The difference between adjectives and adverbs in English is often difficult for Germans to understand. We give you an overview.
Test your knowledge of adverbs in English with this exercise:
Using adverbs
Adjectives: usage
1) Adjectives describe a noun or pronoun closer. The adjective stands directly in front of the noun to which it refers or it stands for a form of to be .
Examples:
The new car.
The car is new.
Adjectives in English can be used both attributively ( the new car ) and predicatively ( the car is new ).
2) To compare states, persons or things, one uses the forms of increase ( comparative and superlative ).
Summary: Adjectives
1) Adjectives stand directly before nouns (attributive)
or after a form of to
be (predicative)
2) For comparison use comparative and superlative
adjectives
Adverbs: education and use
1) Adverbs describe a verb, and an adjective in more detail.
Example:
He learns quickly.
2) Attention: Unlike German, adjectives and adverbs have different forms in English. The adverbs usually end in -ly .
Here are some examples:
| adjective | adverb |
| Angry | angrily |
| Happy | happily |
| Quick | Quickly |
| terrible | terribly |
| Nice | nicely |
Summary: Adverbs
1) Adverbs describe verbs closer
2) Adverbs are made with -ly
Adjectives and adverbs: Special features
1) If adjectives describe persons, they can also be used as nouns. For example , the title of a well-known western with Clint Eastwood is “The good, the bad and the ugly”.
2) Some adjectives, for
example friendly ,
end in -ly. There are no adverbs for these
adjectives, so you have to help with a description:
Example: Clint
always behaves in a friendly way.
3) There are some verbs that do
not have an adverb but, exceptionally, an adjective. These verbs are: look, feel, sound, smell and taste .
Examples:
She feels lucky.
Tom looks good.
The wine tastes delicious.
That sounds nice.
Dinner smells great!
4) Some adverbs have special forms. This includes:
| adjective | adverb |
| Good | well |
| Nearly | nearly |
| Hard | hardly |
Attention: The word hardly exists, but it hardly means.
5) Some pitfalls also lurk in
meaning differences between adjectives and adverbs.
For example:
They taste good. (They taste good.)
They taste well . (They taste
good.) / They have a good sense of taste.)
John smells bad. (John stinks.)
John smells badly. (John can not smell good.)
6) And another special feature: in some cases, adverbs can also describe adjectives in more detail.
Example:
I’m a content person.
Generally here is adverb and describes the adjective content closer. Summary: Special features
1) Adjectives can also be used as nouns
2) adjectives ending in -ly , there are no adverbs
3) with look, feel, sound, smell and taste are adjectives
4) there are irregularly formed adverbs, eg well , fast and hard
5) Some verbs can be combined with adjectives and adverbs, but have different meanings
6) Adverbs can also describe adjectives in more
