BAD and BADLY

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None - 26 Sep 2004 13:25 GMT

Which is gramatically correct?

"I feel badly for the family."

"I feel bad for the family."

I am an Anglo-Argentine who immigrated to the US many years ago. My memory is
that my studies in a British school tell me that the former is correct. In the
US though, it appears that the latter is in use. Even Microsoft Word
Spellcheck tells me to use "bad".

Anyone have a comment?

Thank you.

PJ
New Jersey, USA

Thank you for your consideration.

PJ
New Jersey

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Einde O'Callaghan - 26 Sep 2004 13:56 GMT

> Which is gramatically correct?
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Anyone have a comment?

As I have already replied in the newsgroup
misc.education.language.english, the second version is correct - in both
Britain and the USA.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

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Doug C - 26 Sep 2004 20:54 GMT

> Which is gramatically correct?
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Anyone have a comment?

"I feel badly for the family" would imply, "I'm trying to feel for the
family, but I'm not doing it very well."

Signature

Doug
--
brain under construction

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John Mazor - 27 Sep 2004 00:48 GMT

> Which is gramatically correct?
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Anyone have a comment?

The general rule is that when the verb is a condition of being, the
descriptor goes to the subject, rather than the verb, of the sentence, so
use the adjective form rather than the adverb, which normally modifies a
verb.

-- John Mazor
"The search for wisdom is asymptotic."

"Except for Internet newsgroups, where it is divergent..."
-- R J Carpenter

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Discussion Groups / British English / September 2004

BAD and BADLY