13 | Adjectives and Adverbs
13|Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives provide information about the person, place, object, or idea named by the noun or pronoun.
The thin, lightweight laptop fits in my purse.
Adjectives and Adverbs at a Glance
ADJECTIVES
Typically answer the question Which? or What kind?
Modify nouns or pronouns
ADVERBS
Answer the question How? When? Where? or sometimes Why?
Modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
The phones arrived yesterday; we quickly restocked the shelves with the incredibly popular models.
13aUse an adverb, not an adjective, to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
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Awful is an adjective, so it can modify only nouns or pronouns. An adverb is needed to modify the adjective hot.
13bUse an adjective, not an adverb, as a subject complement or an object complement.
An object complement is a noun, an adjective, or a group of words that renames or describes a direct object (see 3b).
An object complement completes the description of a direct object and can be an adjective or a noun, but never an adverb.
When you are not sure whether you’re dealing with an object complement or an adverb, look closely at the word’s role in the sentence. If it modifies a noun, it is an object complement and should be an adjective.
If it modifies a verb, you want an adverb instead.
13cUse good as an adjective and well as an adverb.
A linking verb is a verb that shows a state of being by linking the sentence subject with a word that renames or describes the subject (see 1c and 3b).
Only if the verb is a linking verb can you safely follow it with good. Other kinds of verbs need adverbs, not subject complements.
Complications arise when we write or speak about health. It is perfectly correct to say I feel good, using the adjective good as a subject complement after the linking verb feel. However, generations of confusion have nudged the adverb well into the adjective category, too. A nurse may speak of “a well baby”; greeting cards urge patients to “get well”—meaning, “become healthy.” Just as healthy is an adjective here, so is well.
When someone asks, “How do you feel?” you can duck the issue with “Fine!” Otherwise, in speech good or well is acceptable; in writing, use good.
Guidelines for Multilingual Writers
What Is the Order for Cumulative Adjectives?
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For advice on using commas with adjectives, see 28d.
Cumulative adjectives are two or more adjectives used directly before a noun and not separated by commas or the word and.
She is an attractive older French woman.
His expressive large brown eyes moved me.
Cumulative adjectives usually follow a specific order of placement before a noun. Use this list as a guide, but keep in mind that the order can vary.
Articles or determiners
a, an, the, some, this, these, his, my, two, several
Evaluative adjectives
beautiful, wonderful, hardworking, distasteful
Size or dimension
big, small, huge, obese, petite, six-foot
Length or shape
long, short, round, square, oblong, oval
Age
old, young, new, fresh, ancient
Color
red, pink, aquamarine, orange
Nation or place of origin
American, Japanese, European, Bostonian, Floridian
Religion
Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish
Matter or substance
wood, gold, cotton, plastic, pine, metal
Noun used as an adjective
car (as in car mechanic), computer (as in computer software)
13dForm comparatives and superlatives of most adjectives and adverbs with -er and -est or more and most.
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Comparatives and superlatives are forms that describe one thing in relation to another. Put most adjectives into comparative form (for two things) by adding -er and into superlative form (for three or more) by adding -est.
The budget deficit is larger than the trade deficit.
This year’s trade deficit is the largest ever.
We usually form the comparative and superlative of potentially cumbersome long adjectives with more and most rather than with -er and -est.
For short adverbs that do not end in -ly, usually add -er and -est. With all others, use more and most.
The trade deficit grows fastest and most uncontrollably when exports fall.
Do not use more or most in addition to adding -er or -est to the adjective or adverb.
Eric thought Hitchcock’s Rear Window was more scarier than Psycho. [To say more scarier is redundant; deleting more corrects the sentence.]
No matter how wonderful something is, we can call it the best only when we compare it with more than one other thing. Any comparison between two things uses the comparative form, not the superlative.
13eUse the correct comparative and superlative forms of irregular adjectives and adverbs.
Use irregular adjectives and adverbs (such as bad and badly) with care.
For negative comparisons, use less and least for adjectives and adverbs.
Michael’s speech was less dramatic than Louie’s.
Paulette spoke the least dramatically of all.
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Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs at a Glance
| ADJECTIVES | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| little | less, littler | least, littlest |
| many, some, much | more | most |
| ADVERBS | COMPARATIVE | SUPERLATIVE |
| well | better | best |
| badly | worse | worst |
| little | less | least |
13fOmit most with an adjective or adverb that is already superlative.
Some words, such as top, favorite, and unique, mark whatever they modify as one of a kind. They need no further assistance to make their point.
Lisa has a most unique background.
EXERCISE 13-1 Using Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly
Find and correct any incorrect use of adjectives and adverbs in the following sentences. Some sentences may be correct. Example:
The field unit carried out their orders exact.
Marin felt badly that her mother could not make it to the ceremony.
After living in both the city and the suburbs, Aaron decided he liked the city best.
The orphaned dogs appear sadly in the animal shelter’s cages.
Nico enjoys watching all sports, but his most favorite is basketball.
Drones are unpiloted air vehicles that are often remotely controlled by someone on the ground.
Opal is one of the rarest gemstones.
People sometimes behave strange when they are in a new environment and they are concerned for their safety.
The library is a more quieter place to study than the coffee shop.
That was the worse dinner I have ever had in my entire life.