CHAPTER 4
Mangled Modifiers
“Modifiers” are a neat class of words. They’re the adjectives and adverbs we use to dress up other words with color and dimension and thousands of other descriptions. And for the most part, we do a pretty good job of using them correctly. But there are a few landmines in this happy field of modifiers, and this chapter will teach you to step gracefully around them.
Adjectives vs. Adverbs
The first place people run into trouble is in distinguishing between the adjective and adverb forms of a given modifier. In these cases, the adjective is typically misapplied as an adverb.
32. Bad vs. Badly
Don’t Say: How can you leave me when I need you so bad? Say Instead: How can you leave me when I need you so badly?
Here’s ...
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