She drives really good is wrong because good modifies the verb drives and thus should be the adverb well. She drives real well is wrong because real modifies the adverb well and thus should be the adverb really. She drives real good is, of course, a double error. Most of us are unlikely to use adjectives as adverbs except when being deliberately slangy.

Note that I drive slow in town is not an error. Some common adverbs have two forms; both slow and slowly can be adverbs, though the only adjectival form is slow. Don't automatically correct an "adjectival" form that seems idiomatic as an adverb; check the dictionary - it may be a legitimate adverb too. In fact, real is very frequently an adverb in casual speech and is accepted as such by dictionaries - it means very rather than genuinely or veritably and hence is distinct from really - and therefore she drives real well, condemned in the preceding paragraph, has been granted some license.

Adverbs that should be adjectives

I feel badly about it is such a common error that some authorities accept it as idiomatically correct. The verb feel is a linking verb in this example, not an ordinary verb as it can be in other sentences, such as I feel strongly about it and We feel similarly about it. A linking verb links its subject to the following word or phrase. I is a pronoun and cannot be modified by or linked to an adverb, but it can be modified or linked to an adjective. Thus it should be I feel bad about it. An occasional expression such as I feel badly about it may infiltrate the speech and writing of those who are careful of their grammar and know something about grammar but not quite enough; they think the verb feel has to be modified by an adverb, so they tack on the ly. To avoid such errors, pay close attention to sentences that contain linking verbs. The most common linking verb is, of course, be. Other common verbs that can be linking verbs include seem, appear, look, become, grow, taste, smell, sound, remain, and stay.

Precision with adjectives and adverbs can be important. In opening his poem on his father's dying with the line Do not go gentle into that good night, Dylan Thomas was being precise. He wanted his father to remain himself as he faced death, not to be gentle and resigned, but he did not want his father to die ungently and painfully, which is what Do not go gently would mean. To communicate his meaning, Thomas used gentle as what is called a predicate complement - a construction that is quite common, as in I came home tired and Don't go away mad, and is not likely to give any fluent user of the language trouble. However, such usage does surprise us and make us pay attention when we find it in Thomas's line where we would expect an adverb.

Source: The Handbook of Good English, by Edward Johnson.

Here in America, football season is really ramping up. While nobody can say who's in the Super Bowl yet, some teams have promise, others are utterly forgettable so far. It's all fun, though. Prep those great snacks, put the beer on ice, hope for a snowy Sunday afternoon, and let's have a party!

1. barrelage: (a) the length of time required to fill one barrel; (b) the age of a barrel (of beer); (c) amount (as of beer) in barrels; (d) a football term measuring the power of the defensive front line.

2. hang time: (a) the amount of time a kicked football remains in the air; (b) football slang for fourth down and long yardage; (c) what a coach faces after a 0-16 season; (d) time spent on the Bronco sidelines chatting with Tim Tebow.

3. bootleg: (a) a football play in which the placekicker strikes the ball with his heel to send the ball to a waiting receiver; (b) a football play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff, hides the ball against his hip, and rolls out; (c) a direct forceful rush by a defensive player in football; (d) a short pass in football thrown to a back who is running toward the sideline.

4. hip pointer: (a) a deep bruise to the iliac crest or to the attachments of the muscles attached to it that occurs especially in contact sports (as football); (b) ergonomically designed hip padding worn by football linemen; (c) injury to and inflammation of the tibial and toe extensor muscles or their fasciae caused by repeated minimal traumas (as by running); (d) a stylishly adorned Labrador retriever.

5. blue laws: (a) the collection of laws regulating collection of taxes; (b) notebooks containing diagrammed football plays; (c) statutes regulating work, commerce, and amusements on Sundays; (d) NCAA regulations pertaining to the acceptable color of football field surfaces, apparently not applicable to Boise State.

6. tailgator: (a) the lone setback player on the defense; (b) the backjudge in football; (c) a seasoned stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and alligator meat; (d) a picnic gathering, usually held in a campus parking lot, prior to a University of Florida home football game.

7. habanero: (a) a very hot roundish chili pepper that is usually orange when mature; (b) a large usually mild heart-shaped chili pepper especially when fresh and dark green; (c) a small plump dark green chili pepper of Mexico and the southern U.S.; (d) a poblano chili pepper especially when mature and dried to a reddish black.

8. pilsner: (a) a heavy dark brown beer brewed from browned or charred malt; (b) a light beer with a strong flavor of hops; (c) a sweetened iced drink of wine or sometimes of ale, beer, or liquor garnished with nutmeg; (d) a mild drink (as beer) taken after hard liquor.

9. nickel: (a) a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs; (b) a cheap beer; (c) a football linesman whose duties include keeping track of the official time for the game; (d) a five-ounce pilsner.

10. wingback: (a) a chair for lounging consisting of a cloth sling supported by a frame of metal tubing or bars; (b) an offensive back in football who lines up outside the tight end; (c) a football official whose duties include keeping the game's official time and identifying eligible pass receivers; (d) a cut of chicken fried and served as an appetizer.

Click here for the answers!