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
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 AdverbHappy 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 Comparative
Superlative
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• Don’t use “more” or “most” with –er or –
estX Yesterday was more hotter than todayX That was the most dirtiest story I ever
heardX You are the bestest teacher
Absolute Concepts• Don’t use comparatives or superlatives with
absolute concepts• Absolutes have only two possibilities, on or off,
yes or no, with nothing in betweenXThe most perfect student in the classXA 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
Don’t use adjectives when adverbs are neededXYou did a real nice job
– (an adjective can’t modify another adjective)
You did a really nice job– (the adverb “really” modifies “nice”)
XHe did goodHe did well orHe did a good job
XFuel injection helps the car run efficient
Fuel injection helps the car run efficientlyXCome quick!
Come quickly!XHopefully, it won’t rain
– (an adverb explains how something will happen
I hope that it won’t rain
Don’t 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 meaningXBill 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 commasBrad’s 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
Brad’s gold-plated piercings stood out against
his bright-red sunburn
• “Gold-plated” and “bright-red” are compound adjectives
Compound Adjectives
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
• Do not hyphenate the words when they come after the noun they modify
• Notice the difference in these examples
Misplaced Modifiers• Put adjectives and adverbs close to the
words they modify• Notice how the meaning is affected by
the improper placementXAn old pile of clothes is on the floor
A pile of old clothes is on the floorXI almost believe you are finished
I believe you are almost finishedXThe winners will only be contacted
Only the winners will be contactedXI can’t quite do this as well as Fred
I can’t do this quite as well as Fred