Using Adjectives

Using Adjectives

and Adverbs

and Adverbs

Correctly

Correctly

What are adjectives?

What are adjectives?



Adjectives modify nouns or

Adjectives modify nouns or

pronouns

pronouns



These words are

These words are

all

all

adjectives

adjectives



A

A

hot

hot

day

day



A

A

happy

happy

camper

camper



A

A

silly

silly

twit

twit



A

A

big

big

,

,

smelly

smelly

mess (both “big” and “smelly”

mess (both “big” and “smelly”

modify “mess”)

modify “mess”)



She is

She is

creative

creative

(“creative” is a subject

(“creative” is a subject

complement that follows the linking verb

complement that follows the linking verb

“is”)

“is”)



A

A

boring

boring

course (present participle used as

course (present participle used as

an adjective

an adjective

Demonstrative

• this
• that
• these
• those

Answers These
Questions

• What kind?
• Which ones?
• How many?
• How much?

Articles

• a
• an
• the

Adjective

– a word that

describes a noun or
pronoun.

Adjectives are

modifiers

.

They change, or modify,
the meaning of nouns or
pronouns.

Draw the umbrella & take notes:

So what are adverbs?

So what are adverbs?



Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and

other adverbs

other adverbs



Many adverbs end with

Many adverbs end with

ly

ly



Many adverbs answer the question

Many adverbs answer the question

“How?”

“How?”



These are adverbs

These are adverbs



Eating

Eating

quickly

quickly

(

(

modifying a verb)

modifying a verb)



Trying

Trying

very

very

hard

hard

(

(

modifying an adverb)

modifying an adverb)



A

A

really

really

big show

big show

(

(

modifying an adjective)

modifying an adjective)

Draw the umbrella &
take notes:

Answers These Questions

• Where?
• When?
• In what way?

• To what extent?

 when modifying

adj. and other adv.

Adverb

– a word that modifies

a verb, adjective, or another
adverb.

Adverbs are

modifiers

. They

change, or modify, the
meaning of another word.

CLUE!

Most

end

with

ly

Recognizing Adjectives &

Recognizing Adjectives &

Adverbs

Adverbs



Many words have both an adjective and adverb form

Many words have both an adjective and adverb form

Adjective

Adjective

Adverb

Adverb

Happy

Happy

kids

kids

Playing

Playing

happily

happily

Smooth

Smooth

jazz

jazz

Running

Running

smoothly

smoothly

Good

Good

night

night

Eating

Eating

Well

Well

Efficient

Efficient

workers

workers

Working

Working

efficiently

efficiently

Casual

Casual

dress

dress

Dressing

Dressing

casually

casually

Quick

Quick

meeting

meeting

Talking

Talking

quickly

quickly

Hopeful

Hopeful

children

children

Waiting

Waiting

hopefully

hopefully

Real

Real

butter

butter

Really

Really

hot

hot

Comparatives and

Comparatives and

Superlatives

Superlatives



Most adverbs and adjectives also have a

Most adverbs and adjectives also have a

comparative

comparative

and

and

superlative

superlative

form

form

Simple

Simple

Comparative

Comparative

Superlative

Superlative

Hot

Hot

Hotter

Hotter

Hottest

Hottest

Good

Good

Better

Better

Best

Best

Exciting

Exciting

More exciting

More exciting

Most exciting

Most exciting

Careful

Careful

Less careful

Less careful

Least careful

Least careful



Use the comparative form to compare two

Use the comparative form to compare two

things

things



Sally is the larg

Sally is the larg

er

er

of the twins. (not largest)

of the twins. (not largest)



Use the superlative form to compare three

Use the superlative form to compare three

or more

or more



August was the hott

August was the hott

est

est

month of the year.

month of the year.

Double Comparatives

Double Comparatives



Don’t use “more” or “most” with –er

Don’t use “more” or “most” with –er

or –est

or –est



Yesterday was

Yesterday was

more

more

hott

hott

er

er

than today.

than today.



That was the

That was the

most

most

dirti

dirti

est

est

story I ever

story I ever

heard.

heard.



You are the

You are the

bestest

bestest

teacher.

teacher.

Absolute Concepts

Absolute Concepts



Don’t use comparatives or superlatives with absolute concepts

Don’t use comparatives or superlatives with absolute concepts



Absolutes have only two possibilities, on or off, yes or no, with

Absolutes have only two possibilities, on or off, yes or no, with

nothing in between

nothing in between



The most perfect student in the class

The most perfect student in the class



A very unique idea (say “very unusual” instead)

A very unique idea (say “very unusual” instead)



These words express absolute concepts that cannot be

These words express absolute concepts that cannot be

modified

modified

More priceless

More priceless

Sort of dead

Sort of dead

Quite on

Quite on

A little bit confident

A little bit confident

Very unanimous

Very unanimous

Extremely perfect

Extremely perfect

Quite unique

Quite unique

Completely anonymous

Completely anonymous

Don’t use adjectives when

Don’t use adjectives when

adverbs are needed

adverbs are needed



You did a

You did a

real

real

nice job.

nice job.



(an adjective can’t modify another adjective)

(an adjective can’t modify another adjective)



You did a real

You did a real

ly

ly

nice job.

nice job.



(the adverb “really” modifies “nice”)

(the adverb “really” modifies “nice”)



He did

He did

good.

good.



He did

He did

well.

well.

or

or

He did a

He did a

good

good

job.

job.



Fuel injection helps the car run

Fuel injection helps the car run

efficient.

efficient.



Fuel injection helps the car run efficient

Fuel injection helps the car run efficient

ly.

ly.



Come

Come

quick

quick

!

!



Come quick

Come quick

ly

ly

!

!



Hopefully

Hopefully

, it won’t rain.

, it won’t rain.



(an adverb explains

(an adverb explains

how

how

something will happen

something will happen



I

I

hope

hope

that it won’t rain.

that it won’t rain.

Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjectives



Two or more adjectives often appear

Two or more adjectives often appear

together separated with commas

together separated with commas



Brad’s shiny, brown toupe flapped in the

Brad’s shiny, brown toupe flapped in the

wind.

wind.

•

The words “shiny” and “brown” each work

The words “shiny” and “brown” each work

separately to modify “toupe”

separately to modify “toupe”

•

Connect the words with a hyphen when they

Connect the words with a hyphen when they

function together

function together

before

before

a noun

a noun



Brad’s gold-plated fillings stood out against

Brad’s gold-plated fillings stood out against

his bright-red sunburn.

his bright-red sunburn.

•

“

“

Gold-plated” and “bright-red” are compound

Gold-plated” and “bright-red” are compound

adjectives

adjectives

Compound Adjectives

Compound Adjectives

Brad was

Brad was

well known

well known

along the boardwalk. (no

along the boardwalk. (no

hyphen)

hyphen)

His SUV was

His SUV was

fully

fully

equipped.

equipped.

Brad worked

Brad worked

full time

full time

on

on

his tan.

his tan.

Brad was a

Brad was a

well-known

well-known

jerk.

jerk.

(hyphenated)

(hyphenated)

He drove a

He drove a

fully-equipped

fully-equipped

SUV.

SUV.

Brad was a

Brad was a

full-time

full-time

chick

chick

magnet.

magnet.



Do not hyphenate the words when

Do not hyphenate the words when

they come

they come

after

after

the noun they

the noun they

modify

modify



Notice the difference in these

Notice the difference in these

examples

examples

Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced Modifiers



Put adjectives and adverbs close to

Put adjectives and adverbs close to

the words they modify

the words they modify



Notice how the meaning is affected

Notice how the meaning is affected

by the improper placement

by the improper placement



An

An

old

old

pile of clothes is on the floor.

pile of clothes is on the floor.



A pile of

A pile of

old

old

clothes is on the floor.

clothes is on the floor.



I

I

almost

almost

believe you are finished.

believe you are finished.



I believe you are

I believe you are

almost

almost

finished.

finished.



The winners will

The winners will

only

only

be contacted.

be contacted.



Only

Only

the winners will be contacted.

the winners will be contacted.



I can’t

I can’t

quite

quite

do this as well as Fred.

do this as well as Fred.



I can’t do this

I can’t do this

quite

quite

as well as Fred.

as well as Fred.