Writing & Grammar: Quick/Quickly

by Jennie Ruby  

Can I use quick as an adverb without the -ly, just like I can use slow as an adverb? They are very similar words, after all, and are related because they are opposites. Even so, the guidelines for quick/quickly are a little different. We have less free range to use quick as an adverb without sounding ungrammatical. Look at the following examples: 

• "Kids! Come quick! A kitten is being born!"
• The kids ran quickly out to the garage.

In both cases, quick/ly is an adverb. But the expressioncome quick is a "set phrase"–such a common way of saying something that it would sound odd to change it, even for the sake of grammar. Other examples of set phrases are transition phrases such as "on the other hand" and clichés such as "set in stone."

As with slow, quick is also often an adjective, not an adverb. Here is an example where quick is modifying a noun, not a verb:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Nevertheless, I am tempted to use quick instead of quickly as an adverb in some situtations. Let me know what you think of these examples.

Can I use quick instead of quickly in these sentences?

1. The chicken ran (quick/quickly) to the other side of the road.
2. The storm started so (quick/quickly) that I could not avoid getting wet.
3. The bird flew so (quick/quickly) that I could not identify it.
4. The web page loaded (quick/quickly).
5. Click (quick/quickly) on the message box before it disappears.
6. Spring arrived (quick/quickly) this year.

Just like last week, additional examples are welcome. Send your responses to me when ready.