What are adjectives?

y Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns y These words are all adjectives

y A hot day y A happy camper y A silly twit y A big, bloody mess (both big and bloody modify

mess ) y She is creative ( creative is a subject complement that follows the linking verb is ) y A boring course (present participle used as an adjective

So what are adverbs?

y Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs y Many adverbs end with ly y Many adverbs answer the question How? y These are adverbs y Eating quickly (modifying a verb) y Trying very hard (modifying an adverb) y A really big show (modifying an adjective)

Recognizing Adjectives & Adverbs

y Many words have both an adjective and adverb form

Adjective
Happy kids Smooth rock Good night Efficient workers Casual dress Quick meeting hopeful children Real butter

Adverb
Playing happily Running smoothly Eating Well Working efficiently Dressing casually Talking quickly Waiting hopefully Really hot

Comparatives and Superlatives

y Most adverbs and adjectives also have a comparative and superlative form

Simple
Hot Good Exciting Careful

Comparative
Hotter Better More exciting Less careful

Superlative
Hottest Best Most exciting Least careful

Use the comparative form to compare two things

 Sally is the larger of the twins (not largest)

Use the superlative form to compare three or more

 August was the hottest month of the year

Double Comparatives than today Yesterday was more hotter

y y y

y Don t use more or most with er or est

That was the most dirtiest story I ever heard You are the bestest teacher

Absolute Concepts
y Don t use comparatives or superlatives with absolute concepts y Absolutes have only two possibilities, on or off, yes or no, with nothing in between
y y

The most perfect student in the class A very unique idea (say very unusual instead)

y These words express absolute concepts that cannot be modified

More priceless Quite on Very unanimous Quite unique

Sort of dead A little bit pregnant Extremely perfect Completely anonymous

Don t use adjectives when adverbs are y You did a real nice job needed (an adjective can t modify another adjective)
y

y You did a really nice job y (the adverb really modifies nice ) y He did good y He did well
y

or y He did a good job

Fuel injection helps the car run efficient
y Fuel injection helps the car run efficiently y Come quick! y Come quickly! y Hopefully, it won t rain y (an adverb explains how something will happen y I hope that it won t rain

Don Really, very, absolutely, extremely, quite, actually, somewhat, t use needless adverbs
rather I am really happy to see you Grammar is very boring You are absolutely correct Her language was extremely crude You are quite intelligent

y Before using any of these words, check to see if they add anything to the sentence

y Context will help you decide whether to retain the underlined words y Keep them only if they add to the meaning
Bill Gates is very rich. I hope he gives me some money. y Most college instructors are poor; their students are very poor.
y

y Note: the terms good success and real good success have been reserved for sports broadcasters; do not use them

Compound Adjectives
y Two or more adjectives often appear together

separated with commas

y Brad s tiny, tight swimsuit showed off his hairy belly

The words tiny and tight each work separately to modify swimsuit

y Connect the words with a hyphen when they function

together before a noun

y Brad s gold-plated piercings stood out against his

bright-red sunburn
Gold-plated and bright-red are compound adjectives

Do not hyphenate the words when they Compound Adjectives come after the noun they modify Notice the difference in these examples

Brad was well known along the boardwalk (no hyphen) His SUV was fully equipped Brad worked full time on his tan

Brad was a well-known jerk (hyphenated) He drove a fully-equipped SUV Brad was a full-time chick magnet

Misplaced Modifiers
y Put adjectives and adverbs close to the words they modify y Notice how the meaning is affected by the improper placement
y

An old pile of clothes is on the floor

y A pile of old clothes is on the floor y I almost believe you are finished y I believe you are almost finished
y

The winners will only be contacted

y Only the winners will be contacted y I can t quite do this as well as Fred y I can t do this quite as well as Fred