Feel bad feel badly

[thebossfan]

Hallo,
How shloud it be said? To feel bad or to feel badly. And different: To feel good of to feel well? To feel fantastic or to feel fantastically? Is there any rule how to construc this type of sentences?

So long

[melo]

After a verb you should put and adverb.
So it should be:
To feel well. To feel fantastically.
But in colloquial English people also say:
I feel good I feel fantastic
But the sentence " I feel bad " is correct
Ciao Melo

[mykwyner]

In English, the verb to feel can be either an action verb ["I feel a coin in my pocket]" having to do with the sense of touch, or it can be a linking verb ["I feel sleepy"] that explains a state of being or condition.

Action verbs are modified by adverbs. Linking verbs connect the subject to an adjective.

If you feel bad that means you are sad or sick.
If you feel badly that means there is something wrong with your sense of touch.

People commonly make this error when they don't really understand the difference between linking verbs and action verbs and assume that all verbs require adverbs as modifiers. This is called hypercorrection.

There is also confusion because the word well can be used in at least two different ways:

1. Well can be the adverbial form of good.
Jim is a good football player; he plays well.

2. Well can also mean not sick, healthy.
Jim had an upset stomach yesterday, but he is well now.

So, to summarize:

I feel bad about missing school is correct perfect English grammar.
I feel badly about missing school is incorrect, ungrammatical English that is frequently used by all types of English speakers.

[thebossfan]

Thank you very much!
It is now clear to me!

[Humble]

Hi,
It may be hypercorrection for native speakers, Mykwyner; for most ESLs it’s a grammatical calque.

[thebossfan]

Esl?

[Tdol]

English as a Second Language.

[dmwilson]

I understand your explanation, but it still doesn't ring true to me. Although I am not a teacher, I am an avid fan of the english language and using it correctly. Whether the word "feel" is used as a tactile sense or sense of emotion, it is still a verb. I am not bad. I feel badly. Irregular verb or not, feel is a verb and the word badly is describing how I feel. A descriptive word that answers "how" is an adverb. The adverb form of bad is badly. I have a feeling my 9th grade english teacher is rolling over in her grave!

[David L.]

It's true, though.
After "feel", 'bad' is an adjective complement, and means "guilty' or 'ashamed' or 'unwell'.

[mykwyner]

There are several English verbs that are actually homonyms of themselves; one is a linking verb and another is an action verb.

My daughter looks beautiful (not beautifully) in her new dress. (linking verb)
My daughter looks carefully (not careful) through the microscope. (action verb)

My son appeared happy (not happily) when I told him the good news. (linking verb)
My son appeared suddenly (not sudden) when I called him. (action verb)

The music sounded wonderful. (not wonderfully) (linking verb)
The alarm bell sounded suddenly. (not sudden) (action verb)