the word 'famous' and 'famously'

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Hello,
Can anyone tell me the difference between these two words. I looked them up in several dictionaries but I still can't understand the difference. I know this much that 'famously' is used before an adjective while 'famous' is used with nouns. For example :

1. a famously inaccurate headline.
2. a famous inaccurate headline.

Is there any difference between these sentences?

In the first sentence, I think, the inaccuracy is in focus; where as in the second one, the focus is perhaps on the headline. But in that case there should be a punctuation mark after 'famous' - a famous, inaccurate headline. However, in either case we are still talking about the popularity of the inaccurate headline. So what is the difference??

Can any one please give other examples to show the clarity in the difference between these two words.

Thank you in advance

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Type: Question • Score: 2 • Views: 815 • Replies: 9

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@bubu,

can i buy a verb

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@laughoutlood,

what do you mean?

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@bubu,

Quote:

1. a famously inaccurate headline.
2. a famous inaccurate headline.

Is there any difference between these sentences?

Yes.
In 1., "famously" modifies "inaccurate",
and in 2., "famous" qualifies "headline".

And 2. is not very good style, imho, although the meaning is not unclear.
You yourself have noted that the second sentence needs something else.

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"Dewey Defeats Truman" is a famous inaccurate headline.

"Store Closing Sale" is a famously inaccurate headline.

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@bubu,

Famous is an adjective and modifies a noun. Famously is an adverb and modifies something other than a noun. As the post above mentioned, the differnce between the two sentences is in what is being modified. "Famously inaccurate" means being famous for being inaccurate. "Famous inaccurate headline" is a headline that is famous and is also inaccurate. You could reword that as "an inaccurate famous headline" and it would technically be the same although the author might intend it differently.

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Adverbs can modify verbs AND nouns, pronouns, other adverbs and adjectives.

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@PUNKEY,

http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/adverb.html wrote:

ADVERBS MODIFYING NOUNS

Adverbs can modify nouns to indicate time or place.

EG: The concert tomorrow

EG: The room upstairs

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I could be wrong, but I believe that " a famous inaccurate headline." needs a comma or an and--"a famous, inaccurate headline." That might help clarify it.

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That's a big fat error.

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the word 'famous' and 'famously'

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