Which sentence below contains a correctly used modifier?
a) He spoke "sharply" to his sister.
b) I feel "goodly" now that I'm over the flu.
c) The sauce tasted "bitterly", and I couldn't swallow it.
d) Joe looked "sad" at his broken bike.
Appreciate the help. I think it is A
the first one...sharply being the adverb...plus all the other ones don't even SOUND correct
I would say A
You are correct! Sentence A) "He spoke 'sharply' to his sister" contains a correctly used modifier.
To determine whether a modifier is used correctly, we need to consider whether it effectively describes or modifies the word it is attached to.
In sentence A, the word "sharply" modifies the verb "spoke" by conveying how the action was performed. It gives us additional information about the manner in which he spoke, indicating that he spoke in a sharp or harsh manner. This makes the modifier "sharply" appropriate and correctly used in this context.
On the other hand, let's briefly analyze the other options to demonstrate why they are incorrectly used:
- Option B) "I feel 'goodly' now that I'm over the flu." The word "goodly" is not commonly used as an adverb. The correct word choice here would be "well" to describe feeling healthy or better.
- Option C) "The sauce tasted 'bitterly', and I couldn't swallow it." Similar to option B, the word "bitterly" is not a typical adverb. A more appropriate choice would be "bitter" as an adjective to describe the taste of the sauce.
- Option D) "Joe looked 'sad' at his broken bike." Here, the word "sad" is an adjective, not an adverb. If we wanted to use an adverb, we might say "Joe looked sadly at his broken bike." This sentence does not contain a properly used adverb.
Remember, modifiers should accurately describe or modify the word they are attached to, providing additional information that enhances the reader's understanding.