STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION SKILL 46: USE BASIC ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS CORRECTLY

LONGMAN COMPLETE COURSE FOR THE TOEFL TEST

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

SKILL 46: USE BASIC ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS CORRECTLY

Sometimes in written expression questions on the TOEFL test, adjectives are used in place of adverbs, or adverbs are used in place of adjectives. Adjectives and adverbs have very different uses. Adjectives have only one job: they describe nouns or pronouns.

In the first example, the adjective beautiful describes the noun woman. In the second example, the adjectives beautiful describes the pronoun she.

 Adverbs do three different things. They describe verbs, adjectives, or other verbs.

In the first example, the adverb beautifully describes the verb sings. In the second example, the adverb beautifully describes the adjective dressed (which describes the noun woman). In the third example, the adverb truly describes the adverb beautifully, which describes the adjective dressed (which describes the noun woman)

The following are examples of incorrect sentences as they might appear on the TOEFL test.

They were seated at a largely* table.	The adverb largely is incorrect because the adjective large is needed to describe the noun table.
The child talked quick* to her mother	The adjective quick is incorrect because the adverb quickly is needed to describe the verb talked.
We read an extreme* long story	The adjective extreme is incorrect because the adverb extremely is needed to describe the adjective long

The following chart outlines the important information that you should remember about the basic use of adjectives and adverbs:

 

EXERCISE 46: Each of the following sentences contains at least one adjective or adverb. Circle the adjectives and adverbs, and label them. Draw arrows to the words they describe. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

……………	3	He was driving an expensively sports car.
……………	4	There is a special program on television this evening.
……………	5	She was chosen for the leading part because she sings so well.
……………	6	The car was not complete ready at 3:00.
……………	7	It was difficult to believe that what we read in the newspaper was a truly story.
……………	8	Points will be subtracted for each incorrect answered question.
……………	9	The production manager quietly requested a completely report of their terribly incident.
……………	10	The children finished their homework quickly so that they could watch television.

ANSWER KEY

1	I	(pleasant should be pleasantly)
2	C
3	I	(expensively should be expensive)
4	C
5	C
6	I	(complete should be completely)
7	I	(truly should be true)
8	I	(incorrect should be incorrectly)
9	I	(completely should be complete, terribly should be terrible)
10	C