[etni] Fw: Adjectives and adverbs

From: "Esther Lucas" <lucas@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Adjectives and adverbs

At the risk of repeating what others have said, I would 
like to summarize the discussion on use of words such as: 
very (adverb), great (adjective), fun (noun or adjective).

When I was taught grammar in England in the nineteen 
twenties, perhaps not as extensively as in Kansas in the 
eighteen eighties, the following rules were laid down. 
I never had any problem teaching grammar to students 
once they could distinguish between an adjective and an 
adverb. Though I had no problem teaching, they may well 
have had a problem learning. These at least are my explanations:

When fun is used as a noun, it can be "described " by an adjective
eg.  great fun    more fun

When fun is used as an adjective, it "behaves" like an 
adjective and can "decribe" a noun
(Because it is used as an adjective it cannot have a plural form))
eg.   fun party  (cf. tooth brush   charity event)

Very is an adverb. It can "describe" an adjective OR an adverb
Unlike most adverbs it cannot "describe" a verb
eg.  (with an adjective)     very good   very funny   very like 
something
       (with an adverb)        very well    very likely  

Hope this helps,
Esther

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