Posted by rfvv on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 12:53am.
He is standing still.
(Is 'still' an adjective or an adverb?)
English - karla, Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 12:55am
Is it modifying a noun(adjective) or a verb(adverb)?
English - Writeacher, Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 7:15am
In this sentence, it's an adjective -- modifying the subject "He."
=============
Hello. Thank you for your help.
Isn't 'still' an adverb in the sentence. 'Still' modifies 'standing' in the sentence, right?
ex) He is standing still.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/still
Look at the different uses for this word in the dictionary. Read what it says for this word as an adjective and then as an adverb. What do you think?
You are correct, 'still' in the sentence "He is standing still" is used as an adverb. It modifies the verb 'standing' and describes how he is standing. 'Still' in this sentence means not moving or changing position.
To determine whether 'still' is an adjective or an adverb, you can consider what it is modifying. Adjectives typically modify nouns or pronouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
In the sentence you provided, 'still' is describing the state or manner of the action 'standing', so it functions as an adverb. It tells us how he is standing - in this case, without moving.
To identify the function of 'still', you can ask yourself "What is it modifying?" If the answer is a noun or pronoun, it is likely an adjective. If the answer is a verb, adjective, or adverb, it is likely an adverb.