At a fundamental level, adjectives and adverbs describe other words. But what makes these parts of speech different are the types of words they describe. An adjective is a word that describes nouns (people, places, or things). To describe the noun “cat,” we could use the adjectives “large,” “small,” “black,” “furry,” “friendly,” etc. An adverb usually describes a verb, but it can also describe another adverb or an adjective. Instead of describing a being or an object, it describes an action or a way of doing something.

These two parts of speech are basic elements of language, yet they are commonly confused and often misused. Let’s examine how to identify and use adjectives and adverbs appropriately.

Using Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives can only describe nouns, which include pronouns. However, multiple adjectives can be listed together to describe the noun. For example, a house can be characterized as “a big, red house.” (When listed, these descriptors follow the rules of adjective order.)

Adverbs most commonly describe verbs to provide context to show how an action is done (e.g., “quickly,” “carefully”), or how frequently the action is taken (e.g., “sometimes,” “seldomly”). There are a special handful of adverbs — such as “really” and “very” — that generally describe other adverbs and adjectives with a level of intensity or frequency. For example: “The very big house sat atop the really steep hill. ”

While you’re free to sprinkle adjectives and adverbs into your writing and speech as you see fit, some pros advise against using too many. Stephen King famously warned against adverbs in his memoir/guide On Writing:

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s — GASP!! — too late.”

The moral of the story here is that overdoing it with descriptors — King specifies adverbs, but it works with adjectives, too — can weaken prose and take away from the overall strength of the message. But that’s just one man’s opinion (albeit the opinion of a bestselling author who has written more than 70 books).

How to Identify Adjectives and Adverbs

Given that adverbs frequently end in “-ly,” that can be a shortcut for identifying an adverb versus an adjective. But tread carefully — while this usually works (as in the adjective “happy” vs. the adverb “happily”), there are several adjectives that end in “-ly,” including “curly,” “elderly,” “friendly,” and “lovely.” Then there are the words that remain the same, whether they’re used as an adjective or an adverb. “Hard,” “fast,” “rough,” “straight,” “wrong,” “far,” and more fall into that category. The easiest and most surefire way to identify an adjective versus an adverb is to identify the word it is describing. If it’s a noun, the descriptor is an adjective. If it’s a verb, adjective, or adverb, then the descriptor is an adverb.

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If you threw a party with guests from Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Jamaica, and the United States, they might have a hard time understanding each other. English is spoken in all five countries, but every culture puts its own spin on things, from using the same word in wildly different ways, to coining words that are unique to a specific nation. Here's a guide to some words and phrases that are 100% American.

Ballpark

While a professional ballpark is defined by the baseball diamond, the outfield, the stands, the concessions, and the walls around it, neighborhood fields might not have the same boundaries. You can play ball anywhere, including in the street, an open field, or a backyard.

So when the word "ballpark" is used off the field, it usually means you're in the right general area, but maybe not within set boundaries. You can ballpark an estimate, hit something out of the ballpark, or meet someone’s guidelines by being in the same ballpark.

Sneakers

Athletic footwear goes by many names around the globe — Canadians refer to such shoes as runners, while Brits affectionately call them trainers. Americans favor sneakers, tennis shoes, or running shoes — don't worry if you're neither sneaking nor running.

Bachelor / Bachelorette

The title of this reality TV guilty pleasure is also a term unique to the U.S., at least when it comes to prenuptial partying. In other English-speaking countries, parties to celebrate the bride and groom’s last hurrah are known as stag, stagette, hen, or buck parties, though most people would still know what a bachelor(ette) party entailed if you extended an invite.

Soccer / Football

Perhaps the most infamous sports-related difference in the English language is what people call the game that involves kicking a black and white ball into a goal. Throughout the rest of the world, it’s called football, which makes sense because it's played with, well, your feet. But in America (and Australia), it's soccer. What Americans call football is played by throwing and carrying a ball into an end zone. It's known as American football internationally.

More Bang for Your Buck

This American expression refers to getting a good deal, but the origins are a little more sinister. President Dwight D. Eisenhower coined the phrase in the 1950s, with the aim of expanding America’s armed forces while decreasing military spending.

First Floor

Sure, people around the globe say "first floor" — but they’re referring to the floor of a building above the ground floor. In the U.S., if you said you were on the first floor, you’d probably be referring to the floor where you enter a building. This difference can lead to some confused hotel guests when staying abroad.

Zip Codes

The rest of the English-speaking world uses postal codes to send their mail (also known as the post in the U.K.) via the postal system. But America’s five- or nine-digit ZIP codes stand apart. The USPS strategically chose ZIP to imply snail mail was, believe it or not, fast and efficient. But it's not just a zippy marketing ploy — it's also an acronym, for Zone Improvement Plan.

Freshmen / Sophomores / Juniors / Seniors

Whether you’re in high school or university, American students typically progress through these levels, based on their year of study — a practice not followed outside of America. Interestingly, these terms originated at the University of Cambridge in England, only to fall out of favor until they were revived by Cambridge graduate John Harvard, when he, you guessed it, founded Harvard College.

John Hancock

America’s colonial history pops up in American slang. If you ask for someone’s John Hancock, you’re asking for their signature. John Hancock was a real man, an American revolutionary patriot who made a literal name for himself with his flamboyant signature on the Declaration of Independence.

Flake

Light, airy, and oh-so-quick to crumble — just like your plans with a flaky friend. The rest of the world primarily uses this word when describing baking textures, but Americans have extended the meaning to anyone who is indecisive or flighty.

Take a Rain Check

If you’re looking to politely turn down an offer for drinks with colleagues, or a last-minute dinner invite, you might tell someone you’ll “take a rain check.” This charming Americanism also comes from baseball. If a game was rained out, ticket holders were given a ticket — or rain check — for a future game.

Vacation

Many English-speakers look forward to taking a holiday from work. Americans, however, are all about booking a vacation, or even more colloquially, a vacay. In America, holidays are typically reserved for talking about the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Jumped the Shark

This fishy phrase hails back to the 1970s, when the Fonz literally jumped over a shark during an episode of the comedy show Happy Days. Fans declared this scene as the official moment when Happy Days had run out of fresh, creative, and believable ideas. But the phrase stuck, and it’s still used to describe anything that undergoes a rapid and steep decline in quality.

Dude

While this slang word for "man" or "guy" is now most closely associated with SoCal surfer types, its origins date back to the 19th century, when posh East Coasters trekked out West for a cattle ranch vacation. It’s been picked up somewhat by other English speakers, but "dude" still has a truly American vibe.

Shotgun!

The best seat in the car is shotgun — AKA the front passenger’s seat. The term was inspired by America’s Wild West stagecoach days. If you ever see a group sprinting across the parking lot while yelling “shotgun,” chances are they’re just trying to lay claim to this coveted spot.