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 moreAugust 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