Use Adverbs, Not Adjectives, to Modify Verbs

rogersgeorge on October 18th, 2021

Here’s the comic. Panel 1:

https://www.gocomics.com/frazz/2013/07/26

Using adjectives to modify verbs is common, so I didn’t notice this until a commenter pointed it out. She should have said “…heal more slowly.” After all, she teaches English.

Um, same mistake in panel 3.

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Well and Good

rogersgeorge on May 12th, 2021

I don’t recall mentioning this grade-school point of grammar before. The difference between “well” and “good.”

  • Well—an adverb. Goes with verbs. Well done!
  • Good—an adjective. Goes with nouns. Good lesson!
  • Yes, both words can be nouns, but that’s a lesson for another day.

Okay, class, here’s a test. Did he get it correct or not? Last panel.

Simpler or Simplest?

rogersgeorge on November 28th, 2020

I could have named this post “Positive or Comparative?” and I’ve mentioned this in the past. Do a search in the upper right corner to see earlier posts.

The rule has to do with putting “-er” or “-est” at the end of an adjective. The rule is below the quote.

An author of the new Venus study told me that she’s come to the uneasy conclusion that Occam’s razor — the principle that given two conclusions the simplest one is usually correct — points to phosphine being created by life, not unknown geochemistry on Venus.

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-space-ba9f4735-4119-4364-9582-3b8ea45bb8dc.html

The writer is Miriam Kramer, and I don’t know who the editor was, but here’s a picture of the scientist holding a model of phosphine:

Okay, the rule:

  • When you compare two things, use the comparative; -er
  • When you compare three or more things, use the superlative; -est
  • When you’re not comparing but just describing, don’t put anything on the adjective.

Usually I See this Mistake using “Only”

rogersgeorge on October 18th, 2020

This time we have a misplaced “Almost.”

Almost constructed entirely of repurposed and recycled scrap materials, Elis set out to create a welcoming villa suitable for parties and guests from his artistic circles. 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/villa-mehu

Look up “only” in the search box for my pontifications on the subject of where adjectives go—directly before what they modify, not at the beginning of the clause.

As written, the sentence says that the villa wasn’t quite constructed. I’m pretty sure the intent was to refer to the amount of repurposed and scrap materials.

Don’t you do that!

The article has several other pictures.

Hmm. I Don’t Think a Noun Form Exists for this One

rogersgeorge on October 12th, 2020

Here’s the comic:

https://www.gocomics.com/agnes/2020/07/26

“Addled” is an adjective. For that matter, you can’t go up to the front of the room and addle, either, so I don’t see a verb form, either.

What do you think?