Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and Adverbs

Definition - Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before the word they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe (That puppy is cute.).

Definition - Adverbs are words that modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it answers how, when, or where.

The only adverbs that cause grammatical problems are those that answer the question how, so focus on these.

Examples: He speaks slowly.

Answers the question how.
He speaks very slowly.
Answers the question how slowly.

Rule 1. Generally, if a word answers the question how, it is an adverb. If it can have an -ly added to it, place it there.

Examples: She thinks slow/slowly.

She thinks how? slowly.
She is a slow/slowly thinker.

Slow does not answer how, so no -ly is attached. Slow is an adjective here.
She thinks fast/fastly.

Fast answers the question how, so it is an adverb. But fast never has an -ly attached to it.
We performed bad/badly.

Badly describes how we performed.

Rule 2. A special -ly rule applies when four of the senses - taste, smell, look, feel - are the verbs. Do not ask if these senses answer the question how to determine if -ly should be attached. Instead, ask if the sense verb is being used actively. If so, use the -ly.

Examples: Roses smell sweet/sweetly.

Do the roses actively smell with noses? No, so no -ly.
The woman looked angry/angrily.

Did the woman actively look with eyes or are we describing her appearance? We are only describing appearance, so no -ly.
The woman looked angry/angrily at the paint splotches.

Here the woman did actively look with eyes, so the -ly is added.

She feels bad/badly about the news.

She is not feeling with fingers, so no -ly.
Good vs. Well

Rule 3. The word good is an adjective, while well is an adverb.
Examples: You did a good job.

Good describes the job.
You did the job well.

Well answers how.
You smell good today.

Describes your odor, not how you smell with your nose, so follow with the adjective.
You smell well for someone with a cold.

You are actively smelling with a nose here, so follow with the adverb.

Rule 4. When referring to health, use well rather than good.

Examples: I do not feel well.

You do not look well today.

NOTE: You may use good with feel when you are not referring to health.

Example: I feel good about my decision to learn Spanish.

Rule 5. A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form for comparison. For instance, to describe one thing we would say poor, as in, "She is poor." To compare two things, we should say poorer, as in, "She is the poorer of the two women." To compare more than two things, we should say poorest, as in, "She is the poorest of them all."

Examples: One Two Three or More

sweet sweeter sweetest

bad worse worst

efficient* more efficient* most efficient*

*Usually with words of three or more syllables, don't add -er or -est. Use more or most in front of the words.

Rule 6. Never drop the -ly from an adverb when using the comparison form.

Correct: She spoke quickly.
She spoke more quickly than he did.

Incorrect: She spoke quicker than he did.

Correct: Talk quietly.
Talk more quietly.

Incorrect: Talk quieter.

Rule 7. When this, that, these, and those are followed by nouns, they are adjectives. When they appear without a noun following them, they are pronouns.

Examples: This house is for sale.
This is an adjective here.
This is for sale.

This is a pronoun here.

Rule 8. This and that are singular, whether they are being used as adjectives or as pronouns. This points to something nearby while that points to something "over there."
Examples: This dog is mine.
That dog is hers.
This is mine.
That is hers.

Rule 9. These and those are plural, whether they are being used as adjectives or as pronouns. These points to something nearby while those points to something "over there."

Examples: These babies have been smiling for a long time.
These are mine.
Those babies have been crying for hours.
Those are yours.

Rule 10. Use than to show comparison. Use then to answer the question when.

Examples: I would rather go skiing than rock climbing.
First we went skiing; then we went rock climbing.

Adjectives and Adverbs Quiz

1. Choose the correct sentence.
A) Come quick or we will miss our bus.
B) Come quickly or we will miss our bus.

2. Choose the correct sentence.
A) You drive so slow that I am afraid someone will hit the car from behind.
B) You drive so slowly that I am afraid someone will hit the car from behind.

3. Choose the correct sentence.
A) I have never been more sure of anything in my life.
B) I have never been more surer of anything in my life.

4. Choose the correct sentence.
A) Ella was the best of the two sisters at gymnastics.
B) Ella was the better of the two sisters at gymnastics.

5. Choose the correct sentence.
A) You did that somersault so well.
B) You did that somersault so good.

6. Choose the correct sentence.
A) Rochelle felt badly about forgetting Devlin's birthday.
B) Rochelle felt bad about forgetting Devlin's birthday.

7. Choose the correct sentence.
A) This is the worse oil spill I have ever seen.
B) This is the worst oil spill I have ever seen.

8. Choose the correct sentence.
A) The jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweet.
B) The jasmine has bloomed and smells very sweetly.

9. Choose the correct sentence.
A) You look angry. What did I do?
B) You look angrily. What did I do?

10. Choose the correct sentence.
A) She looked suspicious at the man wearing the trench coat.
B) She looked suspiciously at the man wearing the trench coat.