Adjective vs Adverb

Adjectives and adverbs are both describing words, but they describe different things. Adjectives describe nouns (people, animals, things), while adverbs describe verbs (actions).

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will learn:

• The difference between adjectives and adverbs
• How to tell whether a word is describing a noun or a verb
• That some words like "fast" and "hard" can be both an adjective and an adverb

When to Use

1. Describing a person or thing (adjective): "The boy is fast." (Fast describes the boy.)
2. Describing an action (adverb): "The boy runs fast." (Fast describes how he runs.)
3. Describing how something looks or feels (adjective): "The food smells good." (Good describes the food.)
4. Describing how something is done (adverb): "She writes neatly." (Neatly describes how she writes.)

How to Form

The Key Question

To decide if you need an adjective or an adverb, ask yourself:

Making Adverbs from Adjectives

Most adverbs are made by adding -ly to the adjective:

Words That Stay the Same

Some words do not change. They look the same as an adjective and as an adverb:

Key Rules

1. Adjectives describe nouns: If the word tells you more about a person, animal, or thing, it is an adjective. "The tall boy kicked the ball."

2. Adverbs describe verbs: If the word tells you how an action is done, it is an adverb. "He kicked the ball hard."

3. After "is/am/are/was/were", use an adjective: These are linking verbs. The describing word goes back to the noun. "She is happy." (Not "She is happily.")

4. After action verbs, use an adverb: When someone does something, use an adverb to say how. "She sang beautifully." (Not "She sang beautiful.")

5. Do not add -ly to words that stay the same: "Fast", "hard", "early", and "late" do not need -ly. "He runs fast." (Not "He runs fastly.")

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Signals that you need an adjective

is, am, are, was, were, looks, feels, seems, smells, tastes, sounds

These are linking verbs. The describing word after them tells us about the noun.

Signals that you need an adverb

runs, walks, sings, writes, speaks, eats, plays, works, reads

These are action verbs. The describing word after them tells us how the action is done.

Tip: Ask "How?" after the verb. If the answer makes sense, you need an adverb. "She sings ___." How does she sing? Beautifully. That is an adverb!

Practice Tips

1. The "How?" test: After an action verb, ask "How?" to find the adverb. "He spoke ___." How did he speak? Softly. Use the adverb "softly".

2. The linking verb check: If the verb is "is", "am", "are", "was", "were", or a sense verb (looks, feels, tastes, smells, sounds), use an adjective. "The cake smells good."

3. The -ly shortcut: Most adverbs end in -ly. If you are describing how something is done, try adding -ly to the adjective. But remember the exceptions: fast, hard, early, late.

4. Swap test: Try putting the word before a noun. If it sounds right, it is an adjective. "A careful girl" works, so "careful" is the adjective. "A carefully girl" does not work, so "carefully" is the adverb.

Quick Reference

Common Adjective-Adverb Pairs