UWF WRITING LAB

RULES OF THUMB
FOR ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB USE

From Real Good Grammar, Too

by Mamie Webb Hixon

Created by April Turner

Revised by Mamie Webb Hixon
July 1, 2010 1
SPEAKER 1: How are you today?

Which respondent are you?

SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
SPEAKER 3: I’m well.

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SPEAKER 1: How are you today?

Which respondent are you?

SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
SPEAKER 3: I’m well.

[By using “good” as a descriptor, is

Speaker 2
saying that he or she is “well behaved”?]
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 Other 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.

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 CORRECTIONS
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.

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 ADJECTIVE USE
Use ADJECTIVES with these verbs:
 Be-verbs

MNEMONIC DEVICE FOR Be-Verbs

Mr. Isamarewaswere
is are were being
am was been
 Sense Verbs

look feel taste smell sound

 Linking Verbs

become remain appear seem

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Some verbs act as both linking
verbs and performers of action.
 LINKING USE ACTION USE
 The speaker sounds The speaker sounds
her
good. vowels distinctly.

 Helooked sympathetic. He looked

sympathetically at the
mourners.

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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.

 Thejudge remained [was] silent

throughout the trial.
The jurors entered the courtroom silently.

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 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.

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 ADVERB USE

Your friendship is
generously given
happily accepted
deeply appreciated

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

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Adjectives and Adverbs

 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.

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 The difference between
adjectives and adverbs
ADJECTIVES ADVERBS
bad badly
careful carefully
clear clearly
courteous courteously
different differently
quick quickly
strangestrangely
sure surely
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 Helpful Tips from
The HBJ Workbook, 1992
I feel bad. = [I am sorry.]
I feel badly. = [I can’t tell if the
surface is rough
or smooth.]
I [Iam happy.]
feel good. =
[My health is fine.]
I feel well. = [My fingers are
I feel well. = especially sensitive.]

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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.

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Which sentence is grammatically
correct?

 Although I never did

good in spelling bees,
I have always
considered myself a
decent speller.

Idid really well on

“The 25 Most
Commonly Misspelled
Words” quiz; I missed
only one word –
“misspell.”

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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.

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Real and Really

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 Use “real” preceding nouns;
use “really” preceding adjectives (“very,”
however, is a more formal adverb than
“really.”)
real excitement really exciting
a real  really
disadvantageous
disadvantage
 really friendly
a real friend
 really honorable
a real honor
a real difference really different
a real crisis really critical
a real surprise really surprising
real love really lovable

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

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Which sentence is grammatically
correct?

Tips! We sure
do thank you.

SPEAKER 1:
Are you open
Monday?
SPEAKER 2:
We sure are.

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Which sentence is grammatically
correct?
 Tips!We sure do
thank you.

 SPEAKER 1: Are you

open Monday?
SPEAKER 2: We sure
are. [Both sentences
are incorrect. Since
“surely” would sound
stuffy here, try
“certainly.”]

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Sort of and kind of

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Based on the information in this
lesson, which speaker is
correct?
SPEAKER 1: How are you today?

Which respondent are you?

SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
SPEAKER 3: I’m well.

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 LET’S PRACTICE!!!
 Our instructor pronounces his words very
(precise, precisely).
 precisely
 My pen was writing so (bad, badly) that I
threw it away.
 badly
 The experts are (somewhat, kind of)
undecided about the wisdom of such a tax.
 somewhat
 The woman looked (different, differently)
than she did the day before.
 different

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LET’S PRACTICE A LITTLE MORE!!!
 She looks (different, differently) at the situation
now.
 differently
 I feel (bad, badly) about missing the concert.
 bad
 Make sure that she stirs the cookie batter
(good, well).
 well
 Ted is a (real, really) good singer.
 really

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