Quietly can mean without making much noise.

The idea

Use speak quietly or close the door quietly to describe how an action happens. Compare the adjective in a quiet room with the adverb in wait quietly.

Examples

  • Please speak quietly in the library.
  • She closed the door quietly.
  • The children read quietly in class.
  • He asked the question quietly.
  • We waited quietly near the room.
  • The train moved quietly through the station.

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Watch out

Quietly concerns noise or volume; slowly concerns speed. An action can be quiet without being slow.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the word for speaking with little noise. Please speak with little noise: speak ___. (quietly / loudly)

    Show answer or example answer

    quietly

    Quietly describes how the person speaks.

  2. Decide whether quietness guarantees slow speed. An action is quiet. Does that alone guarantee it is slow? (no / yes)

    Show answer or example answer

    no

    A quiet action is not necessarily slow.

  3. Choose the adjective describing the room. They waited in a ___ room. (quiet / quietly)

    Show answer or example answer

    quiet

    Quiet describes the room as an adjective.

Use it today

Describe an action done quietly and say where it happens.