Just like adjectives, adverbs are used to add detail to a sentence. More specifically, adverbs tell us how , when , or where something happened. In the example above, the word deeply describes how he was staring , so deeply is an adverb. In this sentence, it means he was staring in a deep way. If his staring had been weird, we could have said he was staring weirdly. You know adjectives and adverbs are both words that describe something. But for many people, these words are also easy to mix up.
Thankfully, there are some simple rules that will help you know which is which and when to use them. If you're not sure whether to use an adverb or an adjective, try to figure out what you're describing. Remember, adjectives are used to describe nouns, which means they can explain what kind of thing you have, how many things you have, or which thing you're talking about.
Adverbs, on the other hand, are used to describe verbs, which means they can explain how something happened, when something happened, or where something happened. You might have already noticed that many adverbs end with the letters ly. If you see a word that ends in ly , there's a good chance it's an adverb, not an adjective.
Can you use this rule to tell what's wrong with this sentence? Because it doesn't have an ly ending, you might have guessed that quick is an adjective. However, this sentence is incorrect because an adjective can't be used to describe a verb drove. To make this sentence correct, we could change the adjective to an adverb: He drove quickly. Now the sentence describes how he was driving.
She is as bright as her mother. Premodifiers with Degrees of Adjectives Both adverbs and adjectives in their comparative and superlative forms can be accompanied by premodifiers, single words and phrases, that intensify the degree. We were a lot more careful this time.
He works a lot less carefully than the other jeweler in town. We like his work so much better. You'll get your watch back all the faster. The same process can be used to downplay the degree: The weather this week has been somewhat better.
He approaches his schoolwork a little less industriously than his brother does. And sometimes a set phrase, usually an informal noun phrase, is used for this purpose: He arrived a whole lot sooner than we expected. That's a heck of a lot better.
If the intensifier very accompanies the superlative, a determiner is also required: She is wearing her very finest outfit for the interview. They're doing the very best they can. Occasionally, the comparative or superlative form appears with a determiner and the thing being modified is understood: Of all the wines produced in Connecticut, I like this one the most. The quicker you finish this project, the better.
Of the two brothers, he is by far the faster. Less versus Fewer When making a comparison between quantities we often have to make a choice between the words fewer and less.
Generally, when we're talking about countable things, we use the word fewer ; when we're talking about measurable quantities that we cannot count, we use the word less. If you click HERE , you will get a one-page duplicate of this chart, which you can print out on a regular piece of paper. When you have three coordinated adjectives, separate them all with commas, but don't insert a comma between the last adjective and the noun in spite of the temptation to do so because you often pause there : a popular, respected, and good looking student See the section on Commas for additional help in punctuating coordinated adjectives.
Capitalizing Proper Adjectives When an adjective owes its origins to a proper noun, it should probably be capitalized. Directional and seasonal adjectives are not capitalized unless they're part of a title: We took the northwest route during the spring thaw. We stayed there until the town's annual Fall Festival of Small Appliances. The difference between a Collective Noun which is usually regarded as singular but which can be plural in certain contexts and a collective adjective is that the latter is always plural and requires a plural verb: The rural poor have been ignored by the media.
The rich of Connecticut are responsible. The elderly are beginning to demand their rights. The young at heart are always a joy to be around. Adjectival Opposites The opposite or the negative aspect of an adjective can be formed in a number of ways.
My mother is less patient than my father. Of all the new sitcoms, this is my least favorite show. The -ed ending modifiers are often accompanied by prepositions these are not the only choices : We were amazed at all the circus animals.
We were amused by the clowns. We were annoyed by the elephants. We were bored by the ringmaster. We were confused by the noise. We were disappointed by the motorcycle daredevils. We were disappointed in their performance. We were embarrassed by my brother. We were exhausted from all the excitement. We were excited by the lion-tamer. We were excited about the high-wire act, too. We were frightened by the lions. We were introduced to the ringmaster.
We were interested in the tent. We were irritated by the heat. We were opposed to leaving early. We were satisfied with the circus.
We were shocked at the level of noise under the big tent. We were surprised by the fans' response. We were surprised at their indifference. We were tired of all the lights after a while. We were worried about the traffic leaving the parking lot. The children were ashamed.
The professor remained aloof. The trees were ablaze. Recognizing Adjectives Adjective Order Adjectives. Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms. They can also act as a complement to linking verbs or the verb to be.
A linking verb is a verb like to feel, to seem, or to taste that describes a state of being or a sensory experience. That cow sure is happy. It smells gross in the locker room. Driving is faster than walking. Please use three white flowers in the arrangement. Often, when adjectives are used together, you should separate them with a comma or conjunction. My new dog is small and good-tempered.
Adjectives come in three forms: absolute, comparative, and superlative. Absolute adjectives describe something in its own right.
A cool guy A messy desk A mischievous cat Garrulous squirrels. Comparative adjectives, unsurprisingly, make a comparison between two or more things. For most one-syllable adjectives, the comparative is formed by adding the suffix -er or just -r if the adjective already ends with an e. For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, replace -y with -ier. For multi-syllable adjectives, add the word more.
A cooler guy A messier desk A more mischievous cat More garrulous squirrels. Superlative adjectives indicate that something has the highest degree of the quality in question. One-syllable adjectives become superlatives by adding the suffix -est or just -st for adjectives that already end in e.
Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y replace -y with -iest. Multi-syllable adjectives add the word most. When you use an article with a superlative adjective, it will almost always be the definite article the rather than a or an.
Using a superlative inherently indicates that you are talking about a specific item or items. The coolest guy The messiest desk The most mischievous cat The most garrulous squirrels. Coordinate adjectives should be separated by a comma or the word and. Adjectives are said to be coordinate if they modify the same noun in a sentence.
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