Unit I
Lesson 6: Grammar and Style
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives
Adjectives are modifiers: Modifiers include words, phrases, and clauses.
Adjectives modify or say something about a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives can tell what color, how many, how big or small, in fact just about anything about the words they modify.
There are several very specific things about adjectives that we have to be aware of as we write and speak:
1. One common error in slang, low diction, and conversational English is to misuse an adjective to modify another adjective.
For example:
He is real tall.
Here the word real is an adjective, but it cannot modify another adjective, tall.
The correct form would be, “He is really tall.” In this case, really, an adverb, can modify the adjective tall.
Another example:
Yesterday I was real sick the whole time at school
Here real attempts to modify the adjective sick. As above, an adjective can never modify another adjective.
The correct form would be, “Yesterday I was really sick the whole time at school.”
2. Adjectives conform to particular and traditional positions, in English usually immediately before what they modify.
Most of the time, adjectives come directly in front of the word they are modifying.
For example:
She drove a new pink Mercedes.
The hot, roaring fire engulfed the house.
In both cases here, there are two adjectives in front of the words they modify.
Another common position for the adjective is at the end of the sentence. This common structure takes the form of subject + linking verb + adjective. Many of these structures, as you will see, are common everyday expressions.
For example:
The quarterback for the opposing team is extremely tall.
Here the adjective tall modifies the subject of the sentence, quarterback.
Sharks in these waters have been known to be very aggressive.
Here the adjective aggressive modifies the subject, sharks.
Food in this part of New Orleans is generally accepted to be very expensive.
Here the adjective expensive modifies the subject, food.
3. Adjectives also normally appear in three different forms, depending on what they are modifying and the context. These are called the positive, what you might call the normal or typical form of the adjective; the comparative, used when you are comparing two items; and the superlative, used when you are comparing one item to three or more other similar items.
For example:
Positive Comparative Superlative
fast faster fastest
good better best
smooth smoother smoothest
Note that adjectives of multiple syllables have to use more and most to make their comparative and superlative forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
Redolent more redolent most redolent
Note that you could not say redolenter or redolentest.
Fragrant more fragrant most fragrant
Again, there are no such words as fragranter or fragrantest.
Also note that you cannot mix the two forms—that is, add more or most to a form that is made by the simple addition of er or est. To do so is a double comparison, a grammatical error.
For example:
This is the most biggest animal I have ever seen.
This is an error, a double comparison, and the correct form would be—
This is the biggest animal I have ever seen.
Tom is more taller than his friend Bill.
This is an error, a double comparison, and the correct form would be—
Tom is taller than his friend Bill.
The little words a, an, and the are called adjectives, sometimes articles, and other times even determiners, but they always indicate specific relationships, such as a or an meaning something close to any or every, while the often indicates a particular item of focus.
A man . . .(any man)
An apple tastes good. (any or every apple)
The man in the gray suit. (a specific or particular man)
Generally the word a must precede a consonant sound: He is a man of principles.
Generally the word an must precede a vowel sound: Is that an owl in the tree?
But be careful with the rule. The fact that an must precede a vowel sound can be tricky, as in this example: I did not think you could eat a opossum.
This word is pronounced pos’-sum, with the accent on the first syllable. Unless you are a biologist and aware of the differences between the two marsupials, you might spell it either way, but with no sounding of the o that begins the word, the a must precede the word because of the consonant p sound following the silent o.
A very few other words follow this same exception, and they are most often associated with a silent vowel beginning the word.
Be careful with acronyms too:
Note that if you say, “I attended an FSU game,” you do not say, “a FSU game.” The letter F, is pronounced “ef”; therefore, you have to use the an and not the a because the beginning sound of the letter is actually a vowel.
Just one more interesting case that you will certainly encounter is with what are called the absolute adjectives. These are adjectives that in no way can be compared logically. Some rather humorous examples are these:
He is deader than his oldest brother.
She is even more pregnant than the last time I saw her.
That is the most unique invention anyone might have come up with.
Obviously if something or someone is dead, there is no more, most, a little bit, somewhat . . . or any other comparison. Likewise, more or less or a little bit . . . does not apply to the word pregnant—you either are or are not. Unique, by definition, means one of a kind; therefore, there can be no comparisons.
A final interesting case is that of good and well. Many people often mistakenly use these words. Good is an adjective, and well is an adverb. (You will learn more about adverbs later in this lesson). Probably the most common mistake is found in the following scenario:
How are you doing?
I’m doing good.
In this situation, the word good is describing the action of “doing,” and is therefore acting like an adverb. The appropriate ways in which that question could have been answered are the following:
I’m doing well.
I’m good.
Good is used appropriately in the second option because it is describing the pronoun I.
Check for Understanding (on Adjectives)
(See Answer Key at bottom of document.)
Indicate the correct choice in the following sentences:
1. His was (a, an) extremely difficult choice.
2. Geraldine realized she was the (taller, tallest) member of the team.
3. The problem that confronted them was the (more, most) difficult of the two choices.
4. The dinner, in her opinion, had been (more perfect, perfect).
5. Bill had all of the cash well hidden in (a, an) bureau.
6. After I ate six pieces of pizza covered with anchovies, I was (real, really) sick.
7. Of the two brothers, in my opinion, Ivan is the (taller, tallest).
8. The news from the flooded area was not (good, well).
9. (Proud, Proudly) of his grades, the scholar stood to receive his award.
10. Their (real, really) concern was whether or not he could relate to the staff.
11. His paper on internal combustion was (unique, more unique).
12. When the three of them walked in, I noticed that Bill was (shorter, the shortest).
13. He wanted to show me how (a, an) abacus worked to solve math problems.
14. Whether he realized it or not, he had created the (biggest, most biggest) problem.
15. When I got off the roller coaster, I was (very, real) nauseated.
Adverbs
Like adjectives, adverbs are modifiers and, therefore, say something about another word or group of words. While adjectives say something about nouns or pronouns only, adverbs are much more versatile. They are most often used to say something about verbs, but you will find them just about as often saying something about adjectives or even other adverbs.
Adverbs modifying verbs:
She quickly ran to the store for her mother.
Here the adverb quickly describes how the girl ran.
The referee saw the linebacker suddenly grab the back’s facemask.
Here the adverb suddenly describes how the linebacker grabbed the facemask.
Adverbs modifying adjectives:
Michael Jordan was really tall.
Here the adverb really describes to what extent Michael Jordan is tall.
No matter what, an elephant is quite heavy.
Here the adverb quite modifies the adjective heavy.
Bill was too sick to stay in the game.
Here the adverb too modifies the adjective sick.
Adjectives modifying other adverbs:
The runner very quickly changed direction to avoid the collision.
Here the adverb very describes to what extent about the adverb quickly, which is modifying the verb changed.
He was far too tired to continue the marathon.
Here the adverb far describes to what extent about the adverb too, which tells to what extent about the adjective tired.
Adverbs themselves are not confusing, but the biggest challenge comes in writing when we often try to use an adjective to modify another adjective.
The horse has been real sick all morning. (incorrect)
Here the adjective real is attempting to modify another adjective, sick. Although such conversational structures are very common, at no time can an adjective modify another adjective. The easy fix here is to change the adjective real into the adverb really.
The horse has been really sick all morning. (correct)
Check for Understanding (on Adverbs)
(See Answer Key at bottom of document.)
Indicate the correct choice in the following sentences:
1. The score was way (to, too) lopsided for me.
2. I was (real, really) sick when I left home this morning.
3. My plan all along was to be (extraordinary, extraordinarily) careful with the car.
4. Of the two brothers, you will find John to be (friendlier, friendliest).
5. The dog’s ears stood up rather (quick, quickly).
6. After taking the medication, she was (violent, violently) ill for the next hour.
7. On the way to the mall, the engine did not run (good, well) at all.
8. The doctor said the (real, really) issue was her fever at the time of delivery.
9. Frank had been (real, very) disconcerted by his fiancé going out with his best friend.
10. He claimed to have been reading an exceedingly (good, well) book all morning.
Answer Keys
Adjectives
1. an
2. tallest
3. more
4. perfect
5. a
6. really
7. taller
8. good
9. Proud
10. real
11. unique
12. the shortest
13. an
14. biggest
15. very
Adverbs
1. too
2. really
3. extraordinarily
4. friendlier
5. quickly
6. violently
7. well
8. real
9. very
10. good
KEYGirl36
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