Bad vs. Badly
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Bad vs. Badly
Proper use of certain English adjective and adverb forms of a word can be elusive because of what they describe. One such pair is bad and badly.
The word bad is an adjective that modifies nouns and pronouns: She was in a bad accident.
The word badly is an adverb that conveys the manner or degree of a verb’s action: She was hurt badly in the accident.
Bad vs. Badly: Why the Mix-Up?
Confusion about the two words typically arises when they accompany the sensory linking verbs taste, look, smell, and feel.
When we use these verbs actively, we should follow them with adverbs. (Hear is always used actively.)
When we use these verbs descriptively, we should follow them with adjectives.
Examples
I feel bad about having said that. (I am not feeling something physically but rather describing something emotionally, so the adjective bad is used.)
She feels badly since her fingers were burned. (She is feeling something physically with her fingers, so the adverb form is used.)
The same interpretations of adjectives and adverbs apply with the other linking verbs mentioned.
Examples
The mask he wore made him look suspicious to the police. (He did not look with his eyes; look describes his appearance so the adjective is used.)
She looked suspiciously at the $100 bill. (Her appearance is not being described; she looked with her eyes so the adverb is needed.)
Because Richard had such a bad cold, all food tasted poor to him. (Poor describes the taste of the food so the adjective is used.)
Richard’s bad cold caused him to taste food poorly. (Poorly modifies the physical tasting of food so the adverb is needed.)
The perfume Janine is wearing smells strong. (Strong describes the perfume so the adjective is used.)
Janine can smell scents so strongly you’d almost think she has a dog’s nose. (Quickly relates to the physical act of smelling so the adverb is needed.)
Bad vs. Badly: A Note on Current-Day Usage
GrammarBook.com aims to maintain distinctions that uphold more-precise usage and meaning in American English. At the same time, we recognize that some resources for style guidance adapt to contemporary tendencies. Merriam-Webster online, for example, currently accepts bad as an informal, colloquial form of badly, thereby making the words interchangeable: “bad: badly (doesn’t want it bad enough).”
The American Heritage Dictionary further explains that the use of badly with want and need was once considered incorrect, since in these cases it means “very much” rather than “in an inferior manner or condition” or “immorally.” Today, however, such usage is prevalent even in formal contexts and so considered standard.
Consequently, we acknowledge that bad and badly can both be used as adverbs with verbs of strong emotion (e.g., want, need) although we prefer differentiating them for greater precision.
Pop Quiz
1. Please don’t feel [bad / badly] about forgetting to call me.
2. Loretta wants the new kitchen-table set [bad / badly].
3. That coyote is looking at us [bad / badly].
4. You probably shouldn’t have baked the cake so long, because it smells really [bad / badly] now.
5. David says his Denver omelet tastes [bad / badly] so he’s going to ask them to make it again.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Please don’t feel bad about forgetting to call me.
2. Loretta wants the new kitchen-table set bad (or badly).
3. That coyote is looking at us badly.
4. You probably shouldn’t have baked the cake so long, because it smells really bad now.
5. David says his Denver omelet tastes bad so he’s going to ask them to make it again.
Are you ready for the quiz?
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for the examples. However, I have one that I’m not sure of.
“I want money so bad I can taste it.”
“I want money so badly I can taste it.”
Which of the two is correct? If my guess is correct, the first sentence should be used as “want” is a state of being/mind (right?).
You need to use a word that describes the verb want. The word badly is an adverb that answers how about the verb want.
I want money so badly I can taste it.
NOTE: Please see our update below dated November 9, 2017.
I don’t know if this page is still available. I wanna know it is “I WANT IT BAD” or “I WANT IT BADLY” .I am a foreigner. I found in many songs using “bad”.Is that for the rhyme or another usage?
Badly is correct. Song lyrics do not always contain proper grammar.
NOTE: Please see our update below dated November 9, 2017.
We want to thank readers who have written recently commenting on our above response. We would now like to bring your attention to this additional information:
Merriam-Webster online currently accepts bad and badly as interchangeable adverbs: “bad: badly (not doing so bad, doesn’t want it bad enough)”
The American Heritage Dictionary further explains that the use of badly with want and need was once considered incorrect, since in these cases it means “very much” rather than “in an inferior manner or condition” or “immorally.” But this use is widespread, even in formal contexts, and is now considered standard.
Going by these current leading references, we would say that today the two words can be used as adverbs to mean the same thing.
Gosh, I am reluctant to mention this, because you are the expert, Jane, and I’m probably about to make a fool of myself. But in the sentence ‘I want money so bad or badly’, I thought ‘want’ was a linking verb (state-of-being verb), and, therefore, the adjective bad must be used. Isn’t the rule that you use adjectives to modify linking verbs and adverbs to modify action verbs?
Can you help me understand my mistake, please.
The word want is not a linking verb. Linking verbs are forms of to be or “sense” verbs such as look, feel, smell, taste, appear, seem, and sound. Adjectives do not modify verbs, but adjectives follow linking verbs and modify the noun that comes after the linking verb.
I want money so badly.
The meat tastes bad.
I want money so badly.
This is interesting. I always thought that this would mean that they weren’t very good at wanting money, so I would have used bad.
Grammatically speaking, badly is an adverb modifying the verb want. One of the definitions given in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is “to a great or intense degree.” Likewise, Dictionary.com‘s definition is “very much; to a great extent or degree: a house badly in need of repair; to want something badly.”
There is also an interesting definition of the word bad on Dictionary.com. It is listed as an “informal” adverb meaning “badly.” The example is “He wanted it bad enough to steal it. ” We would not recommend using it this way in formal writing.
Which is correct – “I want to watch that movie bad” or “I want to watch that movie badly”
Use the adverb badly.
NOTE: Please see our update above dated November 9, 2017.
How do you know when to use bad and when to use badly?
If you want to modify a noun or pronoun, use the adjective bad.
We had a bad storm.
If you want to modify a verb that is not a sense verb, use the adverb badly.
She was hurt badly in the tornado.
In response to Justin, it depends on the definition of the word bad. The original definition of bad is in a negative sense, but using bad in connection with want was more in a Michael Jackson sense as Jane said I believe, intense desire = badly
In the Michael Jackson song, the word bad was used as an adjective, as in “I’m bad.” Justin’s argument was that the word want is a linking verb, so using the adjective bad could be justified, making “I want bad” correct.
I want to tell you so bad that you are wrong. Want is not an action verb… You do not want badly. That would mean your ability to want is flawed, which it is not. The expression “so bad” can be replaced with “to such extent”, in this case he describes a degree of desire, or, more specifically, “want.” Now stop badly helping people.
We are unable to find a single authoritative source that lists want as a linking verb. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines badly as “to a great or intense degree.” Obviously, they consider want an action verb rather than a linking or “sense” verb. Bad is also considered acceptable usage as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage says, “Bad sometimes acts as an adverb and is interchangeable with badly after the verbs want and need.” Most authorities, however, consider “want bad” to be informal usage. You may also find this discussion useful: https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/10/bad-badly.html.
I believe you’re wrong, and you’ve been misadvising people:
From Mark Nichol, a true grammarian: “That explains why you want something bad, not badly. (To want something badly is to do a poor job of wanting it — almost the opposite meaning.) That’s why you’re not doing too bad, rather than badly, right now. Bad is a condition (a linking verb), not a performance (an action verb).”
You’ve misunderstood the nature of “want”:
“Let’s start with badly, which is an adverb. Roughly speaking, an adverb describes how something is done: “She handled the news badly.” Bad, on the other hand, is most familiar to us as an adjective, but what stymies us sometimes is that it can also be an adverb.
“In adjectival form, bad provides detail about the noun it accompanies: “I have a bad feeling about this.” As an adverb, bad modifies the preceding verb: “Now I don’t feel so bad about it.”
“If you’re in doubt about which adverbial form to use, test it by replacing badly (or is it bad?) with a synonym, such as poorly. (“She handled the news poorly.”) That looks and sounds right. But would poor work? (“She handled the news poor.”) Definitely not; the form badly is correct.
“Now test the sentence that uses the adverbial form of bad: “Now I don’t feel too poorly about it,” or “Now I don’t feel too poor about it”? Hmm — I’m not sure. So I’ll try another synonym: “Now I don’t feel too wretchedly about it,” or “Now I don’t feel too wretched about it”? The short form is the clear winner here.
“But why? What’s different about the two adverbial forms? The issue is complicated by the fact that two types of verbs exist: action verbs and linking verbs. Handled, in the first example above, is an action verb because she handled — she did something. Linking verbs, on the other hand, describe a state of being: I think, therefore I am.
“One set of verbs that can perform both functions — action and linking — are the sense verbs, including feel. (The others are look, smell, and taste; I’ll discuss the omission of hear later.)”
We appreciate your view of the use of bad vs. badly, particularly as conventional grammar has often distinguished the words as you point out. At the same time, language tends to evolve in accepting certain usage that once was avoided.
Merriam-Webster online currently accepts bad and badly as interchangeable adverbs: “bad: badly (not doing so bad, doesn’t want it bad enough)”
The American Heritage Dictionary further explains that the use of badly with want and need was once considered incorrect, since in these cases it means “very much” rather than “in an inferior manner or condition” or “immorally.” But this use is widespread, even in formal contexts, and is now considered standard.
Going by these current leading references, we would say that today the two words can be used as adverbs to mean the same thing.
I’m so glad to find this site. I was always taught there are very few time the word “badly” can be used. I hear it repeatedly on every TV show on these days and it drives me nuts. People have just decided it is correct grammar to use “badly” as a adverb whereever they please. It is one of my biggest “pet peeves” and I hear it more and more.
I really feel bad for the writers of today !!!
Oh my goodness! Me too! I thought I was the only person to have this particular pet peeve.
“I want money so bad I can taste it.”
“I want money so badly I can taste it.”
I don’t know the rules. But if you switch the words around:
“I bad want money I cant taste it.”
“I badly want money I can taste it.”
It’s easy to hear which word to use. It’s badly, here.
It does make it easier to recognize badly as an adverb when it is next to the verb want. As a mental device, it’s fine. However, if written, follow Rule 1 of Semicolons, which is “Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate two sentences where the conjunction has been left out.”
I badly want money; I can taste it.
I am confused about the sentence. AJ did extremely well on the geography test. What would the opposite be? AJ did extremely bad or badly on the geography test.
Our blog Bad vs. Badly says, “Adverbs often end in ly. The word badly is an adverb that answers how about the verb.” The verb in your sentence is did. Badly answers how about the verb did. Therefore, “A. J. did badly (or poorly) on the geography test.” (You can see how this opposite sentence is parallel to your first sentence since good is an adjective and well is an adverb.) Since I assume the letters AJ are somebody’s initials, we recommend following Chicago Manual of Style’s rule 10.12 which says, “Initials standing for given names are followed by a period and a space.” Since the Associated Press Stylebook recommends no space, you may see it written that way in newspapers.
Did extremely bad on the test?
Or did extremely badly?
You didn’t answer that one fully.
Did extremely well uses adverb well but the opposite shouldn’t be badly, should it?
You still need to use the adverb badly, not the adjective bad. Writing “extremely badly” sounds awkward because of the back-to-back -ly words. It might be better to write “very badly.”
Would you say;
Do you know how BADLY I want to just get up and go home? or Do you know how BAD I want to just get up and go home?
The word badly is an adverb that answers how about the verb want.
Do you know how badly I want to just get up and go home?
How about this one?
Missing my brother so bad? Or
Missing my borther so badly?
You need to use the adverb badly to describe the verb missing. To make this a complete sentence, you could write “I am missing my brother so badly.”
I too go wild when people say “I feel badly about…” instead of “I feel bad”. However, I am having a horrible time deciding which to use in this sentence: “Over the years my apple tree got older and older and finally rotted so badly that it had to be taken down”. Bad or badly ?
You need to use an adverb to describe the verb rotted. Badly is an adverb.
Over the years my apple tree got older and older and finally rotted so badly that it had to be taken down.
Thank you ! I thought so, but wanted confirmation. Just because something sounds correct, doesn’t always make it correct. You’re a good source for people like me who like to be pluperfect !
Clever. You are welcome.
I badly needed the meaning of the word “badly”. now i got it. thank u very much.
You are welcome. In formal written English your comment would be:
I badly needed the meaning of the word “badly.” Now I have it. Thank you very much.
I badly needed the meaning of the word “badly.” Now I have it. Thank you very much.
I would like to know if I needed to put a comma after ‘Now’.
I badly needed the meaning of the word “badly.” Now, I have it. Thank you very much.
You do not need a comma after the word “now” in your sentence.
I also have a confusion with some of my sentences.
– He has worked bad/badly ?
– He has bad/badly work ?
For me, i think “he has worked badly” because badly is explaining the worked (verb)
and for the second sentence, he has badly work ?
Please kindly give your explanation about this.
Thank you so much
The word work can be used as a verb or a noun. When used as a verb, it requires an adverb. It requires an adjective when used as a noun. You could write “He has worked badly,” or “He has done bad work,” but it would be better to say, “He has worked poorly,” or “He has done poor work.”
So is it ” I feel so badly for all my musician friends”? Or
“I feel so bad for all my musician friends”?
Since you are not feeling with fingers but instead are describing your state of mind, use the adjective bad after the sense verb feel.
“I feel so bad for all my musician friends.”
Interestingly, I ended up in a disucussion with a colleague today about the use of bad and badly. Specifically, the question came up with the simple answer to the informal question of, “How’s it going?”
Now, double negative not withstanding, I am under the impression that the response should be, “not badly,” as “going” would be modified. However, common informal language response is, “not bad.”
Grammatically, which would be correct?
Grammatically speaking, the word badly is an adverb that answers how about the verb going. So the sentence “It is not going badly” is one grammatically correct option. But bad would be equally correct. In that case, going is a linking verb, which would take an adjective (compare things are looking bad). In most common everyday verbal interactions, “How’s it going?” is just a polite greeting and is often answered with the shortened informal response, “Not bad.” Most likely what the person means by that response is, “Things are not bad.”
When describing how well I do or do not text, would it be “I text bad” or “I text badly”. I think it’s obviously the latter, but having an argument with someone who disagrees.
Thanks!
Since you are using the word text as a verb rather than a noun, you need the adverb badly to describe the verb.
Are there any exceptions to the bad vs. badly rule (after a descriptive vs. active verb)?
In the American south and in England it is common to say “I feel poorly” even though “feel” is used descriptively here.
If instead one were to say “I feel poor”, that changes the entire meaning.
Thanks.
The use of the word “poorly” as an adjective is generally a regional term meaning “somewhat ill.” We do not recommend its use in formal American English. It would be better to say “I feel ill” or “I don’t feel well.”
I really need your help!So here it goes :
He sometimes argues with Paul,And that automatic or automatically?Has a bad or badly ?effect on Paul’s work .
Thank you!
You need to use the adverb automatically to describe the verb has, and the adjective bad to describe the noun effect.
He sometimes argues with Paul, and that automatically has a bad effect on Paul’s work.
What about the word, “good?” I was taught in 1974 that “ly”
never belonged on the words good or bad?
The person who told you that was misinformed. The word badly is an adverb meaning “very much, to a great degree; severely or seriously.” The word goodly is an adjective meaning “large in size or amount.”
I held the bag tight, even though my arm hurt…
a. bad
b. badly
Please answer the question.
badly
Which one is it?
1. I love when your team does bad?
2. I love when your team does badly?
Use the adverb badly (or poorly) to answer how the team does.
What about when you say ‘really badly’. Like, for example : ‘she was hurt really badly’
It is grammatically correct.
Is “equally badly” correct?
Writing “equally badly” sounds awkward because of the back-to-back –ly words, but it could be correct.
Do I say “Don’t speak bad about someone…” or “Don’t speak badly about someone….”? The latter would seem to be a comment on the act of speaking, which is obviously not the intent.
Thanks.
Write “Don’t speak badly about someone.” The adverb badly modifies the verb speak. To be more clear, you could write “Don’t say negative things about someone.”
Isn’t this the same as the debate for “wanting bad”? Well, sort of. What I mean is that you don’t have impaired speech to “speak badly”, but rather bad refers to the things that you are saying
With want, use the adverb badly when it answers to what degree. To want something “bad” is a casualism and would not be appropriate in formal speech or writing. However, if “bad” is used as a noun, the following would be grammatical: “He wanted bad to befall his enemies.”
Similarly, one can both “speak badly” (i.e., say something ineffectively) and “speak bad” (i.e., say something critical or harmful, as in Never speak bad about the dead).
What about the word feel with strongly? As in I felt strongly about the issue. We don’t use the word strong but isn’t felt the same felt that is in I felt bad. but we say bad and not badly. so why the difference with strongly? isn’t it the same feel word?
In the phrase “I feel strongly,” the verb feel is used as an intransitive verb meaning “to have a marked sentiment or opinion.” In the phrase “I feel bad,” the verb feel is used as a linking verb. The linking verb means “to be in a particular state as a result of an emotion or physical feeling” and is followed by an adjective, not an adverb.
The technical explanation seems to make it much more complicated than it needs to be. I was told these distinctions involved “state of being.” I feel bad is correct if feel is being used as your state of being (health or emotion). I feel badly would mean you are having trouble with your sense of touch (an action). likewise I smell bad would be talking about body odor, while I smell badly would mean you have trouble with working of your nose. I look bad would be talking about your appearance, while I look badly would mean you are having trouble with your vision (although there must be a better way to describe that). Likewise if you feel strong, it is a state of being as about your health or strength. If you feel strongly it needs to be about (linked to) something, and therefore is not your state of being. Want is not a state of being, nor is need, they need to be about (linked to) something.
Why did Ben Yagoda title his book How to Not Write Bad?
The “Introduction” starts with the following sentence: “Why a book on how to not write bad (or badly, if you insist)?”
I do not understand.
We assume by his parenthetical note that the author knew some grammarians would object to his use of the word bad. The title is meant to be humorous. Ben Yagoda is a highly respected and knowledgeable scholar.
Is it: “I’m going to hurt you really bad!”
Or: “I’m going to hurt you really badly!”
I think it’s the latter, but why does the former sound better? Is it the back-to-back -ly words?
The adverb badly is correct. Perhaps the back-to-back -ly words make it sound awkward to you.
How about “feeling really badly”?
It’s that correct?
If you are not feeling with fingers but instead are describing your state of mind, use the adjective bad after the sense verb feel. This rule still applies if you use the adverb really.
Need help with this even after reading all the examples.
…maybe it would make him see how bad(ly) she felt.
The adjective “bad” is the correct choice here.
Can you stop acting bad?
Can you stop acting badly?
Is badly the correct choice?
In this case the correct choice could be either, but we think the better choice is “bad,” an adjective that describes the subject, “you.”
The wound hurt _____.
a. bad
b. badly
Keeping in mind that this “hurt” is a sensing, not an action verb, and I am not interested in the wound’s ability to inflict pain, but how it feels to the sensing person.
Thanks!
b. badly
I wish badly that I will have too. Is it correct?
“I wish badly” is an eccentric usage. While it is technically grammatical, we would recommend a different adverb, such as “fervently.”
What about when Toni Childs sings “why do you treat me so bad” on her song ‘I’ve got to go now’. Would badly be more correct, or is either acceptable.
Song lyrics are not always grammatically correct. In formal prose, it is better to use the adverbs badly or poorly to describe the verb treat in your example.
I saw an article title “Will there be a difference if things go bad?” Since the word bad answers the how for the verb go, is this incorrect? Should it be ‘badly’?
Thanks
This is a close call. As we see it, in your sentence “go” is a linking verb, which takes the adjective, not the adverb badly.
In ‘Farewell to Arms’ there is an example: ‘He lived in Udine and came out in this way nearly every day to see how things were going, and things went very badly’.
Isn’t ‘went’ here an example of a linking verb?
Or were grammar ruled different?
Thanks in advance.
The verb went is not a linking verb in this particular sentence. The word badly is an adverb that answers how things went.
In a discussion concerning poor grammar on Facebook, my niece responded to someone complaining that if you correct someone you can lose friends by saying, “I don’t get it quite as badly because it’s my job. People expect it from me.” She just graduated from college with a degree in technical writing, but for some reason her response sounds discordant to my ear. Is her response grammatically correct?
The sentence is vague because it is unclear what “it” is referring to.
A better choice of words might be “I don’t get complaints quite as often because it’s my job.”
How about this.
“The sopremo really sang quite bad/badly.”
Which one is correct? Bad or badly?
Use the adverb badly.
how about “I would like to travel so bad/badly?” which one is correct? thanks
Use the adverb badly to modify the verb would like.
Is ” I love you so badly” grammatically correct? Does it sound weird to native English speakers?
It is grammatically correct; however, the meaning is unclear and may be interpreted in a way you don’t intend. Some may think you’re saying that you’re just not doing a good job at loving the person. But if you mean intensely, you may wish to say “I love you madly (or so madly)” or “I’m madly in love with you.”
Can i say ” smoking effects badly on our health ? Did i use the adverb in the right way ?
No, the word effects is a noun. Therefore, you need to use the adjective bad. Smoking has bad effects on our health.
You could also use the verb affects and the adverb badly. Smoking affects our health badly. We would more commonly say Smoking adversely affects our health or Smoking has an adverse effect on our health.
I’m just wondering, is it correct to to say “I failed so bad” or “I failed badly”? A similar sentence is “He got beat up so bad” or “He got beat up badly”? Also, how do we introduce tenses to the above?
Thanks!
Use the adverb badly to modify the verbs failed and beaten up. We’re not clear about what you mean by “introduce tenses.” Perhaps instead of past tense, you’re looking for present tense, such as I am failing badly.
I’ve read a few usage of the word badly. but could you please comment on the use of badly in this sentence,
I am missing them so badly.
Is it correct?
Thank you so much.
Yes, the adverb badly is correct. Your sentence is grammatically correct with the pronoun I capitalized.
Does the sentence ‘I felt really badly about it’ make sense?
Please see our reply to Bill of November 14, 2015.
He played really bad or he played really badly? Which one is the correct one??
Use the adverb badly to describe how he played.
Is this correct…
My head hurts very badly.
Yes.
The ants taste badly.
The ants taste bad.
Which is correct?
If you are writing about tasting ants, use the adjective bad. If you are describing the ants’ sense of taste, use the adverb badly. However, we’re concerned about how you’re spending your time.
In this example, which is correct?
“To make or try to make me feel bad. . . ” (or), “To make or try to make me feel badly. . . “
Your example is similar to the above example “I feel bad about having said that.” You are describing your state of mind, so the adjective is used (no ly).
How should it be?
The hairdresser cut my hair very badly?
The hairdresser cut my hair very bad?
Thank you.
The word cut is used as a verb in your sentence; therefore, use the adverb badly to describe cut.
How about this one: The deal went bad.
I think that is correct. I think the process of making a deal might go badly, but once a deal is made, then goes sour, it’s correct to say it went bad.
Your expert opinion, please.
“The deal went bad” may be fine in informal spoken English. However, because “went” is a verb, we need an adverb to modify it: “The deal went badly.”
I want to be something so bad/badly.
Use the adverb badly to describe the verb want.
Thank you for the article!
I have a question and I used several grammar books but I can’t find the answer. Can we use I know somebody or something badly meaning I don’t know them / it well?
Technically it’s correct, because to know is a verb, but why does it sound so weird? And what’s the grammatical standpoint on this?
We would not recommend using badly in such a context. Beyond not being clear that the intended meaning is “not well,” it could confuse readers or listeners by suggesting that you know someone in a bad way.
The president almost always uses badly for everything on how he feels. “I feel badly about” the chants at the rally. I think this is incorrect right?
You are right. When one is not feeling with fingers but instead describing one’s state of mind, use the adjective bad after the sense verb feel.
I am not sure I understand the explanation for the example: She feels badly since her fingers were burned. She feels with her fingers here so the adverb (ly form) is used.
She was not ‘feeling with her fingers’ in this instance. And if she was, would we really say she “feels badly”? Just an observation. From my perspective, that doesn’t make sense.
This sentence refers to one of the five senses rather than a description of her state of mind (feeling bad). It means that her sense of touch has been affected by the burn. That is why the adverb badly is used. Admittedly, this might sound a bit odd in conversation, but we included it to demonstrate a situation where “feel badly” is grammatically correct.
Another set of angles:
I feel good = I am a good person
I feel good about this = I have a good feeling about it
I feel well = I am in a healthy state or I have sensitive fingers
Thus, she looked well for someone who didn’t exercise
Or, she looked good for someone who didn’t use make up
I ate a goodly amount = large portion
I feel bad = I am a bad person
I feel badly = I have clumsy fingers
Good is as good does
He looked suspicious to the police = They inferred that he was up to no good (or to no well. LOL.)
He looked suspicious to the police = They inferred that he was paranoid about something, perhaps them.
I loved your newsletter today on “Bad vs. Badly.” I have had quite a number of pitched (verbal) battles with friends and students about “feel bad” vs. “feel badly.” I know educated people who have no difficulty in saying “I feel good about that,” but they are very uncomfortable saying “I feel bad about that.” I have wondered sometimes whether the problem might be psychological rather than grammatical. The word “bad” can mean “evil” or “wicked” and perhaps people are uncomfortable saying something about themselves that could have an undercurrent of those other meanings. Just a thought.
Have a good day and continue to send your interesting articles.
re: I feel bad. I agree that the word “bad” has at least two common meanings that can be confused.
I feel bad about it….might mean that one feels morally bad or it might mean that one feels regretful.
The same distinction mutatis mutandis applies to “good,” but is almost always used to mean that one has a good feeling about something….sometimes with a prophetic connotation….I have a good feeling that this will work out.
How about:
1) It can come out differently and hurt someone’s feelings very bad.
2) It can come out differently and hurt someone’s feelings very badly.
Use the adverb badly to describe the verb hurt.
Which one is correct?
1. I love you so bad.
2. I love you so badly.
3. I like it so bad.
4 I like it so badly.
Help please.
Whether you use an adverb or an adjective to modify a verb will depend on whether it is a transitive verb or a linking verb. A transitive verb can have a direct object. A linking verb (e.g., be, seem, become) will not have a direct object. Love and like are transitive verbs, so you would write I love you so badly and I like it so badly. If you were using a linking verb, you would apply the adjective form: He is bad, She seems bad.
Which is correct? “The dinner turned out nicely” or “The dinner turned out nice.”
The dinner turned out nicely.
She wanted a job bad or badly?
We prefer badly; however, Merriam-Webster online currently accepts bad and badly as interchangeable adverbs: “bad: badly (not doing so bad, doesn’t want it bad enough).”
Is the use of “bad” in the following Chicago Tribune headline correct or should it be “badly”? “Millennials want to buy homes so bad, 80% would purchase one without seeing it amid high-stakes COVID-19 market: survey”
It seems to me that “badly” should be used. The way the sentence sounds as written, it suggests that the millennials are looking to buy bad houses, i.e., ones that are badly constructed or in poor condition, rather than that they are extremely eager to purchase homes.
Please see our March 22, 2021, reply to siena.
Is it
I feel great or I feel greatly?
As the post states, when we use the verb feel descriptively instead of actively, we should follow it with an adjective. Therefore, great is correct.