Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns, pronouns, or verbs that show feeling or states of being ("feel" or "be"). Adjectives add to the reader's understanding by adding fuller information.
Mystery stories are exceptionally popular. They are useful, some writers claim, because we experience adventure vicariously through them. Some of the public's favorite mystery authors write stories full of awesome--albeit everyday--adventures.
Do not use adjectives when you really need adverbs (with action verbs). For example:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Tad spoke so quiet his point was lost. (adj.) | Tad spoke so quietly his point was lost. (adv.) |
| The ice was awful hard. (adj.) | The ice was awfully hard. (adv.) |
Also, do not get confused when using variations of the word "bad," which can be used as either an adjective or an adverb: "Feel badly" is rarely correct. Use "feel badly" only if you are trying to say that your sense of touch is impaired.
- Adjective
- I feel bad about the accident I caused. ("Feel" in this sentence is used as a "state of being" verb describing the person's emotional state, so the adjective form is correct)
- Adverb
- I feel badly when my hands are cold from cleaning the freezer. ("Feel" is used as an action verb here to denote the act of using one's hands, so the adverb form, "badly," is correct.) I feel badly when my child is ill. ("Feel" in this sense is used as a state of being, so the adverb form, "badly," is not correct.)
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