Understanding the difference between an adjective and an adverb can be confusing. The difference lies in what they describe – a noun or pronoun, or a verb, adjective or other adverbs.
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word or set of words that describes a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives can come before the word they describe.
For example:
That is a cute hamster.
She likes a handsome man.
Adjectives can also follow the word they describe.
For example:
That kitten looks cute.
What is an adverb?
An adverb is a word or set of words that describes verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs answer how, when, where, why, how often or how much.
For example:
She walks slowly (tells how)
She walks very slowly (very – tells how slowly)
My cousin arrived today (tells when)
My cousin will arrive in an hour (this adverb phrase tells when)
We looked for her toy in the attic (tells where)
Adverbs and adjectives with the same form
There are a number of adjectives / adverbs that take the same form. It, therefore depends on the sentence context as to whether it is an adjective or an adverb.
The adjectives / adverbs that take the same form include:
fast, hard, early, late, high, low, right, wrong, straight and long.
For example:
Billy has a fast car. (Adjective)
Billy speaks fast. (Adverb)
Sue has an early start in the morning. (Adjective)
Sue starts early. (Adverb)
Good vs. well
Good and well are two words that tend to create confusion.
The hard and fast rule is:
Good is an adjective.
Well is an adverb.
For example:
Sarah is a good singer. (Adjective)
Sarah sings well. (Adverb)
Sometimes, though, we use well as an adjective when we are talking about health and well-being.
For example:
How are you today?
I'm well, thanks.
