a. The linking verb cannot be followed by any part of speech other than the adjective and the noun (or something similar to the noun). But many people mistakenly use another part of speech here.
For Examples:
Wrong: I feel badly (adverb) about it.
Right: I feel bad about it.
Wrong: He may appear foolishly (adverb) but actually he's very clever.
Right: He may appear foolish / a fool but actually he's very clever.
Wrong: This book reads interestingly (adverb).
Right: This book reads interesting.
Wrong: The girl was very nervously (adverb).
Right: The girl was very nervous.
Wrong: These oranges taste sweetly (adverb).
Right: These oranges taste sweet.
[N.B. If you put an adverb after a verb, that verb becomes intransitive.
E.g. He appeared there nervously.]
b. No part of speech other than noun / pronoun can sit as object of any transitive verb.
For Examples:
Wrong: We helped poor (adjective).
Right: We helped poor people (noun phrase).
Wrong: I enjoy read (verb).
Right: I enjoy reading (verbal noun).
Wrong: We found in a bad condition. (Prepositional phrase)
Right: We found them (pronoun) in a bad condition.
Wrong: I resented with her behavior. (prepositional phrase).
Right: I resented her behavior. (noun phrase)
Wrong: I am awaiting eagerly (adverb).
Right: I am eagerly awaiting your reply.
Wrong: They discussed about the matter.
Right: They discussed the matter.
Wrong: I regretted deeply.
Right: I deeply regretted my rudeness.
c. Intransitive verbs can never be followed by nouns / pronouns or adjectives.
For Examples:
Wrong: He has done bad in the exam.
Right: He has done badly in the exam.
Wrong: They slept sound throughout the night.
Right: They slept soundly throughout the night.
Wrong: I shall wait for you.
Right: I shall wait for you.
Wrong: They have gone to school.
Right: They have gone to school.
Wrong: It is raining very heavy.
Right: It is raining very hard / heavily.
Wrong: The man died peaceful.
Right: The man died peacefully.
Wrong: He succeeded the exam.
Right: He succeeded in passing the exam.
Wrong: She was quarreling her mother.
Right: She was quarreling with her mother.
Wrong: They began to live happily.
Right: They began to live happily.
d. So, quite, very words are called intensifiers and their function is to strengthen adjectives and adverbs.
The noun can never sit after them.
For Examples:
Wrong: He is a very friend of mine.
Right: He is a very close friend of mine.
Wrong: They were making so much noise that I could not read.
Right: They were making so much noise that I couldn't read.
Wrong: We have quite happiness.
Right: We are quite happy.
Wrong: He walks at very speed.
Right: He walks very speedily.
Wrong: She speaks English with quite correctness.
Right: She speaks English quite correctly.
Wrong: Don't eat so sugar.
Right: Don't eat so much sugar.
Wrong: It was an utterly disappointment.
Right: They were utterly disappointed.
e. Determiner and Preposition cannot be followed by any other part of speech except noun / pronoun.
For Examples:
Wrong: He is a poor man.
Right: He is a poor man.
Wrong: No idle can prosper in life.
Right: No idle person can prosper in life.
Wrong: Every intelligent will understand this.
Right: Every intelligent boy will understand this.
Wrong: I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Right: I am looking forward to hear from you.
Wrong: He was accustomed to smoke.
Right: He was accustomed to smoking.
Wrong: The man died of sick.
Right: The man died of sickness.
Wrong: He comes from foreign.
Right: He comes from abroad / a foreign country.
Wrong: Many learned attended the meeting.
Right: Many learned people attended the meeting.
