Adjectives & Adverbs

English Composition 1301

Professor Mueller
 Adjective vs. Adverb
An adjective describes or modifies a noun or a pronoun.
 Adds info about what kind, which one, or how many
 Describes how things look, smell, feel, taste, sound
An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
 Adds info about how, how much, when, where, or to
what extent.
 Often ends in –ly.
 Which one do I use?
It is critical to identify which word is being
modified in order to determine whether to use
an adjective or an adverb as the modifier.

 I: She runs slow.

 C: She runs slowly.

 I: He is real tall.
 C: He is really tall.
 Adj. & Adv. With Same Form
Some adjectives and adverbs have the same
form.
 early, far, fast, hard, high, late, often, past,
right, soon
The only way to distinguish them is to identify
what they modify.
 Adj: The fast car drove around the curve.
 Adv: The car drove fast around the curve.
 Comparative Form
When comparing two nouns, use the
comparative form of an adjective or adverb.
 If adjective or adverb is one syllable, add –er
to form the comparative.
 I am taller than my mother.
 She is smarter than me.
 Use this same pattern for adjectives that end in
–y, but change the –y to –i before adding –er.
 She is happier than he is.
 That show is funnier than the other one.
 Comparative Form cont.
If adjective or adverb is more than one syllable,
add the word more to form the comparative.
 I am more impressed with your skills than he
is.
 She is even more beautiful than she used to
be.
 Comparative Form cont.
Follow the guideline and use –er or more, but
never use both!
 I am more taller than my mother.
 That show is more funnier than the other one.
 She is so much more happier than she used
to be.
 Superlative Form
When comparing three or more nouns, use the
superlative form of an adjective or adverb.
 If adjective or adverb is one syllable, add –est
to form the superlative.
 I am the tallest person in my family .
 She is the smartest person in the class.
Use this same pattern for adjectives that end in
–y, but change the –y to –i before adding –est.
 She is the happiest person I’ve ever met.
 That show is the funniest sitcom on TV.
 Superlative Form cont.
If adjective or adverb is more than one syllable,
add the word most to form the superlative.
 He is the most selfish person in our company.
 She is the most beautiful actress on
television.
 Superlative Form cont.
Follow the guideline and use –est or most, but
never use both!
 He is the most luckiest person I know.
 That is the most funniest show I have ever
seen!
 She is the most happiest person I have ever
met!
 Fewer vs. Less
In the comparative form
 Use less to compare non-count nouns (nouns that
cannot be divided).
 They play less music and more commercials on the
radio than ever before.
 I have less money in my bank account than my sister
has in hers.
Use fewer to compare count nouns.
 There are fewer students in our class than when the
semester began.
 I have fewer pennies in my jar than my brother has
in his.
 Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
Four common adjectives & adverbs have irregular forms:
good, well, bad, badly.
Good vs. Well
 Good is an adjective, so use it to describe a noun or
pronoun.
 She has a good job.

Well is an adverb, so use it to describe a verb or an

adjective.
 She writes well.

(Well can also be used as an adjective when it is describing

someone’s health.)
 I am not well today. (adjective)

 She does not feel well. (adverb)

 Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
Bad vs. Badly
 Bad is an adjective, so use it to describe a
noun or pronoun.
 She has a bad reputation.
 Badly is an adverb, so use it to describe a
verb or an adjective.
 He behaved badly in school today.
 Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
Comparative and Superlative forms of the
irregular adjectives and adverbs are also
irregular.
 Good & Well have the same comparative &
superlative forms:
 Better (comparative)
 I have a better car than she does. (adjective)
 I feel better today than I did yesterday. (adverb)
 Best (superlative)
 He is the best teacher at Blinn. (adjective)
 I write best when I’m not under pressure. (adverb)
 Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
Bad & Badly have the same comparative &
superlative forms:
 Worse (comparative)
 She has a worse cold than I do. (adjective)
 She feels worse than I do. (adverb)
 Worst (superlative)
 He had the worst grade in the class.
(adjective)
 She feels the worst she has ever felt. (adverb)