TOEIC Grammar: Adjective or Adverb? Positions and Traps

Positions of adjectives

• Before a noun (attributive): a reliable supplier, an updated version.
• After a linking verb: The supplier is reliable. Demand remained strong.
• After the object of make, keep, find, consider: We found the hotel comfortable.
• After indefinite pronouns: something important, anyone interested, nothing unusual.

Some adjectives are frequently followed by a preposition or an infinitive and are tested as units: responsible for, eligible for, aware of, capable of, familiar with, satisfied with, subject to, likely to, able to, willing to, reluctant to.

Positions of adverbs

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, participles, numbers or whole sentences.

Adverbs of degree

Degree adverbs strengthen or soften: very, extremely, highly, fairly, quite, rather, considerably, significantly, slightly, relatively, too, enough. A few points are tested:

• very modifies adjectives and adverbs, but not comparatives: very fast, but much faster / far faster / considerably faster / significantly faster (not very faster).
• highly collocates with a limited set of words: highly recommended, highly qualified, highly competitive, highly unlikely, highly successful.
• enough goes after an adjective or adverb (large enough) but before a noun (enough seats).
• too means "more than acceptable": The file is too large to send. It is not a stronger very.

Adverbs of frequency

always, usually, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, seldom, never go before the main verb, after be, and after the first auxiliary: She usually works from home on Fridays. He is rarely late. We have never missed a deadline. Rarely, seldom and never are negative in meaning, so they are not combined with not.

Adverbs with special meanings

Watch for words whose meaning decides the answer: already (sooner than expected), still (continuing), yet (in negatives and questions: up to now), soon (in a short time), recently / lately (in the near past, with the present perfect or past simple), formerly / previously (in the past, not now), shortly (soon: shortly after the meeting), almost / nearly (not quite).

Quick check: (a) The team remained (calm / calmly) during the inspection. (b) Sales were (significant / significantly) higher in June. (c) The room isn't (enough large / large enough). — Answers: (a) calm, (b) significantly (before a comparative), (c) large enough.