the comparison be a descending one, by the use of _less_
and _least_; as, _beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful_, and
_less beautiful, least beautiful_.

37. Some adjectives and adverbs are compared by changing to entirely
different words in the comparative and superlative. Note the following:

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bad, ill, evil, badly worse worst
far farther, further farthest, furthest
forth further furthest
fore former foremost, first
good, well better best
hind hinder hindmost
late later, latter latest, last
little less least
much, many more most
old older, elder oldest, eldest

NOTE.--_Badly_ and _forth_ may be used only as adverbs. _Well_
is usually an adverb; as, _He talks well_, but may be used as an
adjective; as, _He seems well_.

38. CONFUSION OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS. An adjective is often
used where an adverb is required, and vice versa. The sentence,
_She talks FOOLISH_, is wrong, because here the word to be modified
is _talks_, and since _talks_ is a verb, the adverb _foolishly_
should be used. The sentence, _She looks CHARMINGLY_, means, as
it stands, that her manner of looking at a thing is charming. What
is intended to be said is that she appears as if she was a charming
woman. To convey that meaning, the adjective, _charming_, should
have been used, and the sentence should read, _She looks charming_.
Wherever the word modifies a verb or an adjective or another adverb,
an adverb should be used, and wherever the word, whatever its location
in the sentence, modifies a noun or pronoun, an adjective should
be used.

39. The adjective and the adverb are sometimes alike in form. Thus,
both the following sentences are correct: _He works HARD_ (adverb),
and _His work is HARD_ (adjective). But, usually, where the adjective
and the adverb correspond at all, the adverb has the additional
ending _ly_; as, _The track is SMOOTH_, (adjective), and _The train
runs SMOOTHLY_, (adverb).

EXERCISE 18

_In the following sentences choose from the italicized words the
proper word to be used:_

1. The sunset looks _beautiful beautifully_.
2. The man acted _st