ESL CONNECT | Adjectives and Adverbs

Explanation: adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns. Adverbs usually describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

1. Adjectives describe nouns

Adjective + noun	Example
a careful driver	She is a careful driver.
an interesting book	This is an interesting book.
a fast car	He has a fast car.

2. Adjectives after linking verbs

Use adjectives after be, seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound.

She is happy.
The exam seems difficult.
This soup tastes good.
You look tired.

3. Adverbs describe actions

Verb + adverb	Example
drive carefully	She drives carefully.
speak quietly	He speaks quietly.
work hard	They work hard.

4. Forming adverbs

Adjective	Adverb
slow	slowly
careful	carefully
happy	happily
gentle	gently
automatic	automatically

5. Irregular adverbs

Adjective	Adverb	Example
good	well	She plays well.
fast	fast	He runs fast.
hard	hard	They work hard.
late	late	She arrived late.

6. Adverbs of frequency

Always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never usually go before the main verb but after be.

Remember:
Adjective + noun: She is a careful driver.
Verb + adverb: She drives carefully.
Linking verb + adjective: This tastes good.
Irregular: good → well, fast → fast, hard → hard.

Adjective or adverb?

1. beautiful in “a beautiful city”

adjective adverb

2. slowly in “He walks slowly”

adjective adverb

3. tired in “You look tired”

adjective adverb

4. carefully in “She writes carefully”

adverb adjective

Adjectives

1. She is a __________ driver.

careful carefully care

2. This is a __________ painting.

beautifully beautiful beauty

3. This soup tastes __________.

well good goodly

4. He sounded __________ on the phone.

angrily angry anger

Write: She / be / a careful driver.

Answer: She is a careful driver.

Adverbs

1. She drives __________.

careful carefully care

2. He finished the exercise __________.

quick quickly quicker

3. Please speak __________.

quiet quietly quietness

4. She sings __________.

beautiful beautifully beauty

Write: He / speak / quietly.

Answer: He speaks quietly.

Irregular adverbs

1. She plays the piano __________.

good well goodly

2. She is a __________ pianist.

good well goodly

3. He runs __________.

fastly fast fastness

4. They work __________ every day.

hardly hard hardful

Choose the correct form

1. Please drive __________. The road is dangerous.

slow slowly slowness

2. She looks __________ today.

happily happy happiness

3. The children played __________.

happy happily happiness

4. Be __________ with that glass.

careful carefully care

5. Read the instructions __________.

careful carefully care

Adverbs of frequency

1. Choose the correct sentence.

I study usually in the evening. I usually study in the evening. Usually I in the evening study.

2. Choose the correct sentence.

She eats never meat. She never eats meat. She eats meat never.

3. Choose the correct sentence with “be”.

We often are late. We are often late. We are late often.

B1 contrast practice

1. I feel __________ about the mistake.

badly bad badness

2. He played __________ in the match.

bad badly badness

3. She speaks English very __________.

good well goodly

4. Her English is very __________.

good well goodly

5. He studied __________ for the exam.

hard hardly hardful

Correct: She drives careful.

Answer: She drives carefully.

Correct: This pizza tastes well.

Answer: This pizza tastes good.

Mixed practice

1. He shouted __________.

angry angrily anger

2. He sounded __________.

angrily angry anger

3. She passed the exam __________.

easy easily easiness

4. The exam was __________.

easy easily easiness

Final writing practice

1. Write one sentence with an adjective before a noun.

2. Write one sentence with an adverb after a verb.

3. Write one sentence with a linking verb + adjective.

4. Write one sentence with an adverb of frequency.