Adjectives and Adverbs

Definitions
An adjective is a word or set of words that modifies (i.e., describes) a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives may come before the word they modify.
Examples:
That is a cute puppy.
She likes a high school senior.
Adjectives may also follow the word they modify:
Examples:
That puppy looks cute.
The technology is state-of-the-art.
An adverb is a word or set of words that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Examples:
He speaks slowly (modifies the verb speaks)
He is especially clever (modifies the adjective clever)
He speaks all too slowly (modifies the adverb slowly)
An adverb answers how, when, where, or to what extenthow often or how much (e.g.,
daily, completely).
Examples:
He speaks slowly (answers the uestion how)
He speaks very slowly (answers the uestion how slowly)
Rule 1. !any adverbs end in -ly, but many do not. "enerally, if a word can have -ly
added to its adjective form, place it there to form an adverb.
Examples:
She thinks quick/quickly.
#ow does she thin$% Quickly.
She is a quick/quickly thinker.
Quick is an adjective describing thinker, so no -ly is attached.
She thinks fast/fastly.
ast answers the uestion how, so it is an adverb. &ut fast never has -ly attached to it.
!e performed "ad/badly.
#adly describes how we performed, so -ly is added.
Rule 2. Adverbs that answer the uestion how sometimes cause grammatical problems. 't
can be a challenge to determine if -ly should be attached. Avoid the trap of -ly with
lin$ing verbs, such as taste, smell, look, feel, etc., that pertain to the senses. Adverbs are
often misplaced in such sentences, which reuire adjectives instead.
Examples:
$oses smell sweet/sweetly.
(o the roses actively smell with noses% )o* in this case, smell is a lin$ing verbwhich
reuires an adjective to modify rosesso no -ly.
The woman looked agry/angrily to us.
(id the woman loo$ with her eyes, or are we describing her appearance% +e are
describing her appearance (she appeared angry), so no -ly.
The woman looked angry/agrily at the paint splotches.
#ere the woman actively loo$ed (used her eyes), so the -ly is added.
She feels bad/"adly a"out the news.
,he is not feeling with fingers, so no -ly.
Rule !. -he word good is an adjective, whose adverb euivalent is well.
Examples:
%ou did a good &o".
'ood describes the job.
%ou did the &o" well.
!ell answers how.
%ou smell good today.
'ood describes your fragrance, not how you smell with your nose, so using the adjective
is correct.
%ou smell well for someone with a cold.
.ou are actively smelling with your nose here, so use the adverb.
Rule ". -he word well can be an adjective, too. +hen referring to health, we often use
well rather than good.
Examples:
%ou do not look well today.
( don)t feel well, either.
Rule #. Adjectives come in three forms, also called degrees. An adjective in its normal or
usual form is called a positive degree adjective. -here are also the comparative and
superlative degrees, which are used for comparison, as in the following examples:
Positive Comparative Superlative
sweet sweeter sweetest
"ad worse worst
efficient more efficient most efficient
A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form of
comparison. -o compare two things, always use a comparative adjective:
Example: She is the cleverer of the two women *never cleverest+
-he word cleverest is what is called the superlative form of clever. /se it only when
comparing three or more things:
Example: She is the cleverest of them all.
$correct: ,hocolate or vanilla- which do you like "est.
%orrect: ,hocolate or vanilla- which do you like better&
Rule '. There are also three degrees of adverbs. 'n formal usage, do not drop the -ly
from an adverb when using the comparative form.
$correct: She spoke quicker than he did.
%orrect: She spoke more quickly than he did.
$correct: Talk quieter.
%orrect: Talk more quietly.
Rule (. +hen this, that, these, and those are followed by a noun, they are adjectives.
+hen they appear without a noun following them, they are pronouns.
Examples:
This house is for sale.
This is an adjective.
This is for sale.
This is a pronoun.
Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz
1. Choose the correct sentence.
A) 0ome uic$ or we will miss our bus.
&) 0ome uic$ly or we will miss our bus.
. Choose the correct sentence.
A
)
.ou drive so slow that ' am afraid someone will hit the car from behind.
&
)
.ou drive so slowly that ' am afraid someone will hit the car from behind.
!. Choose the correct sentence.
A) ' have never been more sure of anything in my life.
&) ' have never been more surer of anything in my life.
". Choose the correct sentence.
A) 1lla was the best of the two sisters at gymnastics.
&) 1lla was the better of the two sisters at gymnastics.
#. Choose the correct sentence.
A) .ou did that somersault so well.
&) .ou did that somersault so good
$. Choose the correct sentence.
A) 2ochelle felt badly about forgetting (evin3s birthday.
&) 2ochelle felt bad about forgetting (evin3s birthday.
%. Choose the correct sentence.
A) -his is the worse oil spill ' have ever seen.
&) -his is the worst oil spill ' have ever seen.
&. Choose the correct sentence.
A) -he jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweet.
&) -he jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweetly.
'. Choose the correct sentence.
A) .ou loo$ angry. +hat did ' do%
&) .ou loo$ angrily. +hat did ' do%
1(. Choose the correct sentence.
A) ,he loo$ed suspicious at the man wearing the trench coat.
&) ,he loo$ed suspiciously at the man wearing the trench coat.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & 0ome uic$ly or we will miss our bus.
1xplanation: /se an adverb when a word answers the uestion how. Add -ly to a
word to ma$e it an adverb if the word has an -ly form.
.our Answer: & 0ome uic$ly or we will miss our bus.
. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & .ou drive so slowly that ' am afraid someone will hit the car
from behind.
1xplanation: see 1xplanation 4.
.our Answer: & .ou drive so slowly that ' am afraid someone will hit the car
from behind.
!. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: A ' have never been more sure of anything in my life. (52
surer)
1xplanation: it is redundant to add more and -er.
.our Answer: A ' have never been more sure of anything in my life.
". Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & 1lla was the better of the two sisters at gymnastics.
1xplanation: use "etter to compare two people or things.
.our Answer: A 1lla was the best of the two sisters at gymnastics.
#. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: A .ou did that somersault so well.
1xplanation: the word good is an adjective, while well is an adverb answering the
uestion how.
.our Answer: A .ou did that somersault so well.
$. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & 2ochelle felt bad about forgetting (evin3s birthday.
1xplanation: +ith sense words such as smell, feel, taste, look, chec$ if they are
being used actively. 'f they are used actively, that is, smelling with a nose, feeling
with fingers, tasting with a tongue, or loo$ing with eyes, then follow with an
adverb. 'n this sentence, she doesn6t feel with fingers so don3t use "adly.
.our Answer: & 2ochelle felt bad about forgetting (evin3s birthday.
%. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & -his is the worst oil spill ' have ever seen.
1xplanation: use worst to compare more than two things.
.our Answer: & -his is the worst oil spill ' have ever seen.
&. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: A -he jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweet.
1xplanation: see 1xplanation 7.
.our Answer: A -he jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweet.
'. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: A .ou loo$ angry. +hat did ' do%
1xplanation: see 1xplanation 7.
.our Answer: A .ou loo$ angry. +hat did ' do%
1(. Choose the correct sentence.
0orrect Answer: & ,he loo$ed suspiciously at the man wearing the trench coat.
1xplanation: ,ee 1xplanation 7. 'n this sentence, she is loo$ing with eyes.
.our Answer: & ,he loo$ed suspiciously at the man wearing the trench coat.
)inal Score* '+1(