In this post, let’s learn about two common mistakes with adverbs, so that we don’t make them 😊
Common Mistake #1
(If needed, please review: What is an adjective? | What is an Adverb?)
- When you describe a noun => use an adjective.
- When you don’t describe a noun => use an adverb.
Examples:
CORRECT: Sally is a polite girl.
INCORRECT: Sally speaks polite.
CORRECT: Sally speaks politely.
CORRECT: Your writing is so nice.
INCORRECT: You write so nice.
CORRECT: You write so nicely.
CORRECT: They are good tennis players.
INCORRECT: They play tennis good.
CORRECT: They play tennis well.
Common Mistake #2
Using “Only” Incorrectly How you use “only” can completely change the meaning of a sentence!
For example:
Only I hate cheese. => I’m the only person who hates cheese. Everybody else loves cheese.
I only hate cheese. => I don’t do anything else. The only thing I do is to hate cheese.
I hate only cheese. => The only thing I hate is cheese. There is nothing else that I hate.
We will learn about more common mistakes in our next blog post! 😃
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