English, distinguishes between adjectives, which qualify nouns and pronouns, and adverbs, which modify verbs,
adjectives, and other adverbs.
But: English, has words that can function as both. For example, in English fast is an adjective in "a fast car" (where it
qualifies the noun car), but an adverb in "he drove fast" (where it modifies the verb drove).
ADJECTIVES
1. Attributive adjectives are part of the noun phrase. English, attributive adjectives usually precede their nouns in
simple phrases.
"I saw three happy kids"
But:
"I saw three kids happy enough to jump up and down with glee."
2. Predicative adjectives
"they are happy", "that made me happy."
3. Absolute adjectives
"The boy, happy with his lollipop, did not look where he was going."
4. Nominal adjectives
"out with the old, in with the new"
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
In many languages, some adjectives are comparable.
For example, a person may be "polite", but another person may be "more polite", and a third person may be the
"most polite" of the three.
The word "more" here modifies the adjective "polite" to indicate a comparison is being made (a comparative), and
"most" modifies the adjective to indicate an absolute comparison (a superlative).
Many adjectives do not compare. For example, it does not make sense to speak of something that is "more here"
than another, or of something "most here". Such adjectives are called non-comparable.
In English, there are three different means to indicate comparison: most simple adjectives take the suffixes "-er" and
"-est", as
young, younger, (the) youngest
but:
safe, safer, (the) safest
big, bigger, (the) biggest (hot, fit...)
happy, happier, (the) happiest (pretty, tacky, heavy...)
-clever, cleverer, (the) cleverest
a very few adjectives are irregular:
"good", "better", "best",
"bad", "worse", "worst",
"old", "elder", "eldest" (in certain contexts only; the adjective is usually regular)
"far", "farther/further", "farthest/furthest"
"many", "more", "most" (usually regarded as an adverb or determiner)
"little", "less", "least";
all others are compared by means of the words "more" and "most". There is no simple rule to decide which means is
correct for any given adjective, however. The general tendency is for simpler adjectives, and those from Anglo-Saxon
to take the suffixes, while longer adjectives and those from French, Latin, Greek do not—but sometimes sound of the
word is the deciding factor.
ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that changes or qualifies the meaning of a verb, adjective, other adverb, clause, sentence or any
other word or phrase, except that it does not include the adjectives and determiners that directly modify nouns.
Adverbs are traditionally regarded as one of the parts of speech, although the wide variety of the functions
performed by words classed as adverbs means that it is hard to treat them as a single uniform category.
Adverbs typically answer questions such as how?, in what way?, when?, where?, and to what extent?. This
function is called the adverbial function, and is realized not just by single words (i.e., adverbs) but by adverbial
phrases and adverbial clauses.
1. She was walking slowly (Slowly is the adverb.)
2. The kids are skating together. (Here, the adverb together provides information about how the kids are skating.)
Adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
1. You are quite right. (Here, the adverb quite modifies the adjective right.)
2. She spoke very loudly. (Here, the adverb very modifies another adverb – loudly.)
In English, adverbs of manner (answering the question how?) are often formed by adding -ly to adjectives or else use
the same form for both adjectives and adverbs.
Where the meaning permits, adverbs may undergo comparison, taking comparative and superlative forms. In English
this is usually done by adding more and most before the adverb (more slowly, most slowly), although there are a few
adverbs that take inflected forms, such as well, for which better and best are used.
A pronominal adverb is a type of adverb occurring in a number of Germanic languages, formed in replacement of a
preposition and a pronoun by turning the latter into a locative adverb and the former into a prepositional adverb
and joining them in reverse order.
For example:
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•
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For that → therefore
In that → therein
By this → hereby
To this → hereto
In which → wherein
Verbs of physical perception require an adjective :
This tastes awful, but smells very nice.