Thinking critically about adjectives and adverbs

THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Reading with an eye for adjectives and adverbs

[Gwendolyn Brooks] describes the “graceful life” as one where people glide over floors in softly glowing rooms, smile correctly over trays of silver, cinnamon, and cream, and retire in quiet elegance.

—MARY HELEN WASHINGTON, “Taming All That Anger Down”

Identify the adjectives and adverbs in the preceding passage, and comment on what they add to the writing. What would be lost if they were removed?

Question

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[Gwendolyn Brooks] describes the “graceful life” as one where people glide over floors in softly glowing rooms, smile correctly over trays of silver, cinnamon, and cream, and retire in quiet elegance. —MARY HELEN WASHINGTON, “Taming All That Anger Down” Identify the adjectives and adverbs in the preceding passage, and comment on what they add to the writing. What would be lost if they were removed?

Thinking about your own use of adjectives and adverbs

Take a few minutes to study something you can observe or examine closely. In a paragraph or two, describe your subject for someone who has never seen it. Using the guidelines in this chapter, check your use of adjectives and adverbs, and revise your paragraphs. How would you characterize your use of adjectives and adverbs?

Question

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Thinking about your own use of adjectives and adverbs Take a few minutes to study something you can observe or examine closely. In a paragraph or two, describe your subject for someone who has never seen it. Using the guidelines in this chapter, check your use of adjectives and adverbs, and revise your paragraphs. How would you characterize your use of adjectives and adverbs?