UWF WRITING LAB
RULES OF THUMB
FOR ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB USE
From Real Good Grammar,Too
by Mamie Webb Hixon
Created by April Turner
Revised by Mamie Webb Hixon
July 1, 2010
1

SPEAKER 1: How are you today?
Which respondent are you?
 SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
 SPEAKER 3: I’m well.
2

SPEAKER 1: How are you today?
Which respondent are you?
 SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
 SPEAKER 3: I’m well.
[By using “good” as a descriptor, is Speaker 2
saying that he or she is “well behaved”?]
3
Other Common Adjective/Adverb Errors in
Spoken and Written English
The Williams sisters play tennis remarkable
well.
 How quick time passes when you’re having
fun!
 The applicants felt very badly about missing
the first phase of the interview.
 These encounters make me feel real
awkward.
 Yes, we sure do serve nonalcoholic
beverages.

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CORRECTIONS
The Williams sisters play tennis remarkably
well.
 How quickly time passes when you’re
having fun!
 The applicants felt very bad about missing
the first phase of the interview.
 These encounters make me feel really
awkward.
 Yes, we surely do serve nonalcoholic
beverages.

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ADJECTIVE USE

Use ADJECTIVES with these verbs:
Be-verbs
MNEMONIC DEVICE FOR Be-Verbs
Mr. Isamarewaswere
is
are
were
being
am
was been
 Sense Verbs
look
feel
taste smell sound
 Linking Verbs
become
remain appear seem

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Some verbs act as both linking verbs and
performers of action.



LINKING USE
The speaker sounds
good.
ACTION USE
The speaker sounds her
vowels distinctly.
He looked sympathetic. He looked sympathetically
at the mourners.
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Some verbs that are not sense verbs
have the meaning of “is” or “are” and,
therefore, require adjectives.

High school and college seem [are] very different.
High school and college students behave differently.

The judge remained [was] silent throughout the trial.
The jurors entered the courtroom silently.
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ADVERB USE


Most adverbs are formed with the addition
of the –ly suffix to an existing adjective:
cautiously
surprisingly
usually
safely
inadvertently
quietly
Use ADVERBS to qualify and modify and
intensify:
You play pinochle well.
You play pinochle remarkably well.
You play pinochle very well.
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ADVERB USE
Your friendship is
generously given
happily accepted
deeply appreciated
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Use of Adjectives and Adverbs
He is strange.
 Be careful.
 The explanation is
clear.
 I am sure.
 The response time
was quick.
 I feel bad.

He behaves strangely.
Drive carefully.
Think clearly.
You surely do look good.
We need to act quickly.
The men are behaving
badly.
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Adjectives and Adverbs
Use adjectives after
sense verbs such as look,
smell, taste, feel, or sound:
The steak tastes very good.
 Use adjectives after
linking verbs (is, am, are, was,
were and other forms of
be):
I am usually very prompt for
meetings.
 Most adverbs end in –ly; use
adverbs after action verbs:
I usually arrive promptly for
meetings.

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The difference between
adjectives and adverbs

ADJECTIVES
bad
careful
clear
courteous
different
quick
strange
sure
ADVERBS
badly
carefully
clearly
courteously
differently
quickly
strangely
surely
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Helpful Tips from
The HBJ Workbook, 1992
I feel bad. =
I feel badly. =

I feel good. =
 I feel well. =
 I feel well. =





[I am sorry.]
[I can’t tell if the
surface is rough or
smooth.]
[I am happy.]
 [My health is fine.]
 [My fingers are
especially sensitive.]
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Bad and Badly

Bad is an adjective: I
feel bad about the
delay.

Badly is an adverb: The
bruise doesn't hurt so
badly now.
15
Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Although I never did
good in spelling bees, I
have always considered
myself a decent speller.

I did really well on “The
25 Most Commonly
Misspelled Words” quiz;
I missed only one word
– “misspell.”
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Good and Well

Good is an adjective: You look
good in blue. You wear it well.

Well is an adverb: He gets
along well with his co-workers.

Well is also an adjective when
it is used to refer to health: I
am not well today.
You look good, and you look
well too.

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Real and Really

Real is an adjective meaning
"genuine"; really is an
adverb: The admiral has real
charm, so he is really
charismatic.

The use of real as an adverb
is colloquial or
nonstandard:
He writes real really well.
My high school teachers were
real really [or very] strict.


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Use “real” preceding nouns;
use “really” preceding adjectives (“very,” however, is a
more formal adverb than “really.”)








real excitement
a real disadvantage
a real friend
a real honor
a real difference
a real crisis
a real surprise
real love

really exciting

really disadvantageous
really friendly
really honorable


really different
 really critical
 really surprising
 really lovable

19
Sure and Surely

Sure is an adjective
meaning “certain.”

I am sure that
congressional
hearings are nothing
more than vapid,
hollow charades.

Surely is an adverb
meaning
“certainly.”
INCORRECT: The city council sure
(certain) is making a number of
decisions this year.
CORRECT: The city council surely
(certainly) is making a number of
decisions this year.
20
Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Tips! We sure do
thank you.

SPEAKER 1: Are
you open Monday?
SPEAKER 2: We
sure are.
21
Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Tips! We sure do
thank you.

SPEAKER 1: Are you
open Monday?
SPEAKER 2: We sure
are. [Both sentences
are incorrect. Since
“surely” would sound
stuffy here, try
“certainly.”]
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Sort of and kind of

Sort of and kind of are
often misused in
written English by
writers who actually
mean rather or
somewhat: Lannie was
kind of rather saddened
by the results of the test.
23
Based on the information in this lesson,
which speaker is correct?

SPEAKER 1: How are you today?
Which respondent are you?
 SPEAKER 2: I’m good.
 SPEAKER 3: I’m well.
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LET’S PRACTICE!!!
Our instructor pronounces his words very (precise,
precisely).
 precisely
 My pen was writing so (bad, badly) that I threw it away.
 badly
 The experts are (somewhat, kind of) undecided about
the wisdom of such a tax.
 somewhat
 The woman looked (different, differently) than she did
the day before.
 different

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LET’S PRACTICE A LITTLE MORE!!!




She looks (different, differently) at the situation now.
 differently
I feel (bad, badly) about missing the concert.
 bad
Make sure that she stirs the cookie batter (good, well).
 well
Ted is a (real, really) good singer.
 really
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