Adjective vs. Adverb
An adjective is a word used to modify a noun. An adverb is a word used to modify a verb. Note that adverbs can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.
- The team did not play (verb) well (adverb) last season. (NOT … did not play good last season.)
- We have not picked nearly (adverb) enough (adjective) yet. (NOT … near enough yet.)
(Enough is an adjective. To modify an adjective we use an adverb, not an adjective.) - We had a really (adverb) excellent (adjective) time at the party. (NOT … real excellent time.)
(Excellent is an adjective. To modify an adjective, we use an adverb. ) - Alice won (verb) her race easily (adverb). (NOT … won her race easy.)
Adjective vs. Adverb Worksheet
Fill in the blanks with an adjective or adverb whichever is appropriate.
- Radha sings really ………………………….. (well / good)
- You ate ………………………… anything. (hard / hardly)
- She works really …………………………. (hard / hardly)
- The constable ran …………………………… but he could not catch the thief. (fast / fastly)
- She recognized him ……………………………… (instant / instantly)
- I have been watching a lot of movies of ………………………….. (late / lately)
- She is ………………………….. waiting to hear from her brother. (eager / eagerly)
- The mother was …………………….. (anxious / anxiously)
- The mother ………………………. waited to hear from her child. (anxious / anxiously)
- It was a …………………….. afternoon. (pleasant / pleasantly)
- I was ……………………. surprised to find him there. (pleasant / pleasantly)
- That is a ………………….. hack. (clever / cleverly)
- How ……………………. she sings! (beautiful / beautifully)
- She was ……………………. cool. (remarkable / remarkably)
- The weather is …………………….. (terrible / terribly)
- She was ………………………. shocked. (terrible / terribly
Answers
- Radha sings really well. (Here the adverb well modifies the verb sings.)
- You ate hardly anything. (Hardly means scarcely; hard can be an adjective or an adverb.)
- She works really hard.
- The constable ran fast but he could not catch the thief. (Fast can be an adjective or an adverb.)
- She recognized him instantly.
- I have been watching a lot of movies of late.
- She is eagerly waiting to hear from her brother. (Here the adverb eagerly modifies the verb is waiting.)
- The mother was anxious. (Here the adjective anxious complements the subject)
- The mother anxiously waited to hear from her child.
- It was a pleasant afternoon.
- I was pleasantly surprised to find him there.
- That is a clever hack.
- How beautifully she sings!
- She was remarkably cool.
- The weather is terrible.
- She was terribly shocked.