##  [Using adverbs and adjectives](/hypergrammar-2/using-adverbs-and-adjectives)

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[Adverbs](what-is-an-adverb) modify [verbs](what-is-a-verb), [adjectives](what-is-an-adjective#adjective), other adverbs, and sometimes [clauses](building-clauses) and whole [sentences](subject-and-predicate). Adjectives modify [nouns](what-is-a-noun#noun) and [pronouns](what-is-a-pronoun#pronoun). Be careful not to use an adjective where you need an adverb. Consider the following sentences, for instance:

- **\[WRONG\]** Once the interview was over, Sharon walked *slow* out of the room.
- **\[RIGHT\]** Once the interview was over, Sharon walked *slowly* out of the room.

The sentence needs an adverb (*slowly*), not an adjective (*slow*), to modify the verb *walked*.

- **\[WRONG\]** We tried *real* hard to get the muffin mixture perfect.
- **\[RIGHT\]** We tried *really* hard to get the muffin mixture perfect.

The sentence needs an adverb (*really*), not an adjective (*real*), to modify the adjective *hard*. (Note that *really* is a substitute for *very* that should be avoided in formal writing.)

## Using *good*, *bad*, *well* and *badly*

Note the distinctions between the adjectives *good* and *bad* and the adverbs *well* and *badly*:

- The actor’s performance was *good* even though he felt *bad* that night.
- Shelley plays the piano *well* and the drums *badly*.

*Well* is an adjective only when it refers to health or condition:

- Joe protested that he was *well* enough to start playing sports again.

## Using adjectives with linking verbs

In the same vein, remember that adjectives modify nouns and pronouns. Do not use adverbs to modify these [parts of speech](the-parts-of-speech#theparts1).

For example, after a [linking verb](linking-verbs#link) you may be tempted to use an adverb instead of an adjective. However, the linking verb connects its [subject](subject-and-predicate#subject) to a [subject complement](objects-and-complements#scmplmnt), which can be either a noun (renaming the subject) or a [modifier](modifiers#modifiers) (describing the subject). When a subject complement is a modifier, it must be an adjective because it describes the subject (always a noun or pronoun). It does not modify the linking verb itself and should therefore not be an adverb:

- **\[WRONG\]** We felt *badly* about having caused the accident.
- **\[RIGHT\]** We felt *bad* about having caused the accident.

In this example, *felt* is a linking verb rather than an action verb. It therefore requires an adjective because it’s connecting the subject (*we*) to its complement, which describes our emotional state.

## Using conjunctive adverbs

The [conjunctive adverb](what-is-an-adverb#conjadv) often serves as a transition between two [independent clauses](using-clauses-as-nouns-adjectives-and-adverbs#independentclause) in a sentence. Some common conjunctive adverbs are *therefore*, *however*, *moreover*, *nevertheless*, *consequently* and *furthermore*. When using a conjunctive adverb at the beginning of the second independent clause, be sure to precede it with a [semicolon](the-semicolon) and not a [comma](the-comma#comma):

- My colleague usually listens to rock music; however, he also likes John Coltrane and several other jazz musicians.

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© Département d’anglais, Faculté des arts, Université d’Ottawa
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## Liens connexes

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