Adjectives v. Adverbs

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Quick Tip:
Adjectives describe nouns, like a blue car or a large​ pizza.

Longer ​​​Explanation:

• They usually tell you...
  • Which one?
    the first goal
  • What kind?
    an amazing day
  • How many? 
    only three times
• They can be... 
  • before a noun
    My English teacher is the best!
  • after a form of BE (is, am, are, was, were, be, being & been)
    I didn't know she was younger than I am.
  • after a linking verb
    The new coach seems cool.​

Quick Tip:
​Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.  
​They often end with -ly, but not always.

Longer ​​​Explanation:

• They usually tell you...
  • How?
    She types quickly.
  • When?
    He arrived early in the morning.
  • Where?
    I think I left my phone downstairs.
  • To what degree (how much)?
    We've been extremely busy.  (describing the adjective "busy")
    She types really quickly.  (describing the adverb "quickly")
• Other notes:
  • ​Some adverbs don't end with -ly:
    She types fast.
  • Sometimes the -ly form is a completely different word:
    hard ≠ hardly​​

Be careful: A lot of people use an adjective when they should use an adverb.

• Wrong: I eat really slow.  
  It should be "slowly" because "eat" is something you DO.
• Wrong: Hold on a second.  Just let me brush my hair real quick.
  It should be "quickly" because "brush" is something you DO.
  It should be "really" because it tells HOW quickly you're going to do it.
• If it's an adverb, you can usually move it around in the sentence.
  (Adverb) She ran quickly.  She quickly ran.
  (Adjective) That's a nice truck.  Wrong: That's a truck nice.