Adjectives, adverbs and comparison

English (Précis and Composition) · Grammar · Prepositions, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs. The idea in plain words, the rules to remember, the mistake to avoid and a worked example, written and checked by Mega Lecture.

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The idea

An adjective describes a noun. An adverb describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb. To choose between them, ask which word is being described. After a linking verb such as be, seem, look, taste or smell, the word describes the subject, so an adjective is needed.

A few pairs cause most of the errors. Good is an adjective and well is its adverb. Hard and late are both adjective and adverb, while hardly and lately have quite different meanings.

In comparison, count the things compared: two take the comparative, three or more the superlative. Then check that the two things compared are of the same kind.

Rules to remember

Adjective + noun (a careful driver); verb + adverb (drives carefully).
After linking verbs (be, seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound, become) use an adjective: The milk smells sour.
good (adjective) / well (adverb); hard, fast, late are both; hardly = almost not; lately = recently.
Two things: comparative + than (taller, more useful). Three or more: the + superlative (the tallest, the most useful). Never both forms together: not 'more better'.
Compare like with like, using 'that of' or 'those of'; use 'any other' when a thing is compared with the rest of its own group.
elder and eldest are for members of a family and never take 'than': my elder sister; she is older than I am.
Order before a noun: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material (a fine old Kashmiri shawl).

Common mistake

Writing 'He works hardly' for 'He works hard'. 'hardly' means 'almost not', so the sentence then says that he does almost no work.

Worked example

Fill both gaps with 'beautiful' or 'beautifully': The music sounded , and the choir sang .

'sounded' is a linking verb here; the word after it describes the music, a noun, so an adjective is needed.
'sang' is an action verb; the word after it tells how the choir sang, so an adverb is needed.
Check: 'The music sounded beautiful, and the choir sang beautifully.'

Answer: beautiful; beautifully

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