Paul Burgmann
Reasonable vs reasonably Hello, I have found this sentence in a textbook but I am not sure about why it is written in this way: “This seems a reasonable enough assumption….” I might have tended to write: “This seems a reasonably enough assumption….” Are both sentences correct? If not, please explain what grammar rules (if any) apply to this problem. Thanks, Paul
Jan 25, 2017 9:43 AM
Answers · 5
3
"Reasonably" is an adverb, so it must describe "how" a verb is being performed. E.g. "He acted reasonably". He acted, yes, but the way he acted was "reasonably". "A reasonable-enough assumption" (I've hyphenated "reasonable-enough" to illustrate that it's a compound adjective, although it's rarely if ever written that way, sadly) is another way of saying "an assumption that is sufficiently reasonable." "Reasonable" is an adjective, so it modifies (gives more information about, or specializes) a noun.
January 25, 2017
I believe Steve is right on the money here. One thing, I've noticed is that adverbs are not taught very well. Usually, though not always, adverbs are to show degrees or extremes as well as modifying verbs. Your house is big. My friend's house is small. Your house is so big. My friend's house is very small. He acted reasonably. Modifying verb; to act She was (unreasonable) in her demands. Adjective form; showing condition She was unreasonably calm, given the severity of the situation. The weather seemed unreasonably hot for a New York winter day. He did a reasonably good job, given the circumstances and stress he was under. But if it is just a condition; then, the adjective form applies: It seems a reasonable (enough) way to do business.
January 25, 2017
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