Problems With

Adjectives and Adverbs

  Often adverbs are formed by adding –ly to adjectives, and these –
ly adverbs are very easy to recognize.
Problems with  However, there are many adverbs in English that do not end in –ly.
adjectives and  These adverbs can be recognized from their meanings. They can
adverbs describe when something happens (often, soon, later), how
something happens (fast, hard, well), or where something
happens (here, there, nowhere).
  Adjectives have only one job, they describe nouns or pronouns.
 She is a beautiful woman.
 She is beautiful.

Use basic  Adverbs do three different things. They describe verbs, adjectives,
or other adverbs.
adjectives and  She sings beautifully.
adverbs  She is a beautifully dressed woman.
correctly  She is truly beautifully dressed woman.
 They were seated at a largely table.
 The child talked quick to her mother.
 We read an extreme long story.
  He was driving an expensively sports car.
 There is a special program on television this evening.
 She was chosen for the leading part because she sings so well.
 The car was not complete ready at 3:00.
Exercise  It was difficult to believe that what we read in the newspaper was
a truly story.
 The children finished their homework quickly so that they could
watch television.
  Generally an adverb rather than an adjective will come directly
after a verb because the adverb is describing the verb.
 However, you must be very careful if the verb is a linkig verb. A
Use adjectives linking verb is followed by an adjective rather than an adverb.
after linking  You should be sure to use an adjective rather than an adverb after
a linking verb. Be careful, however, because the adjective that
verbs goes with the linking verb does not always directly follow the
linking verb.
  Subject + regular verb + adverb
 A regular verb is followed by an adverb. The adverb describes the verb.
 She spoke nicely.
 Subject + linking verb + adjective
 A linking verb is followed by an adjective. The adjective describe the
Use adjectives subject.
after linking  She looks nice.

verbs  Subject + lonking verb + adverb + adjective

 It is possible that a linking verb is followed by an adverb and an
adjective. The adverb describe the adjective, and the adjective
describe subject.
 He seems unusually nice.
 Linking verbs: appear, be, become,feel, look, prove, seem, smell, taste.
  The parents seem angrily about the child’s report card.
 The speaker talked knowingly about prehistoric fossils.

Exercise  After she drank the lemonade, the cake tasted too sweetly to her.
 Throughout dinner we were bored because he spoke incessantly.
 Sam felt terribly depressed after the accident.
  A one word adjective come before the noun it describes. It does
not come directly after.
 The information important is on the first page.
Possition  An adverb can appear in many positions. It cannot be used
adjectives and between a verb and its object.
adverbs  He has taken recently an English course.

correctly  Recently he has taken an English course.

 He has recently taken an English course.
 He has taken an English course recently.
  The store opened with a sale fantastic.
 The lawyer has selected carefully a new case.
 The wedding reception was held at a restaurant expensive.
Exercise  The students had to study many hours daily during the program
intensive.
 The naval officer was asked to transfer to a foreign country.