1. Adjective and Adverbs – Common Errors
Writing Lab
Adjective and Adverbs – Common Errors

2. Adjectives Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.
Adjective Test: The _____ thing is very _____.
Correct: The quiet thing is very quiet.
Incorrect: The quietly thing is very quietly.
Adjectives answer the following questions:
“Which one?”
“What kind?”
“How many?”

3. Adverbs Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Adverbs generally end in –ly.
Adverbs answer the following questions:
“Where?”
“When?”
“How?”
“How often or how long?”
“How much?”

4. Commonly confused adjective/adverb pairs
Since many adverbs are formed by adding an –ly suffix to an existing adjective, people often confuse adjective/adverb pairs such as real and really or sure and surely.
To determine which word you need, replace the commonly confused adjective with a synonym that does not have a corresponding confusing option.

5. Real and really Real is an adjective meaning “genuine”:
The admiral has real charm.
Really is an adverb meaning “very”:
He is really charismatic.
Note: in academic writing, avoid really and very as many professors see these words as informal.
The use of real as an adverb is colloquial and nonstandard:
He writes really (NOT real) well.

6. Sure and surely Sure is an adjective meaning “certain”:
Are you sure (certain)?
Yes, I’m sure (certain) about the date.
Surely is an adverb meaning “certainly”:
You surely (certainly) do look good.
This Bundu mask surely (certainly) is expensive.

7. That’s all, folks!
This lesson is part of the UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini-Lesson Series
Lessons adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon
To find out more, visit the Writing Lab’s website where you can take a self-scoring quiz corresponding to this lesson