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Sometimes, the use of a certain adverb requires the inversion of the subject and the verb. Incorrect: He has been slow recovering from his knee injury.Ĭorrect: He has been slowly recovering from his knee injury. Slowly also appears in sentences with auxiliary verbs where slow cannot be used. It can replace slow anywhere it is used as an adverb. In the first example, slow is an adverb and in the second one, it is an adjective.Ĭorrect: The traffic is moving slow. Slow can be used as an adjective and as an adverb. Incorrect: Students took a really midterm last week.Ĭorrect: Students took a real midterm last week. Real is an adjective, and can be used to modify nouns or noun phrases. Incorrect: Students did real well on the midterm.Ĭorrect: Students did really well on the midterm. Really is an adverb, and it modifies other adverbs, verbs, or adjectives. Incorrect: My friend plays the piano good.Ĭorrect: My friend plays the piano well. Well, when used as an adjective, implies "in good health." When used as an adverb, well means "expertly."Ĭorrect: My grandmother looks well even now in her eighties. Incorrect: It felt well to score an A on the final.Ĭorrect: It felt good to score an A on the final. It is also often used with linking verbs. Incorrect: The players were moving easy around the field.Ĭorrect: The players were moving easily around the field. It is also used with linking verbs.Įasily is an adverb, and it is used to modify verbs. Easy or EasilyĮasy is an adjective used to modify nouns and pronouns. Incorrect: She tried to be brave and take the bad news calm.Ĭorrect: She tried to be brave and take the bad news calmly. Incorrect: She appeared calmly after the accident.Ĭorrect: She appeared calm after the accident. Calm or CalmlyĬalm is an adjective, and it is used to modify nouns and pronouns. Incorrect: Sometimes Hollywood romance ends bad.Ĭorrect: Sometimes Hollywood romance ends badly. Incorrect: I feel badly that he is not taking part in the game.Ĭorrect: I feel bad that he is not taking part in the game.īadly is an adverb used to modify action verbs. Bad or Badlyīad is an adjective used with linking verbs such as feel, seem, be, look, etc. Sometimes an adverb is confused with an adjective similar in meaning.
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