“Bad” vs. “Badly”: When (and why) to use one or the other

The difference between “bad” and “badly”

“Bad” is an adjective and “badly” is an adverb, which means they should be used in different situations. “Bad,” the adjective, should be used to modify pronouns and nouns, while “badly,” the adverb, should be used to modify a verb. Understanding the difference between adjectives and adverbs and how to use each of them is the first step toward using “bad” and “badly” correctly.

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that is used to describe—or modify—a noun or pronoun. This means that it provides more information about the noun or pronoun it’s modifying. In a sentence or phrase, an adjective is placed next to a noun or pronoun or is used as a subject complement that follows a linking verb.

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What is an adverb?

Adverbs are words that can modify a verb, a clause, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs are words that communicate information about the word they’re modifying. Adverbs can answer questions like when, where, and how.

Examples of using “bad” vs. “badly”

In order to illustrate how to use “bad” versus “badly” in a sentence, we’ve put together the following examples.

Incorrect: The car is in badly shape after the collision.
Correct: The car is in bad shape after the collision.

Incorrect: I think she’s a badly singer.
Correct: I think she’s a bad singer.

Incorrect: His French isn’t so badly.
Correct: His French isn’t so bad.

Incorrect: Drinking strong coffee before bed will result in badly sleep.
Correct: Drinking strong coffee before bed will result in bad sleep.

Incorrect: He’s worried about performing bad on the text.
Correct: He’s worried about performing badly on the test.

Incorrect: My younger brother cooks bad.
Correct: My younger brother cooks badly.

The Exception: Linking verbs

Normally, only adverbs—not adjectives—can modify a verb. However, there’s one exception to this rule: linking verbs. A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject to an adjective, noun, or pronoun that gives the verb meaning. A linking verb like “be” can be used with an adjective such as “bad” because the verb be refers to a state, not an action.

Incorrect: The villain is badly.
Correct: The villain is bad.

Some other examples of a linking verb that communicates a state of being and can be used with the adjective “bad” are smell, look, taste, sound, and feel.

Incorrect: The cake tastes badly.
Correct: The cake tastes bad.

Action verb vs. linking verb

Determining whether a verb is an action verb and has to be used with an adverb like badly or a linking verb and can be used with an adjective like bad isn’t complicated. Action verbs refer to verbs that describe actions, like movements and activities.

A linking verb, as noted above, describes a feeling. Linking verbs connect information about the subject to the subject of the sentence itself.

The trick to using “bad” versus “badly” correctly when writing depends on understanding when to use an adjective (“bad”) versus and adverb (“badly”). Now that you know the difference between these two types of modifiers, you’re well on your way to improving your grammar skills.