Adverbs, comparative and superlative forms, telling adjectives and adverbs apart, and double negatives
Adjectives are words that modify, or describe, nouns and pronouns. Adverbs are another type of modifier. They modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Thomas Jefferson entertained grandly at the White House. In the example above, the adverb grandly describes the action verb entertained.
How • grandly, royally, quickly • rarely, later, immediately, often, usually When Where • downstairs, below, here
1. Thomas Jefferson lived happily in the White House. 2. Jefferson quickly sought the aid of another architect. 3. Fire nearly destroyed the mansion during the War of 1812. 4. Theodore Roosevelt had it rebuilt completely. 5. Franklin Roosevelt further expanded it.
Adverbs are often used to modify adjectives and other adverbs. Most often they tell how. Harry Truman used extremely direct language. He became a very popular president. In the first sentence, the adverb extremely modifies the adjective direct. The adverb tells how direct Truman’s language was. In the second sentence the adverb very modifies the adjective popular. The adverb tells how popular Truman was. Truman entered politics unusually late in life. He moved through the political ranks quite quickly. In the first sentence above, the adverb unusually modifies the adverb late. Unusually tells how late Truman entered politics. In the second sentence, the adverb quite describes the adverb quickly. Quite tells how quickly Truman moved through the ranks.
Truman’s career as vice president was unusually brief. adjective Very important events took place during Truman's term. adjective World War II finally ended. verb He found music particularly soothing. adjective Truman regularly spent his evenings at home. verb
It can be hard to tell whether a word in a sentence is an adjective or an adverb. Martha Washington was happy at Mount Vernon. Martha Washington lived happily at Mount Vernon. In the first sentence, happy is an adjective. It follows the verb was and modifies the subject. In the second sentence, happily is an adverb. It modifies the action verb lived. Distinguishing Adjectives From Adverbs The sound is The actor sang badly. The band sounds good. played well.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Martha Washington lived (courageous, courageously). She managed the position of first lady (good, well). She supported her husband (active, actively). President Washington must have felt (good, well) about his wife’s support. (Sure, Surely) he was appreciative.
The comparative form of an adverb compares two actions or things. The superlative form of an adverb compares more than two actions or things.
For most adverbs of only one syllable, add –er to make the comparative form and –est to make the superlative form. Comparative • Ronald Reagan served longer as president than Jimmy Carter. Superlative • Franklin Roosevelt served longest of any president.
For adverbs that end in –ly or that have more than one syllable, use the word more to form the comparative and most to form the superlative. Comparative • Our class studied Roosevelt more thoroughly than Reagan. Superlative • We studied Abraham Lincoln most thoroughly of all.
Of all Theodore Roosevelt’s nieces, Eleanor Roosevelt came (close, closest) to the presidency. 2. Many liked Mrs. Roosevelt (better, best) than they had liked any of the previous first ladies. 3. Mrs. Roosevelt worked (more actively, most actively) for human rights than for any other cause. 1. She fought (harder, hardest) of all for minorities. 2. She appeared at human-rights rallies (more frequently, most frequently) than her husband. 1.
The adverb not is a negative word, expressing the idea of “no” in a sentence. The word not often appears in its shortened form, the contraction –n’t. CONTRACTIONS WITH NOT • is not=isn’t • was not=wasn’t • were not=weren’t • will not=won’t • cannot=can’t • could not=couldn’t • do not=don’t • did not-didn’t • have not-haven’t • had not=hadn’t • would not=wouldn’t • should not=shouldn’t
People sometimes mistakenly use two negatives together, as in the sentence Lincoln hadn’t never gone to college. Avoid using a double negative such as this. You need only one negative to express a negative idea. You can correct a double negative by removing one of the negative words or by replacing it with an affirmative word, as in the following sentences. Lincoln had never gone to college. Lincoln had not ever gone to college.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Lincoln didn’t (never, ever) have a speech writer. Nothing (didn’t make, made) him bitter during the war. Lincoln wasn’t dishonest with (no one, anyone). The president didn’t (never, ever) become discouraged. A strong leader, Lincoln wasn’t afraid of (nobody, anyone).
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