This author writes ____ but powerfully.

discursive or discursively

answer: discursive

Why did you choose discursive? Do you need an adverb or an adjective here?

These are the only choices.

Do you need an adverb or an adjective here?

To determine the correct answer between "discursive" and "discursively," we need to understand how the word is being used in the sentence. Both words are derived from the base form "discourse," but they have slightly different meanings and functions.

"Discursive" is an adjective that describes something which digresses, wanders, or explores different topics or ideas. It implies a lack of focus or a tendency to move away from the main point. For example, if someone's writing or speech is described as "discursive," it means that they tend to go off on tangents and explore various related or unrelated ideas.

On the other hand, "discursively" is an adverb derived from the adjective "discursive." It describes something done in a discursive manner, meaning that it relates to or involves discursiveness.

Given that we are looking for an adjective to describe how the author writes, the correct answer would be "discursive." This indicates that the author's writing style tends to explore different ideas and topics, perhaps going off on tangents but in a powerful way.