What are adverbs, adjectives, noun and verbs and which ones are bad?

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FashionQueen

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So, I realise this is silly but I've forgotton hat adverbs and all that lot are. I knew when I as six, but well, I've never used them and so forgotton them.

Also, why are adverbs not meant to be used?

Are any of the others not meant to be used?

Oh and are acronyms when you go AW for absolute write?

Also, what do people mean when they say protagionst and antagionst? (sorry, I've spelt them wrong, but I never used those words)

I've tried using a dictionary, but it wasn't much help.

Thanks in advance and sorry for posting such a stupid question, but I really don't know.
 

Mr Flibble

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An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, and often end in-ly -- he walked slowly. Not exactly bad, but you should try and use a stronger verb instead. He ambled, strolled, etc. It is more precise than using an adverb.

Adjectives are descriptives/ modifiers of a noun : Big bad wolf.

Acronym -- yup. you got that one

Simply, Protagonist is your hero,(the person whose actions drive the story) antogonist is your bad guy ( whose actions try and thwart said hero)
 

girlyswot

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Adverbs modify verbs: He ran swiftly.
Adjectives modify nouns (or pronouns): The little white horse.

No words are bad. All words can be used badly - that is to say, in a way that distracts from the story or the characterisation.

Acronyms are abbreviations like AW for Absolute Write. They should have full stops (periods) after each letter (A.W.) to indicate, but many common acronyms are often found without these.

Protagonist: the character who the story is about.
Antagonist: the character that the protagonist has to deal with.
 

dpaterso

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This isn't very supportive, I know, but it worries me that any writer would even have to ask these questions.

It's akin to wandering onto a golf course and asking golfers to stop and tell you what these long metal things are, and why they're being used to hit the little white round things into holes in the grass.

What you're asking should already be part of your writer's toolbox.

I may be wrong, but I think your best bet might be to get yourself a good grammar book and cuddle up to it in front of a warm fire.

-Derek
 

bethany

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This isn't very supportive, I know, but it worries me that any writer would even have to ask these questions.

It's akin to wandering onto a golf course and asking golfers to stop and tell you what these long metal things are, and why they're being used to hit the little white round things into holes in the grass.

What you're asking should already be part of your writer's toolbox.

I may be wrong, but I think your best bet might be to get yourself a good grammar book and cuddle up to it in front of a warm fire.

-Derek

I agree. But I'm an English teacher, so I might be a little biased!

ETA- you may have a basic understanding of English from being able to speak and from reading, you read, right? But like I always tell my creative writing students, you have to know the rules in order to break them.
 
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FashionQueen

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This isn't very supportive, I know, but it worries me that any writer would even have to ask these questions.

It's akin to wandering onto a golf course and asking golfers to stop and tell you what these long metal things are, and why they're being used to hit the little white round things into holes in the grass.

What you're asking should already be part of your writer's toolbox.

I may be wrong, but I think your best bet might be to get yourself a good grammar book and cuddle up to it in front of a warm fire.

-Derek

Firstly, (although this is very confusiong), I know what the words are, but, only by references to other words. For instance I know that adjectives are 'doing words', and I can give you examples but I cannot describe them. Secondly, the last time I was told what they are, I was six, they aren't part of GCSE or A-level courses, therefore they haven't been mentioned in years.

Secondly, my grammar is good, I can use hypens (see I know what they are), commas, semi-colons, etc. My vocabulary is good and I got an A* at my piece of creative writing for GCSE (FYI that's the highest grade you can get).

Thirdly, I write from the heart not the mind. I don't write by reading how to write (Do you read a manual to play golf?), I write from a knowledge that's inside of me. Everyone has a book inside them, but only certain people can make that book sound beautifully crafted, it's like golf, anyone can play, but only the skilled can get a hole in one. Everyone can write, but the language of writing isn't English (where adverbs come from), it's the language of the soul. I now what protagionsts and antagoinsts are, but those words are not words people use in normal conversations and they are not how I refer to my characters (the annoying one, the murdering one, the clever one, is, i find, a much more amusing way of remembering).

Finally, the more you play golf, the more you learn, the better you get. The more you write, the more you get better at it. I'm sure Tiger Woods had to be told some of golf's rules, before he began to play.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to the golf course...
 

johnnysannie

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Firstly, (although this is very confusiong), I know what the words are, but, only by references to other words. For instance I know that adjectives are 'doing words', and I can give you examples but I cannot describe them. Secondly, the last time I was told what they are, I was six, they aren't part of GCSE or A-level courses, therefore they haven't been mentioned in years.

Secondly, my grammar is good, I can use hypens (see I know what they are), commas, semi-colons, etc. My vocabulary is good and I got an A* at my piece of creative writing for GCSE (FYI that's the highest grade you can get).

Thirdly, I write from the heart not the mind. I don't write by reading how to write (Do you read a manual to play golf?), I write from a knowledge that's inside of me. Everyone has a book inside them, but only certain people can make that book sound beautifully crafted, it's like golf, anyone can play, but only the skilled can get a hole in one. Everyone can write, but the language of writing isn't English (where adverbs come from), it's the language of the soul. I now what protagionsts and antagoinsts are, but those words are not words people use in normal conversations and they are not how I refer to my characters (the annoying one, the murdering one, the clever one, is, i find, a much more amusing way of remembering).

Finally, the more you play golf, the more you learn, the better you get. The more you write, the more you get better at it. I'm sure Tiger Woods had to be told some of golf's rules, before he began to play.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to the golf course...

While it may be endearing that you "write from the heart" if you want to be a successful (i.e. published) writer then you do need some tools of the trade. First and foremost of those tools is a good grasp of grammar. If you're uncertain about adjectives, adverbs, and such, then you are lacking the tools.

You may know what hypens, commas, and semi-colons are but if you don't use them correctly, then you are still ignorant.

It boggles my mind that any would-be writer would first ask for clarification what adverbs and adjectives are and even more than the writer would then insist that they don't need the knowledge.

And yes, some people do read books to play golf and some who don't, actually take lessons.
 

FashionQueen

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ETA- you may have a basic understanding of English from being able to speak and from reading, you read, right? But like I always tell my creative writing students, you have to know the rules in order to break them.

Yes, I do read (do magazines count? Relax, I'm joking. I've read classics such as Little Woman, Sense and Senisbility and Pride and Prejudice) and I also have much more than a basic knowledge and understanding of the English language (I can anaylse books and poems and tell you exactly why the ghost of Jennet was, in my opinion, the most desolate victim of all in the book written by Susan Hill, called The Woman In Black.) I just don't seem to remember things that were told to me over ten years ago. However, what naming certain words has to do with breaking rules, I have absolutely no idea.
 

StoryG27

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This isn't very supportive, I know, but it worries me that any writer would even have to ask these questions.
Why? I don't see why it would worry you for a fellow writer to ask these questions. Maybe she's just starting her "writer's toolbox," or tyring to remember what the tools are that she put in there a long time ago. Who knows? AW is the place for writers to come and ask questions, writers at all stages.

I do agree that a wonderful grammar book would be a good place for Fashion Queen to start. I think every writer needs 'em, myself included.
 

bethany

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As far as knowing the rules in order to break them? ETA I probably should've said to break them effectively

For example, I understand the difference between a correct sentence a run-on sentence and a fragment. I use fragments, purposefully, not because I don't realize that a complete thought requires both a subject and a predicate.

Your posts are full of grammar and spelling mistakes. A writer is supposed to be someone who loves language and uses it to its fullest extent. I'd sit down with a grammar book, if I were you, and spend some time learning the basics.
 
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Marian Perera

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Everyone can write, but the language of writing isn't English (where adverbs come from), it's the language of the soul. I now what protagionsts and antagoinsts are, but those words are not words people use in normal conversations and they are not how I refer to my characters (the annoying one, the murdering one, the clever one, is, i find, a much more amusing way of remembering).

I think that if you're writing for publication, you may want to consider writing in the "language of the soul", but then translating it into English that is grammatically accurate and free of spelling errors. For instance, the words are spelled "protagonists" and "antagonists". These words are also more useful in discussions of the craft than phrases like "the clever one", amusing though that may be to you.
 

Sargentodiaz

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It doesn't take much time or effort to do a Google search for each of what you want. I think I;m a fairly savy individual when it comes to English and I learned a lot more about it when I learned German. However, I have a folder in my PC called English Grammer where I can refer to such things now and then.
I strongly urge you to do the same - there are tons of articles out there about it, especially on Wikipedia.com
No matter how good you think you are, it never hurts to refresh your memory now and then.
 

Mr Flibble

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It boggles my mind that any would-be writer would first ask for clarification what adverbs and adjectives are and even more than the writer would then insist that they don't need the knowledge.

Really? Due to the appalling trendy teaching in the seventies, for a long time I knew there were words that modified a verb, or a noun, and I knew how to use them. I just didn't know what they were called. In much the same way I can ride a motorbike and know only that one handle slows things down, and the twisty bit speeds it up. I don't need to know what they are called to use them.

All FQ was asking was a clarification of terms, which are not exactly in frequent use outside of grammar 101 or writers talking. We all have to start somewhere, and being snobby about the fact that she asked isn't helping anyone.
 

dpaterso

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Advising any member where to look for exactly the information they're looking for is a long way from being disrespectful, rude or snippy.

Fact: this stuff is all over the internet, and also resides in those useful things called grammar books. :)

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/nouns.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verbs.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/clauses.htm

-Derek
 

Mr Flibble

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Of course giving advice isn't disrespectful ( nice links btw), but stating that a writer shouldn't need to ask is, a little.

I doubt anyone here was born with the knowledge of what an adverb is. We were all starting out once. And learning requires asking questions, no?

When learning, often it's more useful for someone explain to you, than just read a treatise on the subject. Otherwise we wouldn't need teachers.:)
 

Joycecwilliams

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I agree...



This isn't very supportive, I know, but it worries me that any writer would even have to ask these questions.

It's akin to wandering onto a golf course and asking golfers to stop and tell you what these long metal things are, and why they're being used to hit the little white round things into holes in the grass.

What you're asking should already be part of your writer's toolbox.

I may be wrong, but I think your best bet might be to get yourself a good grammar book and cuddle up to it in front of a warm fire.

-Derek
 

girlyswot

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Firstly, (although this is very confusiong), I know what the words are, but, only by references to other words. For instance I know that adjectives are 'doing words', and I can give you examples but I cannot describe them.

If you think that adjectives are 'doing words' you perhaps need to read some of the answers at the beginning of this thread.
 

Joycecwilliams

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If anyone took the time, to look at FashionQueen's profile, they would see she is a Brit. Some of her misspellings maybe because of that..

I suggest that FashionGirl read some of the posts in the forums that pertain to writing, and learn before she posts...

A lot of the subjects are covered throughout the boards.
 

dpaterso

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Yeah I think Fashion Queen's probably got the message by now. I didn't mean to spark an emotional reaction with my first post, or invite sarcasm or hostility. By the time I'd looked for suitable links to supplement the grammar book suggestion, a flurry of replies had already appeared.

Anyways, for no other reason than it probably belongs there, this thread is moving to Grammar for Grasshoppers forum.

-Derek
 

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If you think that adjectives are 'doing words' you perhaps need to read some of the answers at the beginning of this thread.

I wondered about that. They're more like "how you do things words."

Sure, in theory, knowing the names of different parts of speech is as unimportant as a golfer knowing what a tee is called, if the only goal is to write or golf well. If a writer is confident that he or she doesn't need either the social or practical benefits of discussing writing with other writers, hey, no big deal.

But if you want to converse with other writers, knowing the common language is important. It's way too clunky for each person to have their own names for things and fight through the maze of phrases like "doing words" or "action words," when it's easier for everyone to just say "verbs."
 

Thrillride

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You may know what hypens, commas, and semi-colons are but if you don't use them correctly, then you are still ignorant.quote]

Would somebody please spell hyphens right already? Sheesh...driving me nuts.

(Just messin' with ya. Just trying to lighten it up.)
 
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Libbie

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While it may be endearing that you "write from the heart" if you want to be a successful (i.e. published) writer then you do need some tools of the trade. First and foremost of those tools is a good grasp of grammar. If you're uncertain about adjectives, adverbs, and such, then you are lacking the tools.

You may know what hypens, commas, and semi-colons are but if you don't use them correctly, then you are still ignorant.

It boggles my mind that any would-be writer would first ask for clarification what adverbs and adjectives are and even more than the writer would then insist that they don't need the knowledge.

And yes, some people do read books to play golf and some who don't, actually take lessons.

ETA: Let me clarify my post at the outset: I see nothing at all wrong with a writer asking what specific grammar terms mean. I see nothing wrong with a writer having poor spelling skills. That's not what annoys me here. It's all about attitude and gratitude and the ability to accept a critique. Read on, if you dare.

Sorry, FashionQueen, but johnnysannie is absolutely correct here, and your attitude stinks.

Rather than everybody having a book inside them, I find that an awful lot of people think that they have a book inside them, and believe that they have an entitlement to a publishing contract just because they feel like they are creative people. They don't want to take the time it takes to learn the craft of writing. Craft includes not only things like characterization and beautiful prose, but command of the basics of the language in which you are writing. That includes knowing and understanding technical terms that relate to writing.

You don't know what an adjective is; you said adjectives are "doing words." No, they're not. "Doing words" are verbs. Adjectives are descriptive words which clarify a noun by revealing its specific traits. You said you know what "protagionsts" and "antagionsts" are. No, you do not. If you did, you'd have realized by now that the words are protagonist and antagonist. Look hard at those words and you will see key differences between protagonist and protagionst that give you clues to what a protagonist is (and why progagionst is not a word at all.)

You frustrate me because your sense of entitlement is clear. I have a very low tolerance for people who feel entitled to success without working for it first. Why are you clearly a person with entitlement issues? Because two posters took the time to answer your questions without preaching at you, and you blew them off and clearly didn't pay a lick of attention to what they taught you. You still think that adjectives are verbs, and that you spell "protagionst" thusly, even after two folks took the time to gently and helpfully inform you.

Other posters here may think I'm being harsh with you, but I think your attitude in response to feedback deserves a bit of harshness. Another big part of being a serious writer is being able to take criticism and apply it toward improving your craft. I suppose you can consider me your first harsh critic.

Finally, I don't know what a GCSE is but I do know one thing: The U.S.A. has one of the worst public education systems in the world. Our ability to educate our children is abysmal. I never went to college. I am purely a product of the U.S. public school system. I was told what an adjective is many, many times by my public-school teachers since the age of six. I never stopped learning parts of grammar until I left school in the twelfth grade. If children are being taught grammar and basic sentence structure through twelfth grade in the crummy old U.S., then they are being taught the same and more elsewhere, including in your country. If you slept through your grammar lessons, you have no one to blame but yourself. Fortunately there's still time to learn.

Everybody does not have a book inside them, but those who feel they do can write one (or more) if they take the time to set aside ego and humble themselves enough to learn. You won't get far with the attitude that you're beyond reproach and don't need any help--even when you ask for it--because you're an arteest who writes from her heart. On the other hand, if you are willing to seriously work at your writing skills and develop your craft, you can't possibly be in a better place to learn than A.W.
 
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BlueLucario

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You might want to read Strunk and White's Elements of Style. You can get the free ebook or go to the book store and get it cheap.
 

Mr Flibble

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I was told what an adjective is many, many times by my public-school teachers since the age of six. I never stopped learning parts of grammar until I left school in the twelfth grade. If children are being taught grammar and basic sentence structure through twelfth grade in the crummy old U.S., then they are being taught the same and more elsewhere, including in your country


Unfortunately,from the early seventies until very recently, UK schools taught virtually no grammar whatsoever ( because the trendy thought was it would stifle the little darlings creativity). I was taught what a verb was, what a noun was, at age nine or so, and that was it.

And my kids have been taught that adjectives are 'doing words' in the sense that they describe how something is done.

So I'm afraid you're wrong about that.

I'm rather confused as to the 'clear sense of entitlement' that you see but I don't. I just see a kid who is still in college who knows that she needs to learn and is asking some questions because she's confused, and then gets jumped on because she asked.

Personally I thought this forum was all about learning how to write, not having a go at people who want to learn
 
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