WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM
- To modify a Verb, an Adjective or another Adverb, we use an Adverb.
Example
Incorrect- She writes very careful.
Correct- She writes very carefully.
Carefully is an Adjective which cannot modify the Adverb very, therefore carefully (Adverb) must be used in place of Adjective careful.
- Too means more than required and it is used with Unpleasant Adjective. So, we cannot use too glad, too happy, too pleasant, too healthy.
Example
Incorrect- I am too glad to meet you.
Correct- I am very glad to meet you.
- 3. A sentence which is based on ‘Too’ ‘To’ format, we cannot replace ‘To’ with ‘so that’. If we replace ‘To’ with ‘so that’, ‘Too’ also must be replaced with ‘cannot’.
Example
Incorrect- He is too weak so that he cannot walk.
Correct- He is too weak to walk.
Correct- He is so weak that he cannot walk.
- Much too is followed by Unpleasant Adjective, whereas too much is followed by Noun. Much too + Unpleasant Adjective. Too much + Noun.
Example
Incorrect- His failure is too much painful for me.
Correct- His failure is much too painful for me.
Incorrect- His wife’s rude behaviour gives him much too pain.
Correct- His wife’s rude behaviour gives him too much pain.
- Quite and all are not used together.
Example
Incorrect- He is quite all right.
Correct- He is quite right (or) He is all right.
- A/An + fairly + Adjective + Noun (or) Rather + A + Adjective
(i) A fairly good book
(ii) Rather a difficult problem.
But we cannot use Pleasant Adjective with rather and Unpleasant Adjective with fairly.
Example
Incorrect- It was a rather good book.
Correct- It was a fairly good book.
- Enough, when used as an Adverb, is preceded by a positive degree Adjective or Adverb.
Example
Incorrect- He is greater enough to pardon you.
Correct- He is great enough to pardon you. ‘
- Two negatives cancel each other. Hence two negatives should not be used in the same sentence unless we make an affirmation.
Example
Incorrect-I have not got none.
Correct- I have not got any.
- ‘At present’ means ‘at the present time’, ‘presently’ means ‘shortly’. These should not be confused.
Example
- Incorrect- Nothing more can be done presently.
Correct- Nothing more can be done at present.
- Incorrect- He will come back at present.
Correct- He will come back presently.
- 10. ‘Hard’ means ‘diligently’, strenuously’, ‘Hardly’ means ‘scarcely at all’. These two Adverbial forms of ‘hard’ must not be confused.
Example
- Incorrect- He tried hardly to win the race.
Correct- He tried hard to win the race.
- Incorrect- She has eaten hard anything today.
Correct- She has eaten hardly anything today.
- 11. ‘Much’ is used before past participles and Adjectives or Adverbs of comparative ‘Very’ is used before the present participles and
Adjectives and Adverbs of positive degree.
Example
- Incorrect- The news is much surprising.
Correct- The news is very surprising.
- Incorrect-I was very surprised at hearing the news.
Correct- I was much surprised at hearing the news.
- 12. Hardly is an Adverb which means rarely. Whereas hard is an Adjective which means tough, rigid.
Example
Incorrect- It is a hardly job.
Correct- It is a hard job.
- 13. Ago is always used with Past Indefinite Tense. So, if ago is used in a sentence, that sentence must be in the Past Indefinite Tense.
Example
Incorrect- He has come a month ago.
Correct- He came a month ago.
- 14. At present means at this moment and it is used with Present Tense, whereas
presently and shortly are used for future action and generally’ used with Future Indefinite Tense.
Example
Incorrect- Presently he is in the room.
Correct- At present he is in the room.
- 15. Early means “just after the beginning of anything” and soon means just after a point of time.
Example
Roses blossomed early this spring.
- 16. The sentence which starts with seldom, never, hardly, rarely or scarcely takes an inverse structure, i.e., Verb + Subject – Structure.
Example
Incorrect- Seldom I had seen such a beautiful sight.
Correct- Seldom had I seen such a beautiful sight.
- 17. Inversion is also used in a sentence which starts with here/there/away/out/up/indoor or outdoor and Main Verb, or Aux + Main Verb is used before the Subject.
Example
Incorrect- Away Sita went
Correct- Away went Sita.
Practice questions : Spotting Errors – Based on Adverbs
also read WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM
also read ADVERTISEMENT YOU HAVE SEEN SPEAKING IELTS EXAM
WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM WRONG USAGE OF ADVERBS IELTS EXAM
