Adjectives & Adverbs
The Brenham Writing Room
Created by D. Herring
Adjective vs. Adverb
 An adjective describes or modifies a noun or a
pronoun.


Adds info about what kind, which one, or how many
Describes how things look, smell, feel, taste, sound
 An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective,
or another adverb.

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Adds info about how, how much, when, where, or to
what extent.
Often ends in –ly.
Which one do I use?
 It is critical to identify which word is being
modified in order to determine whether to use
an adjective or an adverb as the modifier.
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I: She runs slow.
C: She runs slowly.
I: He is real tall.
C: He is really tall.
Adj. & Adv. With Same Form
 Some adjectives and adverbs have the same
form.

early, far, fast, hard, high, late, often, past,
right, soon
 The only way to distinguish them is to identify
what they modify.

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Adj: The fast car drove around the curve.
Adv: The car drove fast around the curve.
Comparative Form
 When comparing two nouns, use the
comparative form of an adjective or adverb.

If adjective or adverb is one syllable, add –er
to form the comparative.

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I am taller than my mother.
She is smarter than me.
Use this same pattern for adjectives that end in
–y, but change the –y to –i before adding –er.


She is happier than he is.
That show is funnier than the other one.
Comparative Form cont.

If adjective or adverb is more than one syllable,
add the word more to form the comparative.

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I am more impressed with your skills than he is.
She is even more beautiful than she used to be.
Follow the guideline and use –er or more, but
never use both!
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I am more taller than my mother.
That show is more funnier than the other one.
She is so much more happier than she used to be.
Superlative Form
 When comparing three or more nouns, use
the superlative form of an adjective or adverb.

If adjective or adverb is one syllable, add –est
to form the superlative.

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I am the tallest person in my family .
She is the smartest person in the class.
Use this same pattern for adjectives that end
in –y, but change the –y to –i before adding –
est.


She is the happiest person I’ve ever met.
That show is the funniest sitcom on TV.
Superlative Form cont.

If adjective or adverb is more than one
syllable, add the word most to form the
superlative.

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He is the most selfish person in our company.
She is the most beautiful actress on television.
Follow the guideline and use –est or most, but
never use both!
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He is the most luckiest person I know.
That is the most funniest show I have ever seen!
She is the most happiest person I have ever met!
Fewer vs. Less
 In the comparative form
 Use less to compare non-count nouns (nouns
that cannot be divided).
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They play less music and more commercials on
the radio than ever before.
I have less money in my bank account than my
sister has in hers.
Use fewer to compare count nouns.
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There are fewer students in our class than when
the semester began.
I have fewer pennies in my jar than my brother
has in his.
Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
 Four common adjectives & adverbs have irregular
forms: good, well, bad, badly.
 Good vs. Well
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Good is an adjective, so use it to describe a noun or
pronoun.
 She has a good job.
Well is an adverb, so use it to describe a verb or an
adjective.
 She writes well.
(Well can also be used as an adjective when it is
describing someone’s health.)
 I am not well today. (adjective)
 She does not feel well. (adverb)
Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
 Bad vs. Badly

Bad is an adjective, so use it to describe a
noun or pronoun.

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She has a bad reputation.
Badly is an adverb, so use it to describe a
verb or an adjective.

He behaved badly in school today.
Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
 Comparative and Superlative forms of the
irregular adjectives and adverbs are also
irregular.

Good & Well have the same comparative &
superlative forms:

Better (comparative)
 I have a better car than she does. (adjective)
 I feel better today than I did yesterday. (adverb)

Best (superlative)
 He is the best teacher at Blinn. (adjective)
 I write best when I’m not under pressure. (adverb)
Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs

Bad & Badly have the same comparative &
superlative forms:

Worse (comparative)
 She has a worse cold than I do. (adjective)
 She feels worse than I do. (adverb)

Worst (superlative)
 He had the worst grade in the class. (adjective)
 She feels the worst she has ever felt. (adverb)