As words that describe other words, adjectives and adverbs add liveliness and color to writing, helping writers show rather than just tell. In addition, adjectives and adverbs often provide indispensable meanings to the words they modify. In basketball, for example, there is an important difference between a flagrant foul and a technical foul, or an angry coach and an abusively angry coach. In each instance, the modifiers are crucial to accurate communication.