ADVERBS
(form=comparison)
________________ ________________ |
A) * DEFINITION: · unlike the other POS, adverbs modify 3 parts of speech · which 3 can be found in the name: o ad- for ADJECTIVES o verb- for VERBS o adverb- for ADVERBS
B) LOCATION: o can be located practically anywhere in the sentence o however, it is good practice to keep the modifier and modified as close as possible to avoid any confusion o do NOT place adverbs in the middle of INFINITIVES (“to boldly go” is incorrect)
o where, when, how o how often, to what extent
· usually end in (-ly) · however, NOT all adverbs end in (-ly), such as the following: o not, very, o tomorrow, today, yesterday, o here, there, o well, once, o seldom, never
· as their names indicate, these adverbs intensify or limit the words they modify · they are adverbs that enhance adjectives and adverbs · they appear before the word they modify · in terms of effective academic writing, however, you should avoid most of these and choose more colorful, descriptive words · otherwise, you might sound like that fifth-grade boy writing his first Valentine: “I really, really, really like you, very, very, very much.” · also, beware using the negative limiters with other negative pronouns such as nobody, no one, none—these would form DOUBLE NEGATIVES (as in mathematics, Double negatives make 2 negatives = 1 positive, effectively changing the meaning of your sentence) o DOUBLE NEGATIVE: § Hardly no one studied for the grammar test. § When the teacher asked if anyone had questions concerning the material, no one said nothing. o REWRITE: § Hardly anyone studied for the grammar test. § When the teacher asked if anyone had questions concerning the material, no one said nothing.
F) *TROUBLESOME PAIRS: · well-well: o “well” is typically an ADVERB, o yet when it describes someone’s health, it is an ADJECTIVE: o Schmidt played well in yesterday’s game. o My son Jefferson did not feel well yesterday. · real-really: o Yes, little piggy, that house is made of real straw. (“real” modifies the noun “straw”) o Franklin runs really fast for a turtle. (“really” modifies the verb “runs”) · less-fewer: o (less): adjective; a smaller, uncountable amount (measured by amount, not number) o Use less salt the next time you make spaghetti sauce. (“less trouble/time”) o (fewer): adjective; a smaller, countable amount (“fewer trees”) o Drew Brees threw fewer interceptions in 2004 than he did the previous year. · farther-further: o (farther): refers to a greater distance, measurable o Due to changes in ballpark dimensions, ball composition, strike zone size, and training regiments, baseball players today can hit the ball farther than those of the previous generations. o (further): meaning to a greater extent, a longer time, a greater number (“furthest thing from my mind”) o You have been caught plagiarizing your essay and have consequently failed the course; I will not discuss the matter any further.
· place modifiers as close to the words that they describe as possible · EXCEPTION: modifiers (adjectives) that come after LINKING VERBS The school bus used to transport the soccer team was blue. · misplaced modifying phrases or clauses (relative clauses or subordinate clauses) can cause confusion, so … o place them either before or after the noun modified; o place the modifying phrase/clause at the START of the sentence; or o to follow the noun, transform the clause into a RELATIVE CLAUSE (“that is” “which was”) · adjectival phrase: Proud of her achievement, Gloria displayed her “A” paper for all to see. · adjectival clause: The instructor who uses profanity in her lectures was fired. · SIMPLE SOLUTION: if you have an INTRODUCTORY phrase or clause, make sure that the noun that follows the COMMA is the word modified (see “Gloria” above) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A) ADVERBS and ADVERBIAL CLAUSES: (SUBORDINATING CLAUSES) · Krystina snatched the water bottle desperately held by the team’s trainer. o “desperately” snatched or held? o so place the adverb either immediately before or after the verb it modifies: o “desperately snatched”* or “snatched desperately” · After eating a bucket of “3-alarm” chicken wings, the bathroom echoed with Wang’s screams of pain. (the bathroom did not eat the wings) · After eating a bucket of “3-alarm” chicken wings, Wang screamed in pain in the bathroom. · Get it? Groucho Marx: “The other day I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I’ll never know.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B) SPLIT INFINITIVES: o infinitives = “to + verb” o in Latin, infinitives = one word o so we cannot place an adverb between the preposition and the base form of the verb Star Trek’s “…to boldly go where no man has gone before” is therefore incorrect
|