Adj or adv?

Question

I have seen such sentence like:This is another total different matter (1)This is another totally different matter (2)I think that in sentence (1), people use total as an adj and in sentence (2) as an adv. Why do people use adj instead of adv here? (Except for informal speech).

Goodman · Accepted Answer

BellyI have seen such sentence like:

This is another total different matter (1)

This is another totally different matter (2)

Hi Belly,

I think that in sentence (1), people use total as an adj and in sentence (2) as an adv. Why do people use adj instead of adv here? (Except for informal speech).

If grammar means anything, only #2 is the correct one in which "totally" modifies "different".

In # 1, total is an adjective which can not modify another adjective,

Belly · Answer

But I have seen 2 , 3 or 4 adjs go together like:
An interesting English film
but not
An interestingly English film
why?

Yankee · Answer

Hi Belly

Though native speakers sometimes omit the -ly ending from a few adverbs (in informal English), your first sentence does not sound particularly natural to me even as informal English.

You can have several adjectives preceding a noun, and all of them would modify or describe the noun.
However, the word 'total' is apparently intended to modify the adjective 'different' in your first sentence, and only an adverb can modify and adjective. Therefore, the word should be 'totally' (as in your second sentence). Using the adjective 'total' doesn't make any sense to me in your first sentence. What is a "total matter"?

a. An interesting English film
b. An interestingly English film

In your second set of phrases (in the quote), either interesting or interestingly could be used, but the meanings change depending on whether you use interesting or interestingly.

In (a), the film is both interesting and English.
In (b), the film is English, and there is apparently something unusual about the English aspect of the film. The film itself might be boring.

Belly · Answer

Still something is not clear, Yankee

Interesting in sentence (1) goes with English so as to modify for film. Thus, what we think of this sentence is: This film is both in English and interesting.

However, I am bewildered by your explanation in sentence (2). Withdraw from your ideal, I think this sentence sounds ironic, doesn't it? Perhaps I choose the wrong sentence, we don't see any real meaning from " Interestingly English". How can we know it is interesting or not for a language? This sentence, in my view, sounds a little clumsy.

Could you please give me more about the sentence (2)?

BarbaraPA · Answer

I was thinking "interestingly English" as referring to the nature of the film. It has characteristics of a "British" (I know England doesn't equal Britain, but bear with me) film that the person found surprising - perhaps because the director is from Asia or the U.S. and to make a film that was so "English" in nature was a surprise.

It was an odd, beautiful little flower. The flower was odd in some way.

It was an oddly beautiful little flower. There was something odd in the beauty.

Goodman · Answer

Belly
Still something is not clear, Yankee

Interesting in sentence (1) goes with English so as to modify for film. Thus, what we think of this sentence is: This film is both in English and interesting.

However, I am bewildered by your explanation in sentence (2). Withdraw from your ideal, I think this sentence sounds ironic, doesn't it? Perhaps I choose the wrong sentence, we don't see any real meaning from " Interestingly English". How can we know it is interesting or not for a language? This sentence, in my view, sounds a little clumsy.

Could you please give me more about the sentence (2)?

Belly,

In your question with "total" or "totally", It's not any doubt that # 1 is wrong. The "Ly" ending words are adverbs, and you are correct on that note and as long as you follow that rule, you should have no problem using adverbs. However, if you are hung up on it, you will probably will not get a satisfying answer.

You can say “I saw an interesting film which was in English”?

Or we can say” I saw an interesting English film …”

Sure, the rule book said the adjective with “ly” is an adverb modifying the adjacent adjective. It’s true, but, not always. YOu can have 2 adjective modifying the same object. You just have to take it from the experts on this forum and remorize it.

Adj or adv?

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