Adjective or Adverb?
There is often a doubt in the mind of the speaker whether to use the adjective or the adverb, and too frequently he reaches a wrong decision. When the limiting word expresses a quality or state of the subject or of the object of a verb, the adjective must be employed; but if the manner of the action is to be expressed, the adverb must be used. The verbs be, seem, look, taste, smell, and feel furnish many stumbling-blocks.
“This rose smells sweetly.” As the property or quality of the rose is here referred to, and not the manner of smelling, the adjective sweet should be employed, and not the adverb sweetly.
“Thomas feels quite badly about it.” Here, again, it is the condition of Thomas’s mind, and not the manner of feeling, that is to be expressed; hence, badly should be bad or uncomfortable.
“Didn’t she look beautifully upon the occasion of her wedding?” No; she looked beautiful.
“The sun shines brightly.” Bright is the better word.
“The child looks cold,” refers to the condition of the child. “The lady looked coldly upon her suitor,” refers to the manner of looking.
“The boy feels warm” is correct. “The boy feels warmly the rebuke of his teacher” is equally correct.
While license is granted to the poets to use the adjective for the adverb, as in the line
“They fall successive and successive rise,”