Adjectives or adverbs

Question

1. "He is able to make people laugh all the time because he thinks funny."2. "Don't talk silly"What are the functions of "silly" and "funny" in the above sentences ? Are they adjectives or adverbs ?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Adverbs. They express "how" one thinks, or "how" one talks.

BillJ · Answer

Debpriya De1. "He is able to make people laugh all the time because he thinks funny."
2. "Don't talk silly"
What are the functions of "silly" and "funny" in the above sentences ? Are they adjectives or adverbs ?

They are adjectives, NOT adverbs. The adverbs 'funnily' and 'sillily' would describe how someone thinks or talks, but the adjectives 'funny' and 'silly' are, in effect, describing what (not how) they think or say. It's fairly unusual to find adjectives without an accompanying noun, but not unheard of. Your sentences really mean:

1. He is able to make people laugh all the time because he thinks funny things. (NOT he thinks 'funnily', meaning he thinks in a strange or odd way)

2. Don't say silly/foolish things. (NOT don't talk 'sillily', meaning in a stupid or foolish way)

BillJ

ps It wouldn't harm to say thank you once in a while to those of us that take the time to answer your numerous questions.

Debpriya De · Answer

Thank you for your replies, but I do have another question.
What is "positive" in "think positive" ? It seems to have characteristics of both adjectives and adverbs ?

BillJ · Answer

Debpriya DeWhat is "positive" in "think positive" ? It seems to have characteristics of both adjectives and adverbs ?

'Positive' is (usually) an adjective and adjectives typically modify nouns: 'positive contribution/outcome/ ideas' and so on. But in 'think positive' it's not being used to modify a noun, but to modify a verb - something that adverbs most often do. There is an adverb form, 'positively' which could have been used instead: 'Think positively'.

Using adjectives to modify verbs is quite rare (and of limited acceptability) - you'll usually find it in informal speech, perhaps for some special effect, or maybe just a simple error; you'll hear others: 'He drives awful', 'My new car drives beautiful', 'He talks stupid, and so on. Those adjectives also have genuine adverb forms: 'awfully', 'beautifully' and 'stupidly'.

Analysis-wise, 'positive' retains its classification as adjective (even though it's being used like an adverb), and its function in your sentence is that of modifier.

BillJ

Dimsumexpress · Answer

I will toss my two cents worth.
For verbs such as look, think, sound, talk and a few others, the adjectives follow are in deed adjectives but have the property of an adverb in my opinion. i.e. It sounds good, or smells delicious. When was the last time you hear some say " it smells deliciously"?

Debpriya De · Answer

@BillJ, could you help me out with another one here:
"I always play safe."
In this sentence, "safe" could be acting as an adverb, but I get the feeling that "safe" could also be an adjective whereby the meaning of the sentence could be "I always play the safe game" i.e. "I don't take risks "
It's just my idea though. What do you think ?

BillJ · Answer

Debpriya DeI always play safe."
In this sentence, "safe" could be acting as an adverb, but I get the feeling that "safe" could also be an adjective whereby the meaning of the sentence could be "I always play the safe game" i.e. "I don't take risks "

Yes, it is acting like an adverb, but grammatically it's actually an adjective functioning as 'modifier' of the verb 'play'. You're semantic interpretation is correct.

BillJ

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