What is the difference between adverbs and adjectives?

Answer 1

The difference is what they modify: adjectives modify nouns and pronouns while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Some words can act as either an adjective or an adverb, depending on what they are modifying.

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Adjective: A word that describes, identifies or qualifies a noun or pronoun. An adjective usually comes before the noun or the pronoun which it modifies. But it can also follow a linking verb.

For example:

• The cute cat was sleeping.
• The cat was cute. The word "cute" is describing and modifies the noun cat.
• The plum was purple.
• The girl is pretty.
• The duckling is fuzzy.
• That is a sweet little dog.

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Adverb: An adverb is a bit more flexible because it describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Unlike an adjective, an adverb can be found in various places within the sentence. Adverbs are most likely to end in -LY (but not always). An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much".

For example:

• The dog quickly ran to his owner. The word "quickly" describes and modifies the verb ran. It also answers the question "how". How did the dog run? It ran "quickly".
• He chewed slowly.
• She dove deeply.
• The mouse nervously scurried.

Examples of adverbs modifying adjectives:

• It is too cold to go outside.
• She is quite beautiful.
• This is a rather lengthy explanation.

Examples of adverbs modifying other adverbs:

• She speaks very slowly.
• Becky worked really hard today.

So basically, adjectives are used to describe nouns or pronouns, while adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
An adjective describes a person, place or thing. An adverb describes an action.

Answer 2

Adjectives are words that are used to describe a Noun. Adverb are words used in a sentence to describe or emphasize a Verb.