Which is correct to use in a sentence, "feel bad" or "feel badly"?
2023-06-26
This is what goPenpal answered
The correct phrase to use in a sentence is "feel bad". When you're referring to physical or emotional sensations, you should use adjectives (like "bad"), not adverbs (like "badly"). The reason is because "feel" acts as a linking verb in this context, which should be followed by adjectives, not adverbs. So, if you're experiencing negative emotions or physical discomfort, you would say "I feel bad," not "I feel badly."
It's a common misconception that the latter is correct, probably because people often confuse action verbs with linking verbs. Action verbs describe actions--like run, jump, eat--and they're usually followed by adverbs. For example, you'd say "I run quickly," not "I run quick." But linking verbs (like "feel," "seem," "appear") are different. They connect the subject of the sentence to more information about the subject, and they're usually followed by adjectives.
So the phrase "I feel badly" would only be correct if "feel" were an action verb, and if "badly" were describing how you're doing the action of feeling. But that's not how we use the verb "feel" in English. When we talk about our feelings, we're not talking about doing an action--we're talking about being in a state or condition. So it's more accurate to say "I feel bad." This is one of those tricky areas of English grammar that stumps even native speakers, so don't feel bad if you didn't get it right away!
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