aberration

(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the
World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland
have not won a World Cup since).

abhor

(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the

head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor the sport).

acquiesce

(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to

stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he
had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)

alacrity

(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his
girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set
the table he did so with alacrity.)

amiable

(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about
everyone.)

appease

(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate
to appease him.)

arcane

(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert

in arcane Kashubian literature.)

avarice

(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass an

enormous personal fortune.)

brazen
 (adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned
the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)

brusque

(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner sometimes

offends his colleagues.)

cajole

(v.) to urge, coax (Magda's friends cajoled her into drinking too
much.)

callous

(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse

shocked the jury.)

candor

(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the

politician’s speech because she is usually rather evasive.)

chide

(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits
and sloppy appearance.)

circumspect

(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her

home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not
to have specified a time.)

clandestine

(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the
library, Maria actually went to meet George for a clandestine liaison.)

coerce

(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court

decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract
because he had been coerced into signing it.)
coherent

(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what
Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent
statement.)

complacency

(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends

out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what
might happen to them.)

confidant

(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became

my chief confidant.)

connive

(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to

start up a new business.)

cumulative

(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours

spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his
vocabulary and general level of English.)

debase

(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that
he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

decry

(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self
Defence party decried the appaling state of Polish roads.)

deferential

(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always

excessively deferential to any kind of authority figure.)

demure
 (adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was
dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

deride

(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often derided the
other teacher’s accent.)

despot

(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a
death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

diligent

(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The diligent researcher made
sure to double check her measurements.)

elated

(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery,
the postman was elated.)

eloquent

(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an

eloquent speech that most guests were crying.)

embezzle

(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for
embezzling €10,000 of the company’s funds.)

empathy

(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel

such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so am I!)

enmity

(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven
each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in
their presence.)

erudite
 (adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he
has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English
poetry.)

extol

(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet

to her meat-loving boyfriend.)

fabricate

(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I

fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to
work.)

feral

(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being
alone with it.)

flabbergasted

(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I

am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer.)

forsake

(v.) to give up, renounce (I won't forsake my conservative principles.)

fractious

(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t

tired, his fractious behaviour - especially his decision to crush his jam
sandwiches all over the floor - convinced everyone present that it was
time to put him to bed.)

furtive

(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock

drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the
first place most parents look.)

gluttony
 (n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so
divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a sin.)

gratuitous

(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and
chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of vinegar.)

haughty

(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-

stars will backfire on her someday.)

hypocrisy

(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician
began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his
hypocrisy became apparent.)

impeccable

(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as impeccable as your

brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present.)

impertinent

(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I

don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)

implacable

(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you

shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is totally implacable.)

impudent

(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young

woman looked her teacher up and down and told him he was hot.)

incisive

(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until
her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues
were.)
indolent

(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can’t even pick
themselves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a
trip to Burger King?)

inept

(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she
was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a
customer’s lap.)

infamy

(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not
lessen as time passes.)

inhibit

(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last
night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out.)

innate

(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is innate,

he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.)

insatiable

(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for blondes

was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan!)

insular

(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of

the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for MI5 must remain
insular and generally only spend time with each other.)

intrepid

(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to
its eruption, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude.)

inveterate
 (adj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m
an inveterate cider drinker—I drink four pints a day.)

jubilant

(adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the
firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)

knell

(n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing

throughout our village, the funeral knell made the grey day even more
grim.)

lithe

(adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all

outstanding, Joanna’s control of her lithe body was particularly
impressive.)

lurid

(adj.) ghastly, sensational (Barry’s story, in which he described a

character torturing his neighbour's tortoise, was judged too lurid to be
published on the English Library's website.)

maverick

(n.) an independent, nonconformist person (John is a real maverick

and always does things his own way.)

maxim

(n.) a common saying expressing a principle of conduct (Ms. Stone’s

etiquette maxims are both entertaining and instructional.)

meticulous

(adj.) extremely careful with details (The ornate needlework in the

bride’s gown was a product of meticulous handiwork.)

modicum
 (n.) a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a
modicum of sensitivity, Magda announced her boss’s affair to the
entire office.)

morose

(adj.) gloomy or sullen (David’s morose nature made him very

unpleasant to talk to.)

myriad

(adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what
to do on Saturday night because the city presented us with myriad
possibilities for fun.)

nadir

(n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir
came when my new car was stolen.)

nominal

(adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week

and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money,
Kim sold everything for a nominal price.)

novice

(n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience (Because we

were all novices at archery, our instructor decided to begin with the
basics

nuance

(n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of

the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the teacher was
able to point them out.)

oblivious

(adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to

the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not
notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.)

obsequious
 (adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Donald acted like Susan’s
servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.)

obtuse

(adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents

warned that the prime minister’s obtuse approach to foreign policy
would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

panacea

(n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single
panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

parody

(n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the
teacher returned to find Magdalena acting out a parody of his teaching
style.)

penchant

(n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Fiona’s dinner parties quickly

became monotonous on account of her penchant for Indian dishes.)

perusal

(n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role
after a three-month perusal of the movie script.)

plethora

(n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora

of oysters piled almost three feet high.)

predilection

(n.) a preference or inclination for something (James has a

predilection for eating toad in the whole with tomato ketchup.)

quaint

(adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Mary was delighted by the quaint

bonnets she saw in Romania.)
rash

(adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and
thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions.)

refurbish

(v.) to restore, clean up (After being refurbished the old Triumph

motorcycle commanded the handsome price of $6000.)

repudiate

(v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Tom made a strong case for an

extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting
words.)

rife

(adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the teacher’s writing was rife with

spelling errors.)

salient

(adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between

Alison and Helen is that Alison is a couple of kilos heavier.)

serendipity

(n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing
bit of serendipity, penniless Mark found a $50 bill on the back seat of
the bus.)

staid

(adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed

his expression no matter what happened.)

superfluous

(adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Samantha had already won the

campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous.)

sycophant
 (n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet
as the Prime Minister’s closest advisors, but others see them as
sycophants.)

taciturn

(adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Magda never seems to stop talking,
her brother is quite taciturn.)

truculent

(adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the
dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)

umbrage

(n.) resentment, offence (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I

took umbrage at the insult.)

venerable

(adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The

venerable High Court judge had made several key rulings in landmark
cases throughout the years.)

vex

(v.) to confuse or annoy (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my

bottom for hours on end.)

vociferous

(adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m

breaking up with him.)

wanton

(adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Joanna’s wanton demeanor often

made the frat guys next door very excited.)

zenith

(n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Emily
that she had reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one
top 10 hit of hers.)
Summary: This handout discusses the differences between indefinite articles (a/an) and definite articles
(the).
Contributors:Paul Lynch, Allen Brizee
Last Edited: 2010-11-22 10:15:58

What is an article? Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns.

English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is
used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the
indefinite article.

the = definite article

a/an = indefinite article

For example, if I say, "Let's read the book," I mean a specific book. If I say, "Let's read a book," I
mean any book rather than a specific book.

Here's another way to explain it: The is used to refer to a specific or particular member of a group.
For example, "I just saw the most popular movie of the year." There are many movies, but only one
particular movie is the most popular. Therefore, we use the.

"A/an" is used to refer to a non-specific or non-particular member of the group. For example, "I would
like to go see a movie." Here, we're not talking about a specific movie. We're talking about any movie.
There are many movies, and I want to see any movie. I don't have a specific one in mind.

Let's look at each kind of article a little more closely.

Indefinite Articles: a and an

"A" and "an" signal that the noun modified is indefinite, referring to any member of a group. For
example:

• "My daughter really wants a dog for

Christmas." This refers to any dog. We don't
know which dog because we haven't found
the dog yet.
• "Somebody call a policeman!" This
refers to any policeman. We don't need a
specific policeman; we need any policeman
who is available.
• "When I was at the zoo, I saw an
elephant!" Here, we're talking about a single,
non-specific thing, in this case an elephant.
There are probably several elephants at the
zoo, but there's only one we're talking about
here.

Remember, using a or an depends on the sound that begins the

next word. So...
 • a + singular noun beginning with a
consonant: a boy; a car; a bike; a zoo; a
dog
• an + singular noun beginning with a
vowel: an elephant; an egg; an apple; an
idiot; an orphan
• a + singular noun beginning with a
consonant sound: a user (sounds like 'yoo-
zer,' i.e. begins with a consonant 'y' sound,
so 'a' is used); a university; a unicycle
• an + nouns starting with silent "h": an
hour
• In some cases where "h" is
pronounced, such as "historical," use an:

An historical event is worth recording.

In writing, "a historical event" is more commonly used.

Remember that this rule also applies when you use acronyms:

Introductory Composition at Purdue (ICaP) handles first-year writing at the

University. Therefore, an ICaP memo generally discusses issues concerning English 106

instructors.

Another case where this rule applies is when acronyms start with consonant letters but have vowel
sounds:

An MSDS (material safety data sheet) was used to record the data. An SPCC plan (Spill

Prevention Control and Countermeasures plan) will help us prepare for the worst.

If the noun is modified by an adjective, the choice between a and an depends on the initial sound of
the adjective that immediately follows the article:

• a broken egg
• an unusual problem
• a European country (sounds like 'yer-
o-pi-an,' i.e. begins with consonant 'y'
sound)

Remember, too, that in English, the indefinite articles are used to indicate membership in a group:

• I am a teacher. (I am a member of a
large group known as teachers.)
• Brian is an Irishman. (Brian is a
member of the people known as Irish.)
• Seiko is a practicing Buddhist. (Seiko is
a member of the group of people known as
Buddhists.)
Definite Article: the
The definite article is used before singular and plural nouns when the noun is specific or particular.
The signals that the noun is definite, that it refers to a particular member of a group. For example:

"The dog that bit me ran away." Here, we're talking about a specific dog, the dog that bit me.

"I was happy to see the policeman who saved my cat!" Here, we're talking about a particular
policeman. Even if we don't know the policeman's name, it's still a particular policeman because it is
the one who saved the cat.

"I saw the elephant at the zoo." Here, we're talking about a specific noun. Probably there is only one
elephant at the zoo.

Count and Noncount Nouns

The can be used with noncount nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.

• "I love to sail over the water" (some

specific body of water) or "I love to sail over
water" (any water).
• "He spilled the milk all over the floor"
(some specific milk, perhaps the milk you
bought earlier that day) or "He spilled milk
all over the floor" (any milk).

"A/an" can be used only with count nouns.

• "I need a bottle of water."

• "I need a new glass of milk."

Most of the time, you can't say, "She wants a water," unless you're implying, say, a bottle of water.

Geographical use of the

There are some specific rules for using the with geographical nouns.

Do not use the before:

• names of most countries/territories:

Italy, Mexico, Bolivia; however, the
Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the
Philippines, the United States
• names of cities, towns, or states:
Seoul, Manitoba, Miami
• names of streets: Washington Blvd.,
Main St.
• names of lakes and bays: Lake
Titicaca, Lake Erie except with a group of
lakes like the Great Lakes
• names of mountains: Mount Everest,
Mount Fuji except with ranges of mountains
 like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual
names like the Matterhorn
• names of continents (Asia, Europe)
• names of islands (Easter Island, Maui,
Key West) except with island chains like the
Aleutians, the Hebrides, or the Canary
Islands

Do use the before:

• names of rivers, oceans and seas: the

Nile, the Pacific
• points on the globe: the Equator, the
North Pole
• geographical areas: the Middle East,
the West
• deserts, forests, gulfs, and peninsulas:
the Sahara, the Persian Gulf, the Black
Forest, the Iberian Peninsula

Omission of Articles
Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:

• Names of languages and nationalities:

Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian (unless
you are referring to the population of the
nation: "The Spanish are known for their
warm hospitality.")
• Names of sports: volleyball, hockey,
baseball
• Names of academic subjects:
mathematics, biology, history, computer
science

Prepositions for Time, Place, and Introducing Objects

Summary: This section deals with prepositions and their standard uses.
Contributors:Chris Berry, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 05:55:45

One point in time

On is used with days:

• I will see you on Monday.

• The week begins on Sunday.

At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:
 • My plane leaves at noon.
• The movie starts at 6 p.m.

In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with
seasons:

• He likes to read in the afternoon.

• The days are long in August.
• The book was published in 1999.
• The flowers will bloom in spring.

Extended time

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since,

for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in

• She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
• I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
• The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
• The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
• I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
• We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)

Place

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk

about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk
about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at.

• There is a wasp in the room.

• Put the present inside the box.
• I left your keys on the table.
• She was waiting at the corner.

Higher than a point

To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the
following prepositions: over, above.

• He threw the ball over the roof.

• Hang that picture above the couch.

Lower than a point

To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the
following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below.
 • The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
• The child hid underneath the blanket.
• We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
• The valley is below sea-level.

Close to a point

To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the

following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.

• She lives near the school.

• There is an ice cream shop by the store.
• An oak tree grows next to my house
• The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
• I found my pen lying among the books.
• The bathroom is opposite that room.

To introduce objects of verbs

English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following

verbs.

At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare

• She took a quick glance at her reflection.

(exception with mirror: She took a quick glance in the mirror.)
• You didn't laugh at his joke.
• I'm looking at the computer monitor.
• We rejoiced at his safe rescue.
• That pretty girl smiled at you.
• Stop staring at me.

Of: approve, consist, smell

• I don't approve of his speech.

• My contribution to the article consists of many pages.
• He came home smelling of alcohol.

Of (or about): dream, think

• I dream of finishing college in four years.

• Can you think of a number between one and ten?
• I am thinking about this problem.

For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish

• Did someone call for a taxi?

• He hopes for a raise in salary next year.
 • I'm looking for my keys.
• We'll wait for her here.
• You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.
• If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I have been
singing

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:

subje auxiliary auxiliary main

+ + +
ct verb verb verb

have base +
Been
has ing

Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:

subje auxiliary auxiliary main

ct verb verb verb

+ I have been waiting for one hour.

+ You have been talking too much.

no
- It has been raining.
t

no
- We have been playing football.
t

? Have you been seeing her?

their
? Have they been doing
homework?
Contractions

When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and
the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

I have been I've been

You have
You've been
been

He has been
He's been
She has been
She's been
It has been
It's been
John has
John's been
been
The car's
The car has
been
been

We have
We've been
been

They have They've

been been

Here are some examples:

• I've been reading.

• The car's been giving trouble.
• We've been playing tennis for two hours.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the
present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:

1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and
stopped recently. There is usually a result now.
 I'm tired because I've been running.

past present future

!!!

Recent
Result now.
action.

• I'm tired [now] because I've been running.

• Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?
• You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.

2. An action continuing up to now

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is
continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours.

past present future

Action started in Action is continuing

past. now.

• I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.]

• We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]
• How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]
• We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

• We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

• We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January,
Monday.
 for Since

a period of a point in past

time time

20 minutes 6.15pm

three days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994

2 centuries 1800

a long time I left school

the beginning of
ever
time

etc Etc

Here are some examples:

• I have been studying for 3 hours.

• I have been watching TV since 7pm.
• Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.
• Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.
• He has been playing football for a long time.
• He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.
• Hi,
• I was wondering what's the difference between "has been" and "was".
For instance- below is an example:
• I was there Just tells me about the past. No emphasis on the past
event as having importance in the present.
• I have been there. Tells me about the past but shows that the past
event has importance in the present. eg I have been in Japan in the
 past, so I understand Japanese society at the present time. Think of it
as I have the result now of this past experience.
• Adjective: A word that describes, identifies or qualifies a noun or pronoun.
An adjective usually, but not all the time, comes before the noun or the
pronoun which it modifies. For example: 1. The cute cat was sleeping. 2. The
cat was cute. The word "cute" is describing and modifies the noun cat.
Adverb: An adjective describes or modifies a verb. Unlike an adjective, an
adverb can be found in various places within the sentence. Adverbs are most
likely to end in "ly". An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or
degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much".
For example: The dog quickly ran to his owner. The word "quickly" describes
and modifies the verb ran. It also answers the question "how". How did the
dog run? It ran "quickly".
So basically, Adjectives are used to describe nouns, while Adverbs are used
to describe verbs.

Answer:
• An adjective is a word that describes a noun.
The plum was purple.
The girl is pretty.
The duckling is fuzzy.
That is a sweet little dog.

An adverb is a word that describes a verb.

He ran quickly.
He chewed slowly.
She dove deeply.
The mouse nervously scurried.

Read more:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_Adjectives_and_a
dverbs#ixzz1BHJzl3xt

Word Synonym Synonym

abandon discard vacate

accord agree grant
adversity difficulty misfortune
 affluent plentiful rich
aggravate annoy infuriate
alleviate lighten mitigate
amenable agreeable favorable
anguish distress sorrow
apathetic dispirited lifeless
arrogant disdainful imperious
astonish confound overwhelm
atrocious appalling detestable
augment add enlarge
avoid ignore shun
awkward graceless inept

baffle confuse deceive

banal common plain
barren desolate sterile
berate criticize disapprove
betray deceive fool
bias inclination predisposition
bitter acrid sour
blend combine mix
bliss happiness joy
bluff boast feign
bold daring fearless
bonus award gift
bother annoy irritate
brief concise short
brilliant clever intelligent
brisk fast swift
budget allot plan

candid honest truthful

caricature cartoon imitation
casual informal natural
category classification division
cease desist stop
chaotic disordered messy
cherish esteem love
circumvent avoid go around
commemorate celebrate honor
compensate balance recompense
competent able capable
conceive design plan
confirmation acknowledgement proof
contradict deny oppose
contribution donation grant
courteous polite well-mannered
craving desire longing
credulous confident trustful
 damp moist wet
dare challenge defy
decay decline rot
decent honorable pure
dense filled packed
designate name select
detain hold keep
disclose announce reveal
dogma belief view
durable constant lasting
dwindle abate diminish

eager earnest keen

eccentric abnormal idiosyncratic
elaborate embellish enhance
emanate arise radiate
embezzle purloin steal
eminent distinguished prominent
encourage foster induce
endure last persist
essential cultured learned
essential basic necessary
estimate guess predict
evaluate appraise judge
exhaust deplete empty
exhilarated cheerful zestful
explicit definite specific

fastidious exacting particular

federation alliance band
feeble helpless infirm
fervor intensity passion
feud argument dispute
filth dirt squalor
flatter compliment praise
fleet nimble swift
frivolous inconsequential trivial
frugal prudent saving
furious angry outraged

generous benevolent unselfish

genuine actual real
glare gleam glisten
gloomy cheerless dim
goad provoke badger
grasp grab hold
greed avarice longing
guarantee assure pledge
 guile cunning deceit
gullible credulous unsuspicious

habitual accustomed regular

handicap disability disadvantage
harass annoy disturb
harmless innocuous inoffensive
harsh hard coarse
hasty abrupt hurried
haughty arrogant pretentious
humiliate humble shame
hygiene cleanliness sanitation
hypocrisy duplicity falseness

ideal goal perfection

idle lazy unoccupied
ignorant stupid unintelligent
illogical incongruent rambling
illustrious eminent famous
imitate copy reflect
immense huge mammoth
impartial candid impersonal
impatient anxious eager
implicate accuse insinuate
importune beg solicit
inadvertent accidental unintentional
indifferent apathetic disinterested
isolate detach quarantine

jargon argot slang

jovial genial merry
judge estimate referee
justification excuse reason
juvenile adolescent immature

keen clever observant

label brand classify

labor toil work
lead direct proceed
lean slim thin
leave abandon desert
liberal copious unrestrained
liberal lenient open-minded
limitation boundary constraint
lucid clear understandable
lucky auspicious fortunate

mad furious irate

 manage administer control
manipulate control shape
marginal borderline limited
match agree correspond
maze complexity labyrinth
meditate ponder think
memorial commemoration monument
mention allude refer to
merge blend fuse

narrow confined restricted

nature aspect character
necessary mandatory requisite
negate contradict refute
negligent careless remiss
negotiate bargain deal
nice affable benign
noble aristocratic distinguished
novice beginner nonprofessional
nuisance annoyance offense

obedient faithful loyal

objection disapproval protest
obligatory compulsory required
observe notice watch
obvious conspicuous definite
offend anger irritate
offer bid proposal
omen premonition sign
omit exclude remove
opportune advantageous auspicious

pacify appease placate

pain ache discomfort
paramount chief leading
partisan biased dogmatic
passive inactive lethargic
pause break cease
permeate diffuse disseminate
perpetuate endure preserve
perplex astonish baffle
persecute afflict harass

radiate effuse emanate

radical basic fundamental
range anger furor
rank arrange classify
realize accomplish fulfill
recalcitrant obstinate stubborn
 receptacle container repository
reconcile atone conciliate
regret deplore grieve
reliable dependable trustworthy

sanction approval permit

scope aim extent
section division portion
settle adjust compromise
shallow superficial trivial
shrewd careful calculating
significant distinctive important
slight delicate slender
spontaneous impromptu unplanned
spread announce broadcast
stabilize balance steady

tame domesticate subdue

tangle intertwine twist
temper mood nature
tendency inclination trend
term cycle duration
thrift conservation prudence
tough aggressive unyielding
transfer convey exchange
tumult agitation commotion
turbulent disordered violent

vain boastful inflated

valid authorized legitimate
variety assortment diversify
verify authenticate substantiate