288. Sometimes the same word may be used either as an adjective or as an adverb, and you may have some difficulty in telling whether it is an adjective or an adverb. Some of these words are: better, little, late, far, hard, further, first, last, long, short, much, more and high. For example:
- The late news verifies our statement.
- The man came late to his work.
In the first sentence, the word late is used as an adjective modifying the noun news. In the second sentence, the word late is used as an adverb to modify the verb came.
289. You can always distinguish between adjectives and adverbs by this rule: Adjectives modify only nouns and pronouns, and the one essential characteristic of the adverb, as a limiting word, is that it is always joined to some other part of speech than a noun. An adverb may modify a verb, adjective or other adverb, but never a noun or pronoun.
You recall the rule which we have made the very foundation of our study: namely, that every word is classified in the sentence according to the work which it does in that sentence. So a word is an adjective when it limits or modifies or qualifies a noun or pronoun; a word is an adverb when it qualifies any part of speech other than a noun or pronoun, either a verb or an adjective or an adverb, or even an entire sentence, as is the case with adverbs of mode.
290. Many adverbs are regularly made from nouns and adjectives by prefixes and suffixes. Adverbs are made from adjectives chiefly by adding the suffix ly, or by changing ble to bly. For example: honestly, rarely, dearly, ably, nobly, feebly. But all words that end in ly are not adverbs. Some adjectives end in ly also, as, kingly, courtly, etc. The only way we can determine to which class a word belongs is by its use in the sentence.
Exercise 5
In the following sentences, tell whether the words printed in italics are used as adjectives or as adverbs: also note the words ending in ly. Some are adverbs and some adjectives.
- The boy was very little.
- It was a little early to arrive.
- It was a hard lesson.
- She works hard every day.
- I read the first book.
- I read the book first then gave it to him.
- He went to a high mountain.
- The eagle flew high in the air.
- We saw clearly the lovely picture.
- He is a wonderfully jolly man.
- His courtly manner failed when he saw his homely bride.
- He speaks slowly and clearly.
- They are very cleanly in their habits.