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AdjectivesandAdverbs|GrammarRules

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AdjectivesandAdverbs

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Anadjectiveisawordorsetofwordsthatmodifies(i.e.,describes)anounorpronoun.
Adjectivesmaycomebeforethewordtheymodify.
Examples:
Thatisacutepuppy.
Shelikesahighschoolsenior.
Adjectivesmayalsofollowthewordtheymodify:
Examples:
Thatpuppylookscute.
Thetechnologyisstateoftheart.
Anadverbisawordorsetofwordsthatmodifiesverbs,adjectives,orotheradverbs.
Adverbsanswerhow,when,where,why,ortowhatextenthowoftenorhowmuch(e.g.,
daily,completely).
Examples:
Hespeaksslowly(tellshow)
Hespeaksveryslowly(theadverbverytellshowslowly)
Shearrivedtoday(tellswhen)
Shewillarriveinanhour(thisadverbphrasetellswhen)
Let'sgooutside(tellswhere)
Welookedinthebasement(thisadverbphrasetellswhere)
Bernielefttoavoidtrouble(thisadverbphrasetellswhy)
Jorgeworksoutstrenuously(tellstowhatextent)
Jorgeworksoutwheneverpossible(thisadverbphrasetellstowhatextent)

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Rule1.Manyadverbsendinly,butmanydonot.Generally,ifawordcanhavelyaddedto
itsadjectiveform,placeittheretoformanadverb.
Examples:
Shethinksquick/quickly.
Howdoesshethink?Quickly.
Sheisaquick/quicklythinker.
Quickisanadjectivedescribingthinker,sonolyisattached.
Shethinksfast/fastly.
Fastanswersthequestionhow,soitisanadverb.Butfastneverhaslyattachedtoit.
Weperformedbad/badly.
Badlydescribeshowweperformed,solyisadded.

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Rule2.Adverbsthatanswerthequestionhowsometimescausegrammaticalproblems.Itcan
beachallengetodetermineiflyshouldbeattached.Avoidthetrapoflywithlinkingverbs
suchastaste,smell,look,feel,whichpertaintothesenses.Adverbsareoftenmisplacedin
suchsentences,whichrequireadjectivesinstead.
Examples:
Rosessmellsweet/sweetly.
Dotherosesactivelysmellwithnoses?Nointhiscase,smellisalinkingverbwhich
requiresanadjectivetomodifyrosessonoly.
Thewomanlookedangry/angrilytous.
Didthewomanlookwithhereyes,orarewedescribingherappearance?Weare
describingherappearance(sheappearedangry),sonoly.

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Thewomanlookedangry/angrilyatthepaintsplotches.
Herethewomanactivelylooked(usedhereyes),sothelyisadded.
Shefeelsbad/badlyaboutthenews.
Sheisnotfeelingwithfingers,sonoly.

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Rule3.Thewordgoodisanadjective,whoseadverbequivalentiswell.
Examples:
Youdidagoodjob.
Gooddescribesthejob.

Capitalization of Academic Degrees

Into vs. In to
Writing Dates and Times

Youdidthejobwell.
Wellanswershow.
Yousmellgoodtoday.
Gooddescribesyourfragrance,nothowyousmellwithyournose,sousingtheadjective
iscorrect.
Yousmellwellforsomeonewithacold.
Youareactivelysmellingwithyournosehere,sousetheadverb.

Apostrophes with Words Ending in

"s"
Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc.:
Underline? Italics? Quotation
Marks?

Rule4.Thewordwellcanbeanadjective,too.Whenreferringtohealth,weoftenusewell
ratherthangood.
Examples:
Youdonotlookwelltoday.
Idon'tfeelwell,either.

Rule5.Adjectivescomeinthreeforms,alsocalleddegrees.Anadjectiveinitsnormalor
usualformiscalledapositivedegreeadjective.Therearealsothecomparativeand
superlativedegrees,whichareusedforcomparison,asinthefollowingexamples:
Positive

Comparative

Superlative

sweet

sweeter

sweetest

bad

worse

worst

efficient

moreefficient

mostefficient

Acommonerrorinusingadjectivesandadverbsarisesfromusingthewrongformof
comparison.Tocomparetwothings,alwaysuseacomparativeadjective:
Example:Sheistheclevererofthetwowomen(nevercleverest)
Thewordcleverestiswhatiscalledthesuperlativeformofclever.Useitonlywhen
comparingthreeormorethings:
Example:Sheisthecleverestofthemall.
Incorrect:Chocolateorvanilla:whichdoyoulikebest?
Correct:Chocolateorvanilla:whichdoyoulikebetter?

Rule6.Therearealsothreedegreesofadverbs.Informalusage,donotdropthelyfrom
anadverbwhenusingthecomparativeform.
Incorrect:Shespokequickerthanhedid.
Correct:Shespokemorequicklythanhedid.
Incorrect:Talkquieter.
Correct:Talkmorequietly.

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Rule7.Whenthis,that,these,andthosearefollowedbyanoun,theyareadjectives.When
theyappearwithoutanounfollowingthem,theyarepronouns.
Examples:
Thishouseisforsale.
Thisisanadjective.
Thisisforsale.
Thisisapronoun.

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