Adjective and Adverb Study Guide
Adjectives
*An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun.
*An adjective answers the question What kind? Which one? How may? or How much?
*Usually an adjective comes right before the noun or pronoun it modifies. However, an
adjective can follow the word it modifies. It can also follow a linking verb. You should refer to
your study guide for a list of linking verbs.
*Proper adjectives are formed from proper nouns. They are used to modify a noun or a pronoun.
A proper adjective always begins with a capital letter.
*Remember, a word’s part of speech depends on how it is used in a sentence. Some words can
be either nouns or adjectives.
*A word can be a pronoun in one sentence and an adjective in another sentence. If the word
stands alone and takes the place of a noun, it is a pronoun. It is an adjective if it modifies a noun
or a pronoun.
Adverbs
*An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
*Many adverbs end in –ly.
*The list of common adverbs is in a separate document on the study guide link.
Adverbs That Modify Verbs
*To find these adverbs, ask yourself, Where? When? How? or To What Extent? about each verb.
A word that answers one of these questions is an adverb.
*When it modifies a verb, an adverb can usually be placed anywhere in the sentence.
*When there are helping verbs in addition to the main verb, an adverb modifies the entire verb
phrase.
*An adverb sometimes interrupts a verb phrase in a statement or question.
Adverbs That Modify Adjectives and Other Adverbs
*Some adverbs, quite, rather, so, somewhat, and very modify adjectives or other adverbs. Such
an adverb usually comes before the word it modifies.