h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What part of the sentence "The dog was barking loudly" is the word "loudly"?


*has horrible feeling that doesn't make sense....*

adjective?

It's an adverb (if that's the question!)

'Barking' is the verb, 'loudly' describes how the verb was being carried out (many adverbs end in 'ly' - quickly, hungrily, happily etc.)

it's an adverb
Frood

Yes, I'd have said adverb. Rather worringly, a "revison guide to the 11+", which I'm currently printing out for my daughter, uses it as an example of an adjective....

ah. almost simulpost Bookish librarians that can type fast...bah!

i said adjective to because its describing how its being done. the dog is barking. but it is doing it loudly therefore describing.

hmm, if it was yoda saying it, perhaps... loudly, the dog did bark

Hmm... a quick look round the web seems to suggest that that 'barking' in that sentence would be classed as as a noun (technically, it's the gerund of the verb 'to bark').

Therefore, 'loudly' in this is being used an adjective. The verb in the sentence is 'was'.

I stand corrected

it would be an adjective if it was describing the bark... ie: the dog had a loud bark. however it's describing the manner of the dogs barking, not the bark itself so is an adverb... I think

or not ah, english usage, it's grand. now what happens when the dog is feminine or masculine?

"was" is surely the auxiliary verb, with "barking" the past particple.

I'd have said "was barking" was the imperfect of the verb "to bark".

Quoting from Websters dictionary:

Gerund:

1. a verbal noun in Latin that expresses generalized or uncompleted action

2. any of several linguistic forms analogous to the Latin gerund in languages other than Latin; especially : the English verbal noun in -ing that has the function of a substantive and at the same time shows the verbal features of tense, voice, and capacity to take adverbial qualifiers and to govern objects.

------

So, if barking is a 'verbal noun', then loudly is an 'adverbial adjective'. The critical thing seems to be that it's an uncompleted action:

The dog barked loudly (adverb describing verb 'barked')
The dog was barking loudly (adjective describing verbal noun 'barking')

Couldn't they have picked an easier example of an adjective for an 11+ revision guide..?

The dog was barking loudly.

- 'was barking' - compound verb (past continuous).

- 'loudly' - adverb describing the verb



az

ps

'barking' in this sentence is a present participle, not a gerund (which both look that same but have different functions).


az

but i understood that it was an adjective.

didnt completly understand why though!

im a scientist not an eglish student

So, if azahar is right (and I hope you are, 'cos it's sets my 20-year fight with grammar back to rights!) then why does the revision book say it's an adjective. Is it just wrong?

Jeez, I'm glad I'm not 11 any more and don't have to worry bout this!

I was really worried about the standard of English on this site until azahar posted. Post 14 is 100% correct and look no further.

B

Looks wrong to me.

An adjective describes a noun. An adverb can describe either a verb or an adjective (as in 'very hot'). 'Was barking' is definitely a compound verb in that sentence. Sooooo. . .


az