MODIFIERS
ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS
FOR QUIZ #1, Part 2 of 5
Directions: Choose the correct modifier.
Note whether it is an ADVERB (ADV)
or an ADJECTIVE (ADJ).
What is an ADVERB?
It ADDS to a VERB.
He ran SLOWLY.
The dog waddled WIDELY.
The cat called LOUDLY.
The man sang BADLY.
An ADVERB tells you MORE about the
VERB. It ADDS to the VERB.
So… what is an ADJECTIVE?
It ADDS to a NOUN!
(It doesn’t add to the VERB, it adds to the other
one, the NOUN.)
The FAT man ran.
The THIN woman walked.
The UGLY dog growled.
The BALD cat called loudly.
An ADJECTIVE tells you MORE about a NOUN. It
ADDS to the NOUN.
1. Laura is the (taller, tallest) of
the two sisters.
1. Laura is the (taller, tallest) of
the two sisters.
Tallest is an ADJECTIVE (ADJ) – it
describes NOUNS/the SISTERS.
2. That is the (most fast, fastest)
car on the road.
2. That is the (most fast, fastest)
car on the road.
ADJECTIVE/ADJ – As it describes
the NOUN, the CAR
3. Spring is the (most beautiful,
beautifulest) time of year.
3. Spring is the (most beautiful,
beautifulest) time of year.
ADJ
4. After waking up, the kitten
became (playful, playfully).
4. After waking up, the kitten
became (playful, playfully).
ADV/ADVERB – It ADDS to the
VERB – became…
5. My uncle has not lived his life
(happy, happily).
5. My uncle has not lived his life
(happy, happily). ADV
6. Finding a job was the (most
good, best) solution.
6. Finding a job was the (most
good, best) solution. ADJ
7. The house was decorated
(attractive, attractively).
7. The house was decorated
(attractive, attractively).
ADV – it ADDS to the VERB –
decorated…
8. I thought the book was written
(well, good).
8. I thought the book was written
(well, good). ADV – ADDS to
the VERB, WRITTEN…
9. The program is the (shorter
shortest) of all the programs.
9. The program is the (shorter
shortest) of all the programs.
HINT: The key here is “of all” –
it is the SHORTEST of all… And it
is an ADJ as it ADDS to the NOUN
10. The guard hardly has (nothing
anything) to do.
10. The guard hardly has (nothing
anything) to do.
HINT: Oh no, it’s a trick. This is a
NOUN, not an ADJ or an ADV. It
is ALSO a DOUBLE NEGATIVE…
10. The guard hardly has (nothing
anything) to do.
… a DOUBLE NEGATIVE is a negative
no, like “I ain’t got no candy.” Horrid
grammar aside, if you AIN’T got NO,
you DO have SOME…
11. The dog wanted outside (bad
badly).
11. The dog wanted outside (bad
badly). ADV
BIG HINT: Many ADVERBS end in
“-ly”… SADLY, BADLY, FIRMLY,
HOPEFULLY, etc… Not a RULE,
but it is a hint…
12. The doctor said my overall
condition is (well, good).
12. The doctor said my overall
condition is (well, good).
ADJ
Hint – WELL adds to VERBS – is an
ADV. GOOD adds to NOUNS – is an
ADJ. Feel WELL. GOOD clothes…
13. It doesn’t take a lot of money
to dress (good, well).
13. It doesn’t take a lot of money
to dress (good, well). ADV
14. She gave the supervisor her
(most firm, firmest) handshake.
14. She gave the supervisor her
(most firm, firmest) handshake.
ADJ
15. He drives a (late model,
late-model) car.
15. He drives a (late model,
late-model) car. ADJ
HINT: Not a MODEL car, but a LATEMODEL car – so you use the hyphen.
Same with red-eye gravy. It’s not EYE
gravy, but RED-EYE gravy…
MODIFIERS Cont…
As you’ve studied in your text, a
modifier can be a group of words
that MODIFIES a word. WHERE
you place those words can MESS
UP your sentence… Try these:
In the next 5 questions, if the
modifier is placed correctly, mark
C. If it is misplaced or vague,
rewrite the sentence…
16. I saw a dollar walking down
the street.
16. I saw a dollar walking down
the street. – DID YOU? A
dollar walking down the
street? Rewrite it so that YOU
are “walking down the street.”
CORRECT ANSWER:
16. Walking down the street, I
saw a dollar.
NOW the modifier “walking down
the street” changes/modifies “I”
and not the “dollar.”
17. Unlike other dogs, Chris loves
his spaniel.
UNLESS Chris is a dog, it should be
written like this:
17. Chris loves his spaniel,
unlike other dogs.
18. While driving the car, the
baby fell asleep.
UNLESS the baby is driving the car,
try this – or some version where
YOU are driving the car…
18. While I was driving the car,
the baby fell asleep.
19. Tim noticed the woman who
was riding the bus.
It’s OK, but a bit vague – is the
woman riding the bus? If so, it’s
OK. If Tim’s riding the bus, you
need a rewrite…
19. Tim, who was riding the bus,
noticed the woman.
20. You should only write the
outline for the report.
This is OK, as long as the outline is
all you have to write for the
report. If there is more than one
project, however, we do have a
problem… Another problem is if
only YOU should write the
outline for the report. Generally,
OK, though!