topic Re: English teachers...question in Community Chat

English teachers...question

qualitygal — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 08:47:08 GMT

Don't remember the rule for adding ly at the end of certain words and when. I hear people on t.v. say a word and I think, shouldn't that word end in ly. It's like it's not quite right. I could be wrong but I don't remember the rule in English for doing that. Does that make sense to you?

Re: English teachers...question

Desertdi — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 09:14:33 GMT

If you could provide an example.......maybe some of our English majors could help..................

Re: English teachers...question

September13 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:05:13 GMT

I seem to remember something like that, too. However, I couldn't find an answer. I do have my pet peeves though.

Orientated instead of oriented is one of them.

The other is when narrators of commercials say things like, "Watch the pre-game show before the game." In my opinion, it would be very hard to watch the "pre-game" show AFTER the game. (We are not talking recording the show here.)

English is a fluent language. It is constantly changing. More so now with the advent of the Internet. But it would be nice if some things did not change. We were taught that we should put others first and ourselves last. For example: Joe and I. Not me and Joe.

And unique is just that. Unique. Something can not be very unique or really unique.

The very definition of unique is "being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else." So saying something is so unique or very unique is just wrong.

By the way, thank the computer gods for spell check. Any grammar errors are all mine.

Re: English teachers...question

flickerbulb — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:07:21 GMT

Adverbs sometimes end in -ly and modify verbs. For example: The boy ran quickly down the street.

It describes how fast he ran.

One of the tv personalities misuses this ALL the time and it drives me up a tree!

Then, of course, there are those who don't know the difference between to and too. Too is another adverb that modifies how much.

I bought too many vegetables this week at the grocery store. It modifies how many you bought.

I like mushrooms, too! In this case, it means also and indicates how much you like the mushrooms.

I see that most people just use to for everything.

To serves as a preposition. I am going to the mall today.

To also precedes a verb. I am going to walk to the mall today. Do you want to go too?

Then there are those who do not know the difference between loose and lose. I read that someone refers to another as being a "looser" or "I want to loose weight."

I want to lose weight so that my pants will be looser. Looser is another adverb that modifies will be.

Hope this was helpful.

Re: English teachers...question

qualitygal — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:15:21 GMT

@flickerbulb wrote:
Adverbs sometimes end in -ly and modify verbs. For example: The boy ran quickly down the street.

It describes how fast he ran.

Hope this was helpful.

Exactly what I was after thank you. I tried to think of an example, and I think where I've been hearing it, it is to describe something. So to not hear the ly, ...well, that was it! Thanks, @flickerbulb

Re: English teachers...question

Vivian — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:20:25 GMT

In English, we usually add ly to an adjective to turn it into an adverb, e.g., soft, softly. An adverb modifies a verb or an adjective, whereas an adjective modifies a noun, e.g., the soft pillow, the softly comfortable chair, talk softly.

Re: English teachers...question

Ms X — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 13:13:33 GMT

This is a pet peeve of mine. Sometimes people will say something like "She looks beautifully." It's wrong because she's not doing the looking. "She dances beautifully" is correct because she's doing the dancing. It's adverb vs. adjective, as described in detail in a post above. People often do this to sound more educated, it seems to me. I think they think it sounds fancy to say it that way. It's like using "I" instead of "me" to sound smarter when "me" is actually correct. It's no big deal, though, because most people don't know and couldn't care less.

Re: English teachers...question

2blonde — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:46:33 GMT

@flickerbulb Ha! Yes. those are also some of my pet peeves! I just think people who do that are such loosers! (Did that one irk you to?)

Re: English teachers...question

spent2much — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:55:08 GMT

@flickerbulb wrote:
Adverbs sometimes end in -ly and modify verbs. For example: The boy ran quickly down the street.

It describes how fast he ran. (etc.)

@flickerbulb Funny how I learned all this in 4th grade grammar and never forgot it. Thanks to my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Graham.

Re: English teachers...question

VanSleepy — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:22:50 GMT

Just don't say you feel badly. That means there's something wrong with your sense of touch!

Re: English teachers...question

flickerbulb — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:33:44 GMT

The misuse of common words irks me, but I sit on my hands and do not comment. It is not my job to correct adults who should have learned this in the third grade!

@2blonde I always find irony in those who misuse "looser" because I find that they usually are calling someone else a "looser".

The too/to is another pet peeve.

I like to emphasize, "I like ice cream toooooooooooo" so that the students remember to add the extra o.

Well, enough of that as I am on summer vacation!

Re: English teachers...question

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:36:13 GMT

@VanSleepy wrote:
Just don't say you feel badly. That means there's something wrong with your sense of touch!

LOL!

Re: English teachers...question

WenGirl42 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:40:04 GMT

@qualitygal wrote:
Don't remember the rule for adding ly at the end of certain words and when. I hear people on t.v. say a word and I think, shouldn't that word end in ly. It's like it's not quite right. I could be wrong but I don't remember the rule in English for doing that. Does that make sense to you?

The folks on the thread who explained adverb usage have it right! But there is also a special classification called "flat adverbs," which are adverbs that can take on the form of an adjective and still be correct. A good example of this is when you tell someone, "sleep tight!" We seem to be shifting more towards flat adverbs becoming acceptable again, so that when you do use the correct adverb form, it's starting to sound stilted (to my ear). For example, even though I know the gramatically correct form is "drive safely," I will tell my nephews to "drive safe!" I'd still use the -ly form for any formal writing though

Re: English teachers...question

Love my grandkids — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 04:10:30 GMT

I mentally correct people regarding the non-use of adverbs! I had the rule hammered into me in grade school. I think I'm a bit a * n * a * l about it ha ha. I do this when I hear this done on a TV show, in the news and in conversation with people.

I never correct anyone but I always "catch" it!

Re: English teachers...question

Hooty — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 19:14:25 GMT

@qualitygal, Google is your friend!

Adding -ly

We often make an adverb by adding -ly to an adjective, for example: quick, quickly

Spelling Rule
Just add -ly to the end of the adjective:

coy, coyly
loud, loudly
beautiful, beautifully
senseless, senselessly
intelligent, intelligently

Exceptions
(note: C=consonant)

If adj. ends in do this and add Examples

-ll	nothing	y	full, fully
C + le	remove final e	y	terrible, terribly
y (except single-syllable adjectives)	remove y	ily	happy, happily
Note: single-syllable adjectives ending in -y are regular, except: day, daily gay, gaily