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tusharkhatri18
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MGMAT SC Guide 4th Edition Pg 83 - Adjectives and Adverbs

by tusharkhatri18 Thu May 01, 2014 4:41 pm

Adjectives and Adverbs

I got this doubt while I was studying from Manhattan SC. There is an explanation that adjectives and adverbs are used in two ways.
[Adjective + Adjective + Noun] and [Adverb + Adjective + Noun].

However from the example I didn't got what the explanation is about to say. Please explain by giving some suitable examples.
RonPurewal
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Re: MGMAT SC Guide 4th Edition Pg 83 - Adjectives and Adverbs

by RonPurewal Sun May 04, 2014 1:34 pm

tusharkhatri18 Wrote:Adjectives and Adverbs

I got this doubt while I was studying from Manhattan SC. There is an explanation that adjectives and adverbs are used in two ways.
[Adjective + Adjective + Noun] and [Adverb + Adjective + Noun].

However from the example I didn't got what the explanation is about to say. Please explain by giving some suitable examples.


These are definitely not the only two formulas in the world for adjectives and adverbs, so there must be some specific context in which these templates are mentioned.

Please provide:
* the context in which this statement is made;
* the example you mentioned (in green, above).

Thanks.
tusharkhatri18
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Re: MGMAT SC Guide 4th Edition Pg 83 - Adjectives and Adverbs

by tusharkhatri18 Tue May 06, 2014 9:07 am

It is said that both these structures are used to modify nouns. Also, they do not mean the same thing. We have to pick the phrasing that reflects author's intent.

Now, I am pasting what I read:

Wrong:James Joyce is Max's SUPPOSEDLY Irish ancestor.
Right:James Joyce is Max's SUPPOSED Irish ancestor.

James Joyce may or may not be Max's ancestor, but James Joyce was certainly Irish. Thus, we want the adjective supposed, so that we can modify the noun ancestor.

Wrong:Max's grandmother is his SUPPOSED Irish ancestor.
Right:Max's grandmother is his SUPPOSEDLY Irish ancestor.

What is in question here is whether Max's grandmother was Irish, not whether she is Max's ancestor. Thus, we want the adverb supposedly, so that we can modify the adjective Irish.


I have not understood what this explanation tends to say. Kindly explain in a simple way.
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Re: MGMAT SC Guide 4th Edition Pg 83 - Adjectives and Adverbs

by RonPurewal Sun May 18, 2014 10:33 am

This is entirely an issue of meaning/context.

"Supposed(ly)", in this sense, refers to something that is reputed to be true, but is doubted by someone. So, it just depends on what you actually doubt.

For instance, let's say someone hands me a cookie, claiming that it's gluten-free, but I doubt that it's actually gluten-free.
Then this would be a supposedly gluten-free cookie, because the quality of being gluten-free is the only thing that is actually in doubt here.

On the other hand, let's say someone claims to have a magical cookie that will cure all illnesses and pains"”but claims to have left the magical cookie at home. I, of course, doubt the existence of this supposed magical cookie altogether.
In other words, I don't think that it exists at all.