Correct Answer: i feel badly in the sentence "i feel badly about missing his recital because i know he was hoping i would be there," the error lies in the use of the adverb "badly" rather than the adjective "bad." let's break down why this is an error and clarify the difference between using adjectives and adverbs in similar contexts.
the verb "feel" in this context is a linking verb. linking verbs such as "feel," "look," "smell," "sound," "taste," and "appear" do not describe actions. instead, they connect the subject of the sentence with a subject complement, which is typically an adjective that describes the state or condition of the subject. therefore, when using linking verbs, it is grammatically correct to follow them with adjectives rather than adverbs.
in the sentence provided, "i feel badly" uses the adverb "badly" to modify the verb "feel." however, "feel" is a linking verb here, implying the need for an adjective to describe the speaker's emotions. the correct phrase should be "i feel bad," where "bad" is an adjective describing the speaker's emotional state regarding the situation of missing the recital.
using "badly" in this sentence suggests a different meaning. "badly," as an adverb, implies poor performance at an action. for instance, in the sentence "i perform badly," "badly" correctly modifies "perform," which is an action verb. if "i feel badly" were correct, it would imply a deficiency in the speaker's ability to feel, which is not the intended meaning.
thus, the correct sentence should read: "i feel bad about missing his recital because i know he was hoping i would be there." here, "bad" appropriately describes the speaker's regret over missing the recital, aligning with the intended emotional context of the sentence.
it's important to be mindful of the verb used in a sentence and whether it is an action verb or a linking verb, as this determines whether an adverb or an adjective should follow. this understanding helps avoid common grammatical errors such as the one in the original sentence.
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