I understand that the following words are adjectives:
早{はや}い early/fast
近{ちか}い close/near
すごい awesome/great
However I’m unsure how to use the forms ending in 〜く such as:
早{はや}く
近{ちか}く
すごく
Do these have a different meaning or usage? An explanation of the differences in grammatical role (if there is one) and examples of the different uses of one of these would be helpful to understand the distinction. Examples of polite (〜ます) and conversational sentences would help if usage is different between them.
Are these special cases? If so, are there any other commonly used examples?
Can this form be used for any adjectives ending in 〜い? If so, is there an equivalent form for adjectives ending in 〜な?