'to act' linking verb?

Question

Hello!I have heard following examples so many time that I'm not sure if I'm right anymore:He acts smart.                  He acts smartly.She acted really weird.     She acted really weirdlyHe acted quite funny.       He acted quite funnily.He can't act normal.         He can't act normally....I think the italic ones are correct. But I NEVER hear it like this. Does 'to act' really require an adjective other than an adverb?Thank you very much, Jake

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

You're in US, that you won't hear the long versions (the ones with -ly)  as frequently as across the Pond, I think.

Swiss Jake · Answer

Well, but what does that mean??

Are you saying, an adverb is required but the Americans are to lazy/uneducated/whatever to use it correctly??

Jake

Marius Hancu · Answer

Smart is both an adverb and adjective in US usage.
Same for others.
I think the Americans prefer the more compact forms.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Swiss JakeWell, but what does that mean??

Are you saying, an adverb is required but the Americans are to lazy/uneducated/whatever to use it correctly??

Jake

If you're going to insult an entire nation, kindly do so with the correct version of "too."

CalifJim · Answer

act is frequently treated as a linking verb, yes. It is similar to seem.

He seems smart. He acts (so as to seem) smart. He acts (as if he were) smart.
He seems normal. He acts (so as to seem) normal. He acts (as if he were) normal.

I believe the adverb forms make the verb act have the meaning of acting on a stage. He acts weirdly says to me His acting is weird. He has a weird way of reading his lines and making his gestures on the stage.

CJ

Mahlon · Answer

Speaking as a lazy, semi-educated American, I don't think we are very consistent. That is to say that we do not apply the rule consistently. Of the four adverbs listed, I would use "normally," both when writing and when speaking. Also, I would generally use the -ly version of the others when writing; but would probably display my ignorance and use the more "compact" form when speaking. I think my vascillation depends on how the word form sounds. The word "funnily" is just not very user-friendly. Thus, in the end, and in order to conceal my laziness and ignorance, I would probably word my sentences in a way to avoid such awkward word forms.

Maybe I'm not so lazy after all!

CalifJim · Answer

The word "funnily" is just not very user-friendly.

Ha! Isn't that the truth!

CJ

Swiss Jake · Answer

Grammar Geek
Swiss Jake
Well, but what does that mean??

Are you saying, an adverb is required but the Americans are to lazy/uneducated/whatever to use it correctly??

Jake

If you're going to insult an entire nation, kindly do so with the correct version of "too."

HEY!!! I did not mean to insult the US!!!! I meant to do the exact opposite!! I was asking what that is supposed to mean that the American use it the other way, the shorter way. Though I have to say that I notice laziness and mistakes in the speech of American. But English is spoken very liberally here.

Sorry if it sounded insulting with the 'uneducated' now, when I read it again I can see that it does not sound nice. Sorry, but you know now what my point was, what I was trying to say.

Thanks for the correction though. Jake

Swiss Jake · Answer

CalifJimact is frequently treated as a linking verb, yes. It is similar to seem.

He seems smart. He acts (so as to seem) smart. He acts (as if he were) smart.
He seems normal. He acts (so as to seem) normal. He acts (as if he were) normal.

I believe the adverb forms make the verb act have the meaning of acting on a stage. He acts weirdly says to me His acting is weird. He has a weird way of reading his lines and making his gestures on the stage.

CJ

Thanks for answering CJ.

So 'to act' has to forms?

One in which you describe the person's being at one point of time.

Example: "...my son came home at 2:00 AM last night. He was acting so weirdly that I'm thinking now he was drunk." That says that the son behave weirdly/unusually.

In this form you use an adverb? I mean you clearly describe his the way he acts which requires and adverb. How did he act? -weirdly!

Then if somebody 'acts' like an actor or actress does you use an adjective? Because you describe the way he acts. He acts as if he were a dog. That kind of acting? That is quite hard to define. Can anybody else describe the form of 'to act'?

Example: My son came home and acted weird. That means he played a weirdo, a weird person.

AWW that is complicated. Help please. Jake

'to act' linking verb?

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