The only bad thing is that she smells bad.
In the above sentence, I think bad is an adverb because it describes the linking verb, smells. The dictionary lists bad as a verb. Is it an adverb or verb and why?
Thanks.
"Bad" in both places is an adjective.
In the second usage, it's a predicate adjective because "smells" is serving as a linking verb.
If you don't understand this (and it isn't easy!), let us know.
After verbs of "sense" : looks, smells, sounds, feels, tastes, the following descriptive word is an adjective. The reason is that it is describing the subject... Look at the below.
The rose looks beautiful.
The rose is beautiful.
Rose <- beautiful.
Lemon tastes sour.
Lemon is sour.
Lemon <- sour.
Adverbs tell when, where, how usually.
In the sentence "The only bad thing is that she smells bad," the word "bad" is actually functioning as an adjective, not an adverb or a verb. It describes the noun "thing" and tells us the quality of it.
Here's how you can determine the part of speech for "bad":
1. Check the function: Look at how the word is used in the sentence. If it describes a noun or a pronoun, it is likely an adjective.
In this case, "bad" describes the noun "thing," so it is acting as an adjective.
2. Look at the definition: While dictionaries can be helpful, they may not always provide the complete answer since words can have multiple meanings.
If you check the dictionary, you will find that "bad" can indeed be an adjective, meaning "of poor quality or low standard." This aligns with its use in the sentence to describe the quality of the thing.
Remember that just because a word shares the same letters as a verb, it doesn't automatically make it a verb in every context. Words can have different forms and functions, so examining how they function in the sentence is crucial to determine their part of speech.