Adjectives and Adverbs

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• By
• Alfred Taylor

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Using adjectives and adverbs correctly isnt
  rocket science. However, misuse has become so
  common, that most college students dont know the
  difference between the adjective sure and the
  adverb surely or the adjective real and the
  adverb really. Misuse has become so common, it
  is possible that in the future adverbs may
  disappear from
• the language.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective- a word that limits or describes a
  noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. It usually
  answers the question which? what kind? how many?
• Adverb- a word that describes a verb, adjective,
  or other adverb. It usually answers the question
  how? when? where? or how much?
• Linking Verb- a verb that shows no physical
  action. All be verbs are linking verbs am,
  is, are, was, were, be, being, and been.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives modify nouns giant fish
• pronouns big one
• after linking verb The fish is big.
• Adverbs modify verbs nearly eaten
• adverbs very nearly eaten
• adjectives very sharp teeth
• phrases nearly being
  eaten
• clauses just able to
  escape
• Sentences Fortunately, I ran away.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Linking verbs are verbs that show no action.
  Since all be verbs are linking verbs, the way
  to test if a verb may be a linking verb is to
  substitute a known linking verb for the word in
  question. If the sentence makes sense, then the
  word is a linking verb.
• She looked unhappy. She looked at the
  cloud.
• She was unhappy. She was at the cloud
• Linking Verb Action Verb.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Use an adjective not an adverb after a linking
  verb. The linking verb only serves to connect
  the subject to the adjective modifying it.
• She looked unhappy.
• looked is a linking verb because it shows no
  action, so the adjective unhappy is employed to
  describe the noun she.
• She looked quickly at the cloud.
• looked in this case is an action verb, so the
  adverb quickly is employed to modify the verb
  looked.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Use an adverb not an adjective to modify verbs
  or other adverbs.
• Students who dont outline will surely regret
  it.
• Students who outline do well on the exit final.
• His essay was really badly written.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• In common speech, adjectives such as good, bad,
  sure, real, slow, and quick are often used as
  adverbs. Avoid abusing adjectives and use an
  adverb instead.
• Incorrect Form Correct Form
• He wrote real slow. He wrote really slowly.
• He did good. He did well.
• Think progressive. Think progressively.
• He sure works hard. He surely works hard.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• After a direct object, use an adjective to
  modify the object and an adverb to modify the
  verb.
• Drinking Coke made Spock insane.
• Spock drank the Coke insanely.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• To test if a modifier should be an adjective or
  an adverb, separate it from the direct object.
• Spock drank Coke insanely.
• Spock insanely drank Coke.
• If the modifier can be separated, then it is an
  adverb. If it cant be separated, its an
  adjective.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• If the modifier can not be separated from the
  direct object, then it is an adjective.
• Drinking Coke made Spock insane.
• Drinking Coke insane made Spock.
• Since the modifier cant logically be moved, it
  must be an adjective.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjectives and adverbs have three forms the
  positive, the comparative, and the superlative.
• These forms indicate the degree of the
  adjective.
• Big Drink
• (positive)
• Bigger Drink
• (comparative)
• Biggest Drink
• (superlative)

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Use the positive degree when there are no
  comparisons. Example My wife is cute.
• Use the comparative degree when comparing two
  qualities. Example My wife is cuter than your
  wife.
• Use the superlative degree when comparing more
  than two qualities. Example My wife is the
  cutest woman on the planet.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• When forming a comparative or a superlative use
  either er/est or more/most but not both.
• Wrong My wife is more cuter.
• Correct My wife is more cute.
• Wrong My wife is the most cutest.
• Correct My wife is the cutest.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Some adjectives and adverbs are irregular. Like
  irregular verbs, they must be memorized.
• Positive Comparative Superlative
• good better best
• bad worse worst
• little less least
• many, some, much more most
• well better best
• badly worse worst

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Because of their meaning, some adjectives and
  adverbs can only exist in the positive degree.
  These words are already superlative in their
  meaning. If they are modified, they become
  illogical. For example, unique means one of a
  kind. It is impossible to be more unique, very
  unique, or mostly unique.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Words such as perfect, unique, excellent,
  impossible, parallel, empty, and dead may not
  have comparative or superlative forms. However,
  they may be modified to suggest a state nearing
  the absolute condition implied by the modifier.
• The mission was nearly impossible.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Do not use more than one negative modifier in a
  sentence. Using two negatives creates a
  positive.
• No students are allowed to not sleep in class.

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• You are now prepared to use adjectives and
  adverbs wisely.
• The End