⚡ TOEIC Word Choice: Why “He Runs Quick” Is Wrong — and How to Beat the -ly Trap

TOEIC loves this: a sentence that feels fine… until you pick the word that sinks your score. The pattern is simple: are you describing a thing or how something is done? Get that right and you’ll stop bleeding points.

1️⃣ The One-Line Rule

  • Describing a thing → plain form (quick, clear, efficient).

  • Describing how it’s done → -ly form (quickly, clearly, efficiently).

Quick check (not a question):
He runs fast. ✅
He runs fastly. ❌

2️⃣ TOEIC Hides It After Action Words

When the sentence tells how someone did something, choose the -ly form.

Question:
The manager handled the situation ______.
(A) calm
(B) calmly
(C) calming
(D) calmness
✅ Answer: (B) calmly. We’re describing how it was handled. (A) names a quality, (C) and (D) don’t fit the sentence.

3️⃣ Describing a Thing vs How It’s Done

Question:
The instructions were ______ and easy to follow.
(A) clear
(B) clearly
(C) clarity
(D) clarify
✅ Answer: (A) clear. We’re describing the instructions (a thing).

Question:
She explained the new policy ______.
(A) clear
(B) clearly
(C) clearance
(D) clearing
✅ Answer: (B) clearly. We’re describing how she explained.

4️⃣ Pairs That TOEIC Uses Over and Over

quick/quickly, clear/clearly, efficient/efficiently, polite/politely, correct/correctly, quiet/quietly, slow/slowly, loud/loudly.

Question:
The team finished the upgrade ______.
(A) efficient
(B) efficiency
(C) efficiently
(D) efficiencies
✅ Answer: (C) efficiently. It’s how they finished.

Question:
It was a ______ meeting, so we ended on time.
(A) quickly
(B) quick
(C) quickest
(D) quickness
✅ Answer: (B) quick. Describing the meeting (a thing).

5️⃣ TOEIC’s Fake Friends (-ly Lookalikes)

  1. fast is already correct for actions. Never use fastly.
    Question: He runs ______.
    (A) fast
    (B) fastly
    (C) fasterly
    (D) with fast
    ✅ Answer: (A) fast.

  2. hard (works hard) ≠ hardly (“almost not at all”).
    Question: She ______ meets deadlines.
    (A) hard
    (B) hardly
    (C) harden
    (D) hardness
    ✅ Answer: (B) hardly. Means “almost never.” Be careful.

  3. late (arrived late) vs lately (“recently”).
    Question: He arrived ______ to the briefing.
    (A) lately
    (B) later
    (C) late
    (D) latest
    ✅ Answer: (C) late.

6️⃣ Fastest Way to Get It Right (Checklist)

  1. Thing or action? Thing → plain form. Action → -ly.

  2. After words like explain, handle, reply, work, finish, expect the -ly form.

  3. Watch fake friends: fast (OK), hard vs hardly, late vs lately.

  4. If two answers both “look right,” ask: “Am I naming a quality (thing) or describing how it’s done (action)?”

🎯 Practice (TOEIC Style)

Q1. The engineer responded to the issue ______.

(A) quick

(B) quickly

(C) quickness

(D) quickest

✅ Answer: (B) quickly. Describes how the engineer responded.

Q2. The report is ______ and ready for submission.
(A) clearly

(B) clarity

(C) clear

(D) clearerly

✅ Answer: (C) clear. Describes the report.

Q3. Our support team replied ______ to all client emails.
(A) polite
(B) politely
(C) politeness
(D) politic

✅ Answer: (B) politely. Describes how they replied.

📌 Strategy / Takeaway

  • Name a quality → plain form.

  • Describe how it’s done → -ly.

  • Memorise the repeat pairs and the fake friends.

  • Slow down for one second, ask the question, pick the winner.

Final Word

TOEIC’s -ly traps feel natural but cost easy points. Decide “thing or action,” then choose the form that matches.

For more strategies and resources to master TOEIC word choice with -ly, visit the English Library Collection and start locking in word choice with -ly confidence today.

FAQ (EN) — Why “He Runs Quick” Is Wrong 1. Q: Why is “He runs quick” wrong? A: Because “runs” is an action. You need an adverb to describe it. The correct sentence is “He runs quickly.” 2. Q: What’s the difference between “quick” and “quickly”? A: “Quick” describes a thing (e.g., a quick meeting). “Quickly” describes an action (e.g., leave quickly). 3. Q: When do I use words ending in “-ly”? A: Use “-ly” words when describing how something is done. Example: “She answered clearly.” 4. Q: Can I say “She speaks fluent English”? A: No. You should say “She speaks fluently” or “She is fluent in English.” 5. Q: Why is “He answered correct” wrong? A: “Answered” is an action. You need an adverb: “He answered correctly.” 6. Q: Is “fastly” a real word? A: No. “Fast” is both an adjective and adverb. Use “He runs fast,” not “fastly.” 7. Q: What does TOEIC test with words like “clear” and “clearly”? A: TOEIC tests whether you know when to describe a thing (use “clear”) or an action (use “clearly”). 8. Q: Is “He explained it polite” correct? A: No. You need the adverb: “He explained it politely.” 9. Q: Why does TOEIC use “efficient” and “efficiently” in questions? A: To test if you recognize whether the sentence describes a method (action = “efficiently”) or quality (thing = “efficient”). 10. Q: How do I choose between “quiet” and “quietly”? A: “Quiet” describes something (e.g., a quiet room). “Quietly” describes how something is done (e.g., speak quietly). 11. Q: Can “hard” be used like an adverb? A: Yes. “She works hard” is correct. “Hardly” means “almost not at all,” which is different. 12. Q: What’s the difference between “late” and “lately”? A: “Late” means after the expected time. “Lately” means “recently.” Example: “He arrived late.” vs. “Lately, he’s been tired.” 13. Q: Why do I get confused by “clear” and “clearly”? A: Because they both look similar. Remember: use “clearly” when describing actions like speaking or explaining. 14. Q: Is “The teacher speaks calm” okay? A: No. It should be “The teacher speaks calmly.” 15. Q: Can I say “The report is clearly”? A: No. That’s describing the report, not an action. Use “The report is clear.” 16. Q: What does “She smiled polite” mean? A: It’s incorrect. Use “She smiled politely” to describe how she smiled. 17. Q: How can I tell if I need an adjective or adverb in TOEIC? A: Look at what’s being described. If it’s an action, use the “-ly” adverb form. 18. Q: Is “The device works good” wrong? A: Yes. The correct phrase is “The device works well.” “Well” is the adverb of “good.” 19. Q: Why does TOEIC include fake words like “fastly”? A: To trick you. “Fastly” looks right, but it’s wrong. “Fast” is already correct as an adverb. 20. Q: What’s the fastest way to check if I picked the right word? A: Ask yourself: “Is this describing how something is done?” If yes, use the adverb with “-ly.”
Black and white image of a Young Japanese man is studying for the TOEIC test at a cafe