 | > Other English exercises on the same topics: Adjectives | Adverbs [Change theme] |
| > Similar tests: - Adverbs of frequency - Comparative of superiority - Order of adjectives - Adjectives and prepositions - Superlative + and adjective - Adjectives-ing and ed - Adjectives and adverbs - Adverbs of frequency | |
| > Double-click on words you don't understand |
Adjective/adverb - English lesson
Dear friends of the English language!
This lesson explains adjectives and adverbs: what they are, how to use them, and the main differences between them.
I) What are adjectives?
➡️ Adjectives describe nouns.
They tell us what a person, animal, place or thing is like.
Example:
The flower is beautiful.
→ beautiful describes the noun flower.
➡️ In English, adjectives usually come before the noun.
Example:
a beautiful flower
an old house
a happy child
➡️ After the verb to be, we use an adjective.
Examples:
The sky is blue.
The water is cold.
My brother is tired.
➡️ After some verbs of perception or sensation, we also use an adjective.
These verbs include:
look
seem
feel
smell
taste
sound
Examples:
The soup tastes good.
The air smells fresh.
The music sounds wonderful.
She looks happy.
➡️ English adjectives never change their form.
They are the same in the singular and the plural.
Examples:
one big tree
two big trees
a happy girl
happy children
➡️ Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
far farther / further farthest / furthest
Examples:
This book is better than that one.
She is the best student in the class.
➡️ Special cases
Some words are both adjectives and adverbs. Their form does not change.
These include:
fast
hard
late
early
Examples:
He is fast. (adjective)
He runs fast. (adverb)
She is early. (adjective)
She arrives early. (adverb)
II) What are adverbs?
➡️ Adverbs describe:
a verb;
an adjective;
another adverb.
➡️ Adverbs tell us:
how something happens;
when it happens;
where it happens;
how often it happens.
Examples:
He runs quickly.
She sings beautifully.
They often play outside.
➡️ Most English adverbs end in -ly.
Examples:
slowly
quietly
happily
carefully
beautifully
clearly
➡️ Many adverbs describe the way an action happens.
Examples:
She speaks clearly.
He works quickly.
They listened carefully.
➡️ Adverbs never change their form.
They do not have singular or plural forms, and they do not change according to gender.
Exceptions and special cases
➡️ Some adverbs do not end in -ly.
These include:
fast
hard
late
Examples:
He runs fast.
She works hard.
They arrive late.
⚠️ Be careful!
hard and hardly have completely different meanings.
hard = with a lot of effort
hardly = almost not
Examples:
He works hard.
(He makes a lot of effort.)
He hardly works.
(He does almost no work.)
These two words are not interchangeable.
III) Adjective or adverb?
Use an adjective after to be and after verbs like look, seem, feel, smell, taste and sound.
Examples:
She is happy.
The cake tastes delicious.
The flowers smell wonderful.
Use an adverb to describe how someone does an action.
Examples:
She sings beautifully.
He drives carefully.
They answered quickly.
Remember!
- Adjectives describe nouns.
- Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
- Most adverbs end in -ly.
- Some words (fast, hard, late, early) can be both adjectives and adverbs.
- Be careful with hard and hardly: they have very different meanings.
Beginners
Twitter ShareEnglish exercise "Adjective/adverb" created by mariofrank with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from mariofrank]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test
Please log in to save your progress.End of the free exercise to learn English: Adjective/adverb
A free English exercise to learn English.
Other English exercises on the same topics : Adjectives | Adverbs | All our lessons and exercises
