fast/quickly

[zuzanna2008]

Can you tell me what's the difference between words "fast" and "quickly"?

[Gość: Steve]

Fascinating question, as it reflects the changing nature of English. I suspect
the difference is rapidly disappearing with fast food generations, whilst older
people will still cling to traditional use. The change is partly due to the
fundamental similarities between the meanings, but the likely preference to use
'fast' (adjective and adverb) is that it avoids the grammar mistakes that arise
from 'quick' and 'quickly'. My general advice is that there are very few cases
where the difference matters unless you are faced with pedants (eg teachers).
See the end for some examples).

The underlying difference is that 'quickly' generally reflects changing
circumstances, while 'fast' describes continuous movement. Hence, for me, 'fast
food' is quickly prepared (from not ready to ready to eat) not fast prepared, as
I would expect many younger people to say. A more traditional English version
would be 'quick food', with 'quick' as an adjective. There would, however, be a
natural tendency to (incorrectly, I think) say quick food is prepared 'quick',
with uncertainty of the grammar making 'fast' a much better option. Many of the
differences are so trivial. I would say a stream or a lift descends quickly, but
since I have no idea whether it is a quick or quickly descending stream/lift I
would say "rapidly' not 'fast'. If you or anyone else used 'fast', I would not
even notice the difference.

Some clearer differences, however. To tie a boat fast is to make it secure,
while to tie it quickly is to do it rapidly. Similarly, a boat or objects glued
together may be stuck fast (unable to move), with 'stuck quickly' meaning it did
not take long to get stuck. To jump quickly would be to make a sudden movement,
whilst a fast jump might denote the speed of the movement during the jump. This
would sometimes apply in other cases eg to move house quickly may emphasise an
unexpected change. 'Quickly ran' may not necessarily mean that the speed of
running was quick, but that the decision to go was quick. To look quickly at
something often means to take a superficial or secretive look at it: 'look fast'
is not (or rarely) used in this way. The train is running fast may mean that it
is ahead of schedule, whilst it will be going at high speed if it is running
quickly.

I hope someone else adds comments that simplifies this, as it all seems very
complicated.

[jonathan.oakley]

Hi,
"Fast" and "quickly" both mean the same but we can't add ly to fast
and make an adverb. We can say he writes quickly but we can't say he
writes fastly.

Jonny

[Gość: Jonny]

Sorry to ask a question about my own language, but does this mean that when I
use 'fast' as an adverb I should replace it with 'quick' rather than 'quickly'?
(I explained my confusion earlier.)