Grammar - Positive and Negative Adverbs and Adjectives

Let’s look at words that can and can’t be used together in a sentence because of their negativity or positivity.

Utter - Utterly

The words utter and utterly are considered to be negative words therefore they shouldn’t be combined with a positive word. So the following examples would be incorrect:

• She was utterly excited

• She was utterly happy

The words utter and utterly should only be used in a negative context such as the following examples:

• She is an utter fool for saying that

• To spend all your time sat at the computer is a complete and utter waste of time

• They never had any intention of getting jobs and were utterly dependent on their parents and friends.

Complete – Completely

These words are much more easier to put into negative and positive sentences. See the following examples:

• He was an idiot, her new boyfriend is the complete opposite to him

• Millions of lives have been lost and millions of people have had their lives completely destroyed

• She looked completely gorgeous in that outfit

Even though this particular adjective/adverb can be positive, negative and neutral, we still cannot write the following phrase – completely excited.

Terrible – Terribly

One of the adverbs that is used most with the word excited is terribly. It is important to note that the adjective terrible can only be used in negative sentences, but the adverb terribly can be used to describe emotions in the extreme on either side.

• She was terrible in her last performance

• Is she ill? She looked terrible

• He was terribly upset when he lost his favourite toy

• The children get terribly excited the night before Christmas

Awful – Awfully

The adjectives and the adverbs awful and awfully follow a pattern like terrible and terribly. As awful is an adjective it can only be used in sentences that are negative. As awfully is an adverb it can be used in both negative and positive writing.

• I hope something awful hasn’t happened there

• He has always been awfully helpful

• She was awfully drunk that night

• It’s an awful shame she had to miss the dance