“ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB USAGE”

CORRECT USAGE
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EPHRAIM P. MANALO
DISCUSSANT

(GROUP 3)
 ADJECTIVE USAGE

A B C D

Adjectives Uses of Degrees of Coordinate

modify nouns or Adjectives Comparison Adjectives
pronouns

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 They can also describe the
quantity of nouns:
• Adjectives are used to modify
nouns or pronouns.
Examples:
What are adjectives?
• many
• They answer the questions:
• few
what kind, how many and
• millions
which one.
• eleven

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 A. Adjectives that modify
nouns or pronouns

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 Margot wore a beautiful hat to the pie-eating contest.

Furry dogs may overheat in the summertime.

1. Adjectives that modify
nouns My cake should have sixteen candles.

The scariest villain of all time is Darth Vader.

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 Margot wore a beautiful hat to the pie-eating contest.
In the example sentences, the
Furry dogs may overheat in the summertime.
adjectives are easy to spot
1. Adjectives that modify
because they come nouns My cake should have sixteen candles.
immediately before the nouns
The scariest villain of all time is Darth Vader.
they modify.

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 2. Adjectives that modify
pronouns

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 • Adjectives can do more than
just modify nouns.

The man is happy.

• They also act as a
complement to linking It smells gross in the locker room.
a. complement to linking
verbs or verb to be. verbs
Driving is faster than walking.

• Examples of linking verbs are

to feel, to seem, and
to taste, they describes a state
of being or a sensory
experience.

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 • Adjectives tell the reader how
much-or how many of
something you are talking Please use the three white flowers
about, or which kind of B. Uses of Adjectives in the arrangement.

something.

• Three and white are modifying

flowers.

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• When adjectives are used
together, you should often
separate them with comma or
conjunction.
I’m looking for a small, good-tempered dog
to keep as a pet.
B. Uses of Adjectives
My new dog is small and good-tempered.

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 Adjectives come in
three forms:
1. absolute
C. Degrees of Comparison
2. comparative
3. superlative

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 A cool guy

A messy desk

Absolute adjectives describe 1. Absolute adjectives. A mischievous cat

something in its own right.

Annoying squirrels

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 • Comparative adjectives
make a comparison
between two or more
things. A cooler guy

• For most one-syllable

adjectives, the comparative A messier desk
is formed by adding the
suffix-er (or just –r if the 2. comparative adjectives
The more mischievous cat
adjective already ends with
an e).
The more annoying squirrels
• For two-syllable adjectives
ending in –y, replace with –
ier.

• For multi-syllable
adjectives, add the word
more.

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 • Superlative adjectives indicate
that something has the highest
degree of the quality in
question.

• One-syllable adjectives The coolest guy

become superlatives by
adding the suffix –est (or just – The messiest desk
st for adjectives that already
end in e). 3. Superlative adjectives
The most mischievous cat
• Two syllable adjectives add
the word most. When you use The most annoying squirrels
an article with a superlative
adjective, it will almost always
use be definite article (the)
rather than a or an.

• Using a superlative inherently

indicates you are talking about
a specific item or items.

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• Coordinate adjectives should
be separated by a comma or This is going to be a long, cold winter
the word and.
D. Coordinate Adjectives
Isobel’s dedicated and tireless
• Adjectives are said to be
efforts made all the difference.
coordinate if they modify the
same noun in a sentence.

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 The fact that two adjectives
appear next to each other doesn’t
automatically means they
coordinate.
My cat, loves sleeping on this
tattered woolen sweater.
Sometimes, an adjective and a
noun form a single semantic unit, a. Adjectives which are not
coordinate No one could open the old silver locket.
which is then modified by another
adjective.

In this case, the adjectives are

not coordinate and should not be
separated by comma.

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 Adverb Usage
1 2 3 4

Adverbs Adverbs Adverbs Adverbs

modify modify modify modify
verbs adjectives adverbs sentences

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 • An adverb is a word that
modifies/describes a verb, an Tom Smith did not run badly.
adjective, another adverb or
even a whole sentence. Tom is very tall.

What is an adverb? The race finished too quickly

• They answer the question
how, when, where and to what Fortunately, Lucy recorded Tom’s win.
extent the action of the verb
took place.

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 Phillip sings loudly in the shower.
• Adverbs often modify verbs.

My cat waits impatiently for his food.

• They often end in –ly. A. Adverbs modify verbs
I will seriously consider your suggestion

• This means that they describe

the manner of action.

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 • The adverbs in each of the
example sentences answer
the question in what manner?
Phillip sings loudly in the shower.

• How does Philip sing? Loudly. My cat waits impatiently for his food.
A. Adverbs modify verbs

• How does my cat wait? I will seriously consider your suggestion

Impatiently.

• How will I consider your

suggestion? Seriously.

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 • Adverbs can answer other Phillip sings loudly in the shower.
types of questions about how
My cat waits impatiently for his food.
an action was performed.
A. Adverbs modify verbs
I will seriously consider your suggestion
• They can also tell you when
and where.

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 • There is a one type of verb
that doesn’t mix well with
adverbs.

• Linking verbs such feel,

Correct
smell, sound, seem and
appear, typically need 1. Linking Verbs I feel bad about what happened.

adjectives, not adverbs.

Example of an incorrect usage of

adverb, with a linking verb:

• I feel badly about what

happened

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• Adverbs can also modify
adjectives.
The woman is quite pretty.

• Often the purpose of the This book is more interesting than the last one.
B. Adverbs modify
adverb is to add a degree of adjectives
The weather report is almost always right.
intensity to the adjective.

• The adverb almost is

modifying the adverb always,
and they’re both modifying
right.

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 “Is my singing too loud?” asked Phillip.

My cat is incredibly happy to have his dinner.

B. Adverbs modify
adjectives We will be slightly late this morning.

This bridesmaid dress is a very unflattering

shade of puce.

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• We can also use an adverb to
describe another adverb.

• In fact, if you wanted to, you

could use several. C. Adverbs modify other Phillip sings rather enormously too loudly.
adverbs
• The problem is that it often
produces weak and clunky
sentences like the example
sentence, so be careful not to
overdo it.

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 • Some adverbs can modify
entire sentences-
unsurprisingly, these are
called sentence adverbs.

• Common ones include Fortunately, we got there in time.

generally, fortunately, Interestingly, no one at the
D. Adverbs modify
auction seemed interested
interestingly, and accordingly. sentences
in bidding on the antique spoon collection.

• They do not describe one

particular thing in the
sentence–instead, they
describe a general feeling
about all of the information in
the sentence

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 • At one time, the use of the
word hopefully as a sentence
adverb was condemned.

• People continued to use it Fortunately, we got there in time.

though, and many style guides Interestingly, no one at the
D. Adverbs modify
auction seemed interested
and dictionaries now accept it. sentences
in bidding on the antique spoon collection.

• There are still plenty of

readers out there who hate it
though, so it’s a good idea to
avoid using it in formal writing.

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 • Like adjectives, adverbs can
show degrees of comparison,
although it’s slightly less
common to use them this way.

• With certain “flat adverbs” E. Degrees of Comparison

(adverbs that look exactly the

same as their adjective
counterparts), the comparative
and superlative forms look the
same as adjective
comparative and superlative
forms

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 • It’s usually better to use
stronger adverbs (or stronger
adjectives and verbs) rather
than relying on comparative He smiled warmly.
E. Degrees of Comparison
and superlative adverbs.
A hastily written note

• An absolute adjective
describes something in its own
right:

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 He smiled more warmly than others..
• To make the comparative form
of an adverb that ends in –ly, E. Degrees of Comparison The more hastily written note contained the clue.

add the word more.

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• To make the superlative form
of an adverb that ends in –ly,
add the word most.
He smiled most warmly of them all..
The most hastily written note
E. Degrees of Comparison
on the desk was overlooked..

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 • Place adverbs as close as
possible to the words they are
supposed to modify.

• Putting the adverb in the

wrong spot can produce an
awkward sentence at best and F. Placement of adverbs

completely change the

meaning at worst.

• Be especially careful about the

word only, which is one of the
most common often misplaced
modifiers.

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 Phillip only fed the cat.
• Consider the difference F. Placement of adverbs Phillip fed only the cat.
between these two sentences.

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 • The first sentence means that
all Phillip was feed the cat.

• He didn’t pet the cat or pick it Phillip only fed the cat.
up or anything else.
F. Placement of adverbs Phillip fed only the cat.

• The second sentence means

that Phillip fed the cat, but he
didn’t feed the dog, the bird, or
anyone else who might have
been around.

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 Correct

We are quickly approaching the deadline.

• When an adverb is modifying a
verb phrase, the most natural Philip has always loved singing.
F. Placement of adverbs
place for the adverb is usually
I will happily assist you.
the middle of the phrase.

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 Reference
 undefined [Xandra Bonaobra]. (2020, July 10). Difference Between
Adjective and Adverb. YouTube. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NNc17TEXQ8&list=WL&index=1
 undefined [American English]. (2016, May 11). Adjectives and Adverbs.
YouTube. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=w6KzAj7CZXQ

 Adjective Usage and Examples. (2022, September 16). Grammarly;

Grammarly Inc. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/adjective/
Thank you for
listening.