Is Apple's advertising slogan wrong? Should it have been âThink differentlyâ?
Linking verbs, such as âto be,â âto seem,â âto taste,â and âto look,â often describe a state of being or feeling. Usage expert Bryan Garner explains them this way: âThese verbs connect a descriptive word with the subject; hence the descriptive word following the linking verb describes the subject and not the verbâ (1). For instance, in the sentence âHe is handsome,â the linking verb âisâ connects âHe,â the subject, to âhandsome,â an adjective.
Now, letâs contrast linking verbs with action verbs. Action verbs, such as âto jumpâ and âto yell,â describe activities. If you want to describe an action verb, you need to use an adverb. If someone paid you a lot of money, you canât say, âHe paid me handsome.â You have to say, âHe paid me handsomely.â In that sentence, youâre describing how he paid youâwith the adverb âhandsomely.â Youâre not describing how cute the man is.
