Adjectives and Adverbs Writing Lab Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives vs. Adverbs The difference between adjectives and adverbs: ADJECTIVES ADVERBS bad badly careful carefully clear clearly courteous courteously different differently quick quickly strange strangely sure surely

Adjectives vs. Adverbs ADJECTIVE USE ADVERB USE He is strange. He behaves strangely. Be careful. Drive carefully. The explanation is clear. Think clearly. I am sure. You surely do look good. The response was quick. We need to act quickly. I feel bad. The men are behaving badly.

Common adjective/adverb errors in spoken and written English The Williams sisters play tennis remarkable well. How quick time passes when you’re having fun! The applicants felt very badly about missing the first phase of the interview. These encounters make me feel real awkward. Yes, we sure do serve nonalcoholic beverages.

Common adjective/adverb errors in spoken and written English The Williams sisters play tennis remarkably well. How quickly time passes when you’re having fun! The applicants felt very bad about missing the first phase of the interview. These encounters make me feel really awkward. Yes, we surely do serve nonalcoholic beverages.

Adjective Use Use ADJECTIVES with these verbs: Be verbs is are were being am was been Sense Verbs look feel taste smell sound Linking Verbs become remain appear seem

Some verbs that are not sense verbs have the meaning of “is” or “are” and, therefore, require adjectives. High school and college seem [are] very different. High school and college students behave differently. The judge remained [was] silent throughout the trial. The jurors entered the courtroom silently.

Some verbs act as both linking verbs and performers of action. Linking Use The speaker sounds good He looked (appeared) sympathetic. Action Use The speaker sounds her vowels distinctly. He looked sympathetically at the mourners.

Adverb Use Most adverbs are formed with the addition of the –ly suffix to an existing adjective: cautiously surprisingly usually safely inadvertently quietly Use ADVERBS to qualify and modify and intensify: You play pinochle well. You play pinochle remarkably well. You play pinochle very well.

Adjectives and Adverbs: A Summary Use adjectives after sense verbs such as look, smell, taste, feel, or sound: The steak tastes very good. Use adjectives after linking verbs (is, am, are, was, were and other forms of be): I am usually very prompt for meetings. Most adverbs end in –ly; use adverbs after action verbs: I usually arrive promptly for meetings.

What You’re Really Saying . . . WHAT YOU SAY TRANSLATION I feel bad. I am sorry. I feel badly. I can’t tell if the surface is rough or smooth. I feel good. I am well behaved. I feel well. My health is fine. My fingers are especially sensitive.

Bad and Badly Bad is an adjective: I feel bad about the delay. Badly is an adverb: The bruise doesn't hurt so badly now.

Good and Well Good is an adjective: You look good in blue. You wear it well. Well is an adverb: He gets along well with his co-workers. Well is also an adjective when it is used to refer to health: I am not well today. You look good, and you look well, too.

Real and Really Real is an adjective meaning "genuine"; really is an adverb: The admiral has real charm, so he is really charismatic. The use of real as an adverb is colloquial or nonstandard: He writes real really well. My high school teachers were real really [or very] strict.

Use “real” preceding nouns; use “really” preceding adjectives (“very,” however, is a more formal adverb than “really.”) REAL REALLY Real excitement Really exciting A real disadvantage Really disadvantageous A real friend Really friendly A real honor Really honorable A real difference Really different A real crisis Really critical Real love Really loving

Sure and Surely Sure is an adjective meaning “certain.” I am sure that congressional hearings are nothing more than vapid, hollow charades. Surely is an adverb meaning “certainly.” INCORRECT: The city council sure (certain) is making a number of decisions this year. CORRECT: The city council surely (certainly) is making a number of decisions this year.