Where the adjectives and adverbs are compared by inflection they are said to be compared regularly. In regular comparison the comparative is formed by adding er, and the superlative by adding est. If the word ends in y, the y is changed to i before adding the ending; as, pretty, prettier, prettiest.

Where the adjectives and adverbs have two or more syllables, most of them are compared by the use of the adverbs more and most, or, if the comparison be a descending one, by the use of less and least; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful, and less beautiful, least beautiful.

37. Some adjectives and adverbs are compared by changing to entirely different words in the comparative and superlative. Note the following:

POSITIVECOMPARATIVESUPERLATIVE
bad, ill, evil, badlyworseworst
farfarther, furtherfarthest, furthest
forthfurtherfurthest
foreformerforemost, first
good, wellbetterbest
hindhinderhindmost
latelater, latterlatest, last
littlelessleast
much, manymoremost
oldolder, elderoldest, eldest

Note.—Badly and forth may be used only as adverbs. Well is usually an adverb; as, He talks well, but may be used as an adjective; as, He seems well.

38. Confusion of Adjectives and Adverbs. An adjective is often used where an adverb is required, and vice versa. The sentence, She talks foolish, is wrong, because here the word to be modified is talks, and since talks is a verb, the adverb foolishly should be used. The sentence, She looks charmingly, means, as it stands, that her manner of looking at a thing is charming. What is intended to be said is that she appears as if she was a charming woman. To convey that meaning, the adjective, charming, should have been used, and the sentence should read, She looks charming. Wherever the word modifies a verb or an adjective or another adverb, an adverb should be used, and wherever the word, whatever its location in the sentence, modifies a noun or pronoun, an adjective should be used.

39. The adjective and the adverb are sometimes alike in form. Thus, both the following sentences are correct: He works hard (adverb), and His work is hard (adjective). But, usually, where the adjective and the adverb correspond at all, the adverb has the additional ending ly; as, The track is smooth, (adjective), and The train runs smoothly, (adverb).

Exercise 18

In the following sentences choose from the italicized words the proper word to be used:

  1. The sunset looks beautiful beautifully.
  2. The man acted strange strangely.
  3. Write careful carefully and speak distinct distinctly.
  4. Speak slow slowly.
  5. He acted bad badly.
  6. He behaved very proper properly.
  7. The boat runs smooth smoothly.
  8. He is a remarkable remarkably poor writer.
  9. I am in extremely extreme good health.
  10. The typewriter works good well.
  11. The bird warbles sweet sweetly.
  12. He was terrible terribly angry.
  13. He was in a terrible terribly dangerous place.
  14. He talks plainer more plainly than he ever did before.
  15. The dead Roman looked fierce fiercely.
  16. The fire burns brilliant brilliantly.
  17. You are exceeding exceedingly generous.
  18. He struggled manful manfully against the opposition.
  19. My health is poor poorly.
  20. He is sure surely a fine fellow.
  21. Have everything suitable suitably decorated.
  22. That can be done easy easily.
  23. I can speak easier more easily than I can write.
  24. The music of the orchestra was decided decidedly poor.
  25. She is a remarkable remarkably beautiful girl.
  26. The wind roared awful awfully.
  27. The roar of the wind was awful awfully.
  28. I have studied grammar previous previously to this year.
  29. I didn't study because I felt too bad badly to read.
  30. The roses smell sweetly sweet.
  31. They felt very bad badly at being beaten.
  32. That violin sounds different differently from this one.
  33. The soldiers fought gallant gallantly.
  34. She looks sweet sweetly in that dress.
  35. I can wear this coat easy easily.
  36. Speak gentle gently to him.
  37. He talks warm warmly on that subject.
  38. He works well good and steady steadily.
  39. He stood thoughtful thoughtfully for a moment and then went quiet quietly to his tent.
  40. He walked down the street slow slowly, but all the time looked eager eagerly about him.
  41. The music sounds loud loudly.
  42. That coin rings true truly.
  43. He looked angry angrily at his class.
  44. He moved silent silently about in the crowd.
  45. His coat fits nice nicely.
  46. That is easy easily to do.
  47. He went over the work very thorough thoroughly.