Adjectives and Adverbs
Mini-lesson #5
------------------------------------Use of adjectives and adverbs with
linking and sense verbs
From the UWF Writing Lab’s
101 Grammar Mini-Lessons Series
Adjectives and Adverbs with
Linking Verbs
• Definition of a linking verb
A linking verb is a verb that
links or connects a subject
and its complement.
Example:
He is lucky (adjective
complement). The verbs
most often used as linking
verbs are forms of be (is, am,
are, was, were, been, being)
and verbs associated with
our five senses (look, sound,
smell, feel, taste).
Adjectives and Adverbs
• What to do with linking
verbs
– When the word after the verb
describes the subject and
can be substituted for is, are,
was, or were without altering
the meaning, then the verb is
linking and the word following
the linking verb should be an
adjective.
Example:
Ms. Morse looked [was] very
sympathetic as she listened to my
troubles.
Adjectives and Adverbs
• When the word is intended to
describe how the person
responds, not how the person
is or was, then use an adverb,
not an adjective.
Ms. Morse looked very sympathetically
at me as she listened to my troubles.
Examples
She doesn’t feel (good/well) about her
promotion.
She doesn’t feel good about her promotion.
The suspect looked (suspicious,
suspiciously). One of the jurors looked
(suspicious, suspiciously) at him.
The suspect looked [was] suspicious. One of the
jurors looked suspiciously at him.
More Examples
We need to act (quick/quickly).
We need to act quickly.
We need to act as if we are (quick/quickly).
We need to act as if we are quick.
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