbs. However, there can be some overlap between them, especially in informal and spoken English.
It might be common for a slang phrase like “you sang beautiful” to be heard. However, this is not grammatically correct, and it’s best to avoid getting into the habit of using adjectives and adverbs incorrectly.
The simple rule to follow is if you’re referring to a beautiful thing or person, then the adjective works. If you’re referring to a beautiful action, then the adverb works.
How to Use “Beautiful” In A Sentence
- You look absolutely beautiful tonight. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have someone like you in my life.
- You are truly beautiful. Thank you for coming out with me tonight! I hope I can show you a good time.
- She is beautiful. I don’t think a chump like me will ever stand a chance with someone like her.
- You’re quite beautiful when you’re angry. I never realized it before, and I know it’s not going to help me get in your good books right now!
- I think he’s beautiful in every way. I wish I had the courage to ask him out.
“Beautiful” is an adjective that is used to modify nouns. We often refer to people as “beautiful,” so it’s appropriate to use pronouns or names to refer to them (i.e. “you are beautiful” or “Sam is beautiful”).
How to Use “Beautifully” In A Sentence
- You did that beautifully. I don’t think I’d ever be able to do it better myself, to be quite honest.
- I think you performed that one beautifully! I wish I had your musical talent to share with the world.
- You completed it beautifully. Thank you for giving me a chance to listen in on that.
- It was beautifully designed. I wish I had that ability, but I guess we have to save that for the more fortunate people in the world.
- It’s a beautifully composed piece. I’m very happy to listen to it whenever you want to!
“Beautifully” is an adverb. It only works when modifying other verbs in the sentence. The verb forms can come before (“did it beautifully”) or after (“beautifully designed”), depending on which makes more contextual sense.
Is It “More Beautiful” or “More Beautifully”?
“More beautiful” is the comparative form that extends the meaning of the adjective. It’s correct when you are modifying a noun (the same as “beautiful”). “More beautifully is the comparative form of the adverb, which still works to modify the meaning of a verb.
- You are more beautiful every time I look at you. (Noun = “you”)
- You did that more beautifully than the last time I listened to you! (Verb = “did”)
Is It “Look Beautiful” or “Look Beautifully”?
“Look beautiful” is the only correct form when you’re referring to the way someone looks. A pronoun or name will always come before “look,” which becomes the noun that the adjective modifies. “Look beautifully” is incorrect when you are talking about a noun’s looks.
- Correct: You look beautiful tonight, my angel.
- Incorrect: I look beautifully, and I’m happy to say that.
What Word Type is “Beautifully”?
“Beautifully” is an adverb. We can use adverbs to modify verbs, allowing us to explore the meaning of an action in a deeper way. The “-ly” extension is present in most adverbial forms, and it is always added to the base adjective form (in this case, “beautiful”).
Is It Right To Say “Beautifully”?
Some adverbs can work as one-word sentences. However, “beautifully” is not one of the adverbs we can use in such a case. It’s much more common to use the adverb form “beautiful” as a reply when someone has asked us a question.
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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
