Adverbs modifying adjectives and adverbs

As mentioned before, the primary function of some adverbs is to modify an adjective, or an adverb derived from it. This applies to very, terribly, awfully, etc., which are set beyond this, we find:

(i) All monomorphemic adverbs may modify adjectives and adverbs except for alone and also, indeed and of course, and time adverbs just, again, once, soon, later, then, today, tomorrow, yesterday, etc.

(ii) Of the adverbs derived by the addition of -ly, we find:

. Those that can easily modify adjectives: adverbs derived from adjectives in types PHYSICAL PROPERTY, COLOR and VALUE, excluding well and badly, HUMAN PROPENSITY and SIMILARITY, and QUALIFICATION and VOLITION; those ending in -ally; those ending in -fully, whether derived from a verb or a noun; slightly, somewhat, especially, fairly; and really, truly.

. Those that can scarcely or never modify an adjective: badly, well, those based on DIMENSION and DIFFICULTY adjectives, plus DRASTICALLY, expertly; those derived from SPEED adjectives, certainly, and time adverbs such as weekly.

In addition, no phrasal or clausal adverb, nor any place adverb, may modify an adjective.

There are a few forms which just modify an adjective (or an adverb). They are thus not classified as adverbs, according to the definition followed here—a word which may occur in sentential or in manner function or both. These include:

. Extremely; for example, extremely clever(ly).

. Far, used only with too  and with comparatives; for example, far too long and far more attractive. Far may be repeated, as in far, far, far too long.

. Newly, derived from the AGE adjective new, has a restricted function, almost exclusively (or exclusively) with participles—for example, a newly hatched chicken and a newly discovered river—not with monomorphemic adjectives. (new discovery and newly discovered, new hatching and newly hatched.)

However is a fascinating word, with a wide range of meaning. It is historically based on the interrogative how and can have a similar meaning, as in Do it how(ever) you want! It can occur with much to indicate an indefinite meaning, as in However much it costs, I’ll buy it. It may function as a clause linker, as in He is attractive, however he doesn’t have a cent to his name. And it may modify an adjective in a two-clause construction such as However big yours is, I’ll bet mine is bigger. The first clause here has the structure however-plus-adjective (as copula complement), copula subject, copula verb. A similar use of however, this time modifying an adverb, is However strongly you pull, you’ll never dislodge it. In this function, however can modify virtually any adjective or derived adverb.

Adjectives which may modify adverbs are a subset of those which may modify adjectives. Although judgements here are—even more than usual—of a ‘more/less’ rather than a ‘yes/no’ nature.

The most common adverb-modifying adverbs are the monomorphemic items and kind-of, as in almost stupidly, rather cleverly, kind-of badly, very angrily. Also those adverbs ending in -ly which do not in the modern language directly relate to an adjective. They include those for example, terribly easily, awfully strongly as in simply stupidly, mostly sensibly—and really, truly, hardly, fully, slightly, especially, fairly. Some adverbs derived from VALUE adjectives may also modify other adverbs; for example, atrociously jealously.

Generally, an adverb derived from an adjective by adding -ly is unlikely to modify another adverb derived from an adjective by adding -ly, where in each instance adverb and adjective have the same basic meaning. Alongside sweetly cool, appropriately angry and obviously proud one would be unlikely to hear sweetly coolly, appropriately angrily or obviously proudly. It seems that there is a preference for avoiding a sequence of adverbs ending in -ly, if the -ly is morphologically segmentable.