Adjective and adverbs special questions

[klaus1]

Hi!

I have the following examples for fill in adjective or adverb:

8. The plane was flying _______ _______ over the hilltops. (PRETTY, LOW).
I thought flying prettily lowly over the hilltops. but correct is flying pretty low... I don't understand this.

15. Not __________ , they lost their last match. (SURPRISING)
why is here suprisingly the correct answer?

17. They were ______ _______ with the Christmas presents they received. (PERFECT, HAPPY).
I thought perfect happily, right answer is: perfectly happy...

Can someone give me a solution and explainaition for the sentences?
Thanks a lot.
Klaus

 

[teechar]

Hi!

I have the following examples

Hello Klaus, and welcome to the forum.
Who gave you those questions?

 

[klaus1]

English teacher. Exercises for test on Monday.

 

[Tarheel]

In "The plane was flying low over the hilltops" the word "low" functions as an adverb. (I wouldn't use "pretty" in that sentence. Why? I don't have to, that's why! )

explainaition explanation

 

[klaus1]

Thanks and the other sentences?

 

[emsr2d2]

My English teacher gave me these exercises to prepare for a test on Monday.

Thanks, and what about the other sentences?

Please note my corrections above. It's important to write in full sentences. Sorry, but we can't help you with this. Your teacher needs to know what you can do, not what we can do. The whole point of a test is so that your teacher can see how you're doing with your English studies, and from there they can see where your strengths and weaknesses lie. The forum rules clearly state that we can't help with homework or assignments that people are set by their teacher. After you take the test and you get the result, feel free to come back to us to ask for help if there's anything in your teacher's marks or comments that you don't understand.

 

[Tarheel]

Didn't he say he already has the correct answers?


Edited to note that I just now saw post #3 and am more confused than ever.

 

[teechar]

Hi Klaus,
Note the above replies. However, let me help you a little here.

Bookmark www.onelook.com and www.lexico.com

If you plug in, for example, the word "low", you'll see that it can function as either an adjective or an adverb, and similarly, "pretty", can work as either an adjective or an adverb. Thus, the possibilities are:
"pretty low" or "low pretty". The latter is wrong for several reasons, one being that we are not talking about "prettiness" here! Note, as Tarheel has pointed out, that "low" is an adverb in the above context (an adverb can modify another adverb).

Also note that many adverbs end in "-ly".

 

[Rover_KE]

Klaus, please explain what the test is about as you already appear to have the correct answers
to the examples in post #1.

 

[klaus1]

English test adjective or adverb. I have correct answer as posted but I don't understand why this is correct. Thanks

 

[emsr2d2]

It's an English test on/about adjectives or and adverbs. I have the correct answers, as posted shown in post #1, but I don't understand why this is they are correct. Thanks.

Note my corrections above. You need to work on writing complete sentences and on your use of articles and pronouns. If you're simply practising for a test, and the test will contain different questions from the ones you have given us, then we can help you.

Sentence 8: "pretty high" is correct because "pretty" there is an adverb similar in meaning to "quite", and it modifies the adjective "low". Remember that adverbs don't have to modify verbs, and they don't all end "-ly".

 

[emsr2d2]

@klaus1 - How did the test go today?

 

[jutfrank]

I think Klaus's main question concerns why it should be low and not lowly in sentence 8.

I'm not sure about the grammar but I find it sensible to analyse low as an adjective in this case rather than as an adverb, with the adverb pretty modifying the adjective low to constitute an adjective phrase. Not many verbs can license an adjective phrase in this way but fly is one of them (fly high/low).

In sentence 15, you need sentence adverb (in this case a comment adverb), so the correct phrase is Not surprisingly. Comment adverbs modify the following clauses.

In 17, you need an adjective phrase to complement the linking verb 'be'.

 

[teechar]

I'm not sure about the grammar but I find it sensible to analyse low as an adjective in this case rather than as an adverb, with the adverb pretty modifying the adjective low to constitute an adjective phrase. Not many verbs can license an adjective phrase in this way but fly is one of them (fly high/low).

I disagree. I think parsing "low" as adverb in that sentence is quite straightforward, and "pretty" is commonly used as an adverb in such cases. Take a look at the info in the following links. In fact, the example sentences use the very same scenario (flying planes).

Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words

The world's leading online dictionary: English definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more. A trusted authority for 25+ years!

www.lexico.com

low

1. not measuring much from the base to the top: 2. close to the ground or the…

dictionary.cambridge.org

Low Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

LOW meaning: 1 : not rising or extending upward a great distance; 2 : extending or reaching upward less than other things of the same kind

www.britannica.com