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Adjective or Adverb - Which to Use?

Sometimes we are not sure when to use an adverb or an adjective. This


short guide provides an overview and rules to using both adjectives and
adverbs.
Adjectives:

Adjectives Modify Nouns. They are placed directly before a noun:
Tom is an excellent singer.
I bought a comfortable chair.
She's thinking about buying a new house.
Adjectives are also used in simple sentences with the verb 'to be'. In this
case, the adjective describes the subject of the sentence:
Jack is happy.
Peter was very tired.
Mary'll be excited when you tell her.
Adjectives are used with sense verbs or verbs or appearance (feel, taste,
smell, sound, appear and seem) to modify the noun which comes before
the verb:
The fish tasted awful.
Did you see Peter? He seemed very upset.
I'm afraid the meat smelled rotten.
Adverbs:
Adverbs modify Verbs, Adjectives and Other Adverbs. They are easily
recognised because the end in '-ly' (with a few exceptions!):
Adjective -> careful / Adverb -> carefully
Adjective -> quick / Adverb -> quickly
Adverbs are often used at the end of a sentence to modify the verb:
Jack drove carelessly.
Tom played the match effortlessly.
Jason complained about his classes constantly.
Adverbs are used to modify adjectives:
They seemed extremely satisfied.
She paid increasingly high prices.
I was suddenly surprised by Alice.
Adverbs are also used to modify other adverbs:
The people in the line moved incredibly quickly.
She wrote the report unusually neatly.
Exercise
A) Choose the Correct Answer:

1. My friend is a ______ driver.
a. careful
b. carefully
2. He plays the piano very _____.
a. hard
b. hardly
3. I read ______ in order to enjoy every page.
a. slow
b. slowly
4. Mary is an ______ student.
a. intelligent
b. intelligently
5. Ann is an _____ student.
a. excellently
b. excellent
6. I jumped in the car and drove _____ to school.
a. quick
b. quickly
7. Your boy was very _____ in class today.
a. badly
b. bad
8. The boss spoke _____ to his employees.
a. soft
b. softly
9. Our friends wanted to buy a _____ car.
a. cheaply
b. cheap
10. Madonna is a ______ dancer. She dances very _______
a. good - well
b. well - good
11. In the United States, food is not as_______() as in Europe.
a. expensively
b. expensive
12. James did not want to wake his girlfriend, so he left _____.
a. quiet
b. quietly
13. I can't understand him. He doesn't speak very _____
a. clearly
b. clear
14. We had a _____ time in Mexico City.
a. greatly
b. great
15. I understood the question, but I couldn't answer very _____.
a. quickly
b. quick
16. I don't have a _____ time making friends.
a. hardly
b. hard
17. John arrived at the airport _____, and ended up missing his flight.
a. late
b. lately
18. Ever since he met Sara, he has looked very _____.
a. happily
b. happy
19. I can hear the _____ rain falling on the roof.
a. loudly
b. loud
20. She is a very kind and _____ person.
a. gentle
b. gently


B) Adjective or Adverb?:
1) If you drive ___ you could
have an accident. (a) recklessly
(b) reckless
2) The teacher explained the
assignment ___. (a) careful (b)
carefully
3) There was a ___ noise last
night. Did you hear it? (a)
loud (b) loudly
4) Paul walks so ___ in his new
boots. (a) loud (b) loudly
5) Jason ate his dinner very ___.
(a) quick (b) quickly
6) Those apples look ___. May I have
one? (a) delicious (b) deliciously
7) He's an awful driver. He never
stops the car ___. (a) smoothly
(b) smooth
8) Pavarotti is an opera singer. He
sings ___. (a) beautiful (b) beautifully
9) This situation requires a ___
investigation. (a) serious (b)
seriously
10) Sometimes, driving at night can
be very ___. (a) dangerous (b)
dangerously
11) They shouted ___ at each
other. (a) angry (b) angrily
12) If you ask ___, I will give it to
you. (a) polite (b) politely
13) Try to speak ___ if you are
giving a speech. (a) clear (b)
clearly
14) Why are you so ___?
(a) angry (b) angrily
15) He is a __ driver.
(a) careless (b) carelessly
16) Frank always works so ___!
(a) slow (b) slowly
17) Sara speaks so ___ that I
can't understand her. (a) fast
(b)fastly.
18) Sara opened the door ___.
(a) slow (b) slowly
19) It is a beautiful __ day.
(a) clear (b) clearly
20) Jessica writes so ___. Look at
these mistakes! (a) careless (b)
carelessly
21) Hank drives ___. I'm worried
about him. (a) dangerous (b)
dangerously
22) I didn't sleep __ last night, so I
feel __ today. (a) good, terrible (b)
well, terrible c) well, terribly
23) Lee is a ___ speller.
(a) bad (b) badly
24) ___ the car changed directions.
(a) Sudden (b) Suddenly
25) Please try to be more ___.
(a) careful (b) carefully
26) If you want tourists to visit your
country, you must treat them ___.
(a) pleasant (b) pleasantly
27) Liberace played the piano__.
(a) perfect (b) perfectly
28) Max is a ___ talker, but he never
listens. (a) fast (b) fastly
29) Shannon writes very ___.
(a) neat (b) neatly
30) Karen is the best student in class.
She studies___. (a) hard (b) hardly

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