Using Adjectives and

Adverbs Correctly

What are adjectives?

Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns
These words are all adjectives
A hot day
A happy camper
A silly twit
A big, bloody mess (both big and
bloody modify mess)
She is creative (creative is a subject
complement that follows the linking verb
is)
A boring course (present participle used as
an adjective

Enjoy this School House Rock video on

Adjectives:
Youtube video on adjectives

So what are adverbs?

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and
other adverbs
Many adverbs end with ly
Many adverbs answer the question
How?
These are adverbs
Eating quickly (modifying a verb)
Trying very hard (modifying an adverb)
A really big show (modifying an
adjective)

Recognizing Adjectives &

Adverbs

Many words have both an adjective and adverb form

Adjective

Adverb

Happy kids

Playing happily

Smooth rock

Running smoothly

Good night

Eating Well

Efficient workers

Working efficiently

Casual dress

Dressing casually

Quick meeting

Talking quickly

hopeful children

Waiting hopefully

Real butter

Really hot

Comparatives and
Superlatives

Most adverbs and adjectives also have a

comparative and superlative form

Simple

Comparativ Superlative
e

Hot

Hotter

Hottest

Good

Better

Best

Exciting

More exciting

Most exciting

Careful

Less careful

Least careful

Use the comparative form to compare two things

Sally is the larger of the twins (not largest)

Use the superlative form to compare three or more

August was the hottest month of the year

Double Comparatives
Dont use more or most with er or
est
X Yesterday was more hotter than today
X That was the most dirtiest story I ever
heard
X You are the bestest teacher

Absolute Concepts
Dont use comparatives or superlatives with
absolute concepts
Absolutes have only two possibilities, on or off,
yes or no, with nothing in between
XThe most perfect student in the class
XA very unique idea (say very unusual instead)

These words express absolute concepts that

cannot be modified

More priceless

Sort of dead

Quite on

A little bit pregnant

Very unanimous

Extremely perfect

Quite unique

Completely anonymous

Dont use adjectives when

adverbs are needed
XYou did a real nice job
(an adjective cant modify another adjective)

You did a really nice job

(the adverb really modifies nice)

XHe did good

He did well
or
He did a good job
XFuel injection helps the car run efficient
Fuel injection helps the car run efficiently
XCome quick!
Come quickly!
XHopefully, it wont rain
(an adverb explains how something will happen

I hope that it wont rain

Dont use needless adverbs

Before using any of these words, check to see if they
add anything to the sentence
Really, very, absolutely, extremely, quite, actually,
somewhat, rather
I am really happy to see you
Grammar is very boring
You are absolutely correct
Her language was extremely crude
You are quite intelligent

Context will help you decide whether to retain the

underlined words
Keep them only if they add to the meaning

XBill Gates is very rich. I hope he gives me some

money.
Most college instructors are poor; their students are very
poor.

Note: the terms good success and real good

success have been reserved for sports
broadcasters; do not use them

Compound Adjectives
Two or more adjectives often appear together
separated with commas
Brads tiny, tight swimsuit showed off his hairy
belly
The words tiny and tight each work
separately to modify swimsuit

Connect the words with a hyphen when they

function together before a noun
Brads gold-plated piercings stood out against his
bright-red sunburn
Gold-plated and bright-red are compound
adjectives

Compound Adjectives
Do not hyphenate the words when they come after the
noun they modify
Notice the difference in these examples

Brad was well known

along the boardwalk (no
hyphen)
His SUV was fully
equipped
Brad worked full time on
his tan

Brad was a well-known jerk

(hyphenated)
He drove a fully-equipped
SUV
Brad was a full-time chick
magnet

Misplaced Modifiers
Put adjectives and adverbs close to the
words they modify
Notice how the meaning is affected by
the improper placement
XAn old pile of clothes is on the floor
A pile of old clothes is on the floor
XI almost believe you are finished
I believe you are almost finished
XThe winners will only be contacted
Only the winners will be contacted
XI cant quite do this as well as Fred
I cant do this quite as well as Fred

Enjoy this School House Rock video on Adverbs:

http://Youtube video on adverbs