# Grammar: "You smell bad"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 17, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167 "2003-01-17T04:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/1 "2003-01-17T04:52:55Z")
If you want to emphasize that someone has an unpleasant odor, would it be correct to say “You smell bad”, or “you smell badly”? If you wanted to emphasize that their sense of smell was less than ideal, would you say “You smell badly?” ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/2 "2003-01-17T04:59:31Z")
Well, there’s no polite way to say it, so I would say, “You have an unpleasant odor.” To say “You smell badly” would mean something is wrong with the person’s sense of smell. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/3 "2003-01-17T05:09:30Z")
Well, I’m wondering if it’s gramatically correct to say “You smell badly” as a way of conveying “You have an unpleasant odor.” ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/4 "2003-01-17T05:23:08Z")
Well, that’s what I was trying to convey. To say “You smell badly” is not grammatical, because you would be saying something is wrong with the person’s sense of smell, rather than an unpleasant body odor. I missed this in your OP, by the way: “If you wanted to emphasize that their sense of smell was less than ideal, would you say ‘You smell badly?’” Yes. Do you want to see how many posts we can make starting with “Well?” ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/5 "2003-01-17T05:24:51Z")
FWIW, this is [The Grammar Lady](http://www.grammarlady.com/faq.html)’s take on the matter: > [@](#): > > He smells bad means that he needs to take a shower. > > He smells badly means that he will never be able to be a perfume tester because he has lost his sense of smell. This reminds me of a story about Samuel Johnson (I have no idea how credible it is, but anyway), where he once met a lady, who proclaimed, “Mr. Johnson, you smell,” to which he replied, “No, madam, I stink, _you_ smell.” ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/6 "2003-01-17T05:30:31Z")
I believe this issue to be identical to one raised in this previous thread: [“Winston tastes good like a cigarette should” - Why is this bad grammar?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155714) “Smell” in this case is a linking verb, so it would require a predicate _adjective_ (bad) rather than an adverb (badly). ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/7 "2003-01-17T05:47:38Z")
“You smell bad” is correct in our daily usage of the language. “You smell poorly” would be more acceptable for ability in smelling. “Bad” is a adjective, modifying a noun (you). “Poorly” is an adverb, modifying a verb (smell). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/8 "2003-01-17T05:53:50Z")
“Smell” can carry both the meanings of “having odor” or “detecting odor” depending on how it’s used. The predicate adjective “bad” modifies “you” with the connection of “have [bad] odor” provided by the linking verb. The adverb “badly” modifies “smell” in the other sense of “detect odor” – indicating that your skills at detecting odor are diminished. The classic example is the dog who went for a swim in the swamp, after which he smelled bad, and then as a result developed a head cold, during which he smelled badly. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/9 "2003-01-17T06:11:37Z")
I said it before, I’ll say it again. **English sucks.** ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/10 "2003-01-17T07:20:38Z")
In the immortal words of Kramer… “You stink” ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/11 "2003-01-17T07:35:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > “Smell” in this case is a linking verb, so it would require a predicate _adjective_ (bad) rather than an adverb (badly). Are there any rules to linking verbs? ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/12 "2003-01-17T13:09:32Z")
_Achernar I believe this issue to be identical to one raised in this previous thread_ I think there’s a subtle difference. In this case, I think both “You smell bad” and “you smell badly” are OK, depending on context. Scenario 1) X comes into the house covered in manure. I sniff, and say “You smell bad”. Scenario 2) X comes into the house covered in manure, and asks “Do I smell much?” I reply, “You smell badly”. In the latter case, the context is about comparison or degree, so that the “badly” shifts to meaning “intensely” rather than “in a poor manner”. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/13 "2003-01-17T14:33:58Z")
_If you want to emphasize that someone has an unpleasant odor, would it be correct to say “You smell bad”, or “you smell badly”?_ “You smell bad” is correct; “you smell badly” is incorrect. _If you wanted to emphasize that their sense of smell was less than ideal, would you say “You smell badly?”_ Yes, that is correct. \*Scenario 2) X comes into the house covered in manure, and asks “Do I smell much?” I reply, “You smell badly”. In the latter case, the context is about comparison or degree, so that the “badly” shifts to meaning “intensely” rather than “in a poor manner”.\* Sorry, that’s not correct. While “badly” can mean “greatly” or “intensely,” it’s still an adverb and still incorrect to use it with a linking verb, which requires an adjective. For the meaning you’re trying to convey, “very bad” would be correct, as would “awfully bad,” “intensely bad,” “extremely bad,” etc. _Are there any rules to linking verbs?_ Just enter “linking verb” into the window at Google for all you want to know and then some. Here are some sites that might help: [http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/linkingverb.htm](http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/linkingverb.htm) [http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/link.html](http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/link.html) [http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000346.htm](http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000346.htm) [http://grammar.uoregon.edu/verbs/linking.html](http://grammar.uoregon.edu/verbs/linking.html) [http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1\_3b.htm](http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/course/speech/1_3b.htm) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/14 "2003-01-17T15:05:34Z")
To use the terms Sister Grace Agnes taught us in 6th grade… There are verbs of action and verbs of being. A verb of action is modified with an adverb. A verb of being, typically, is not. Remember, an adjective describes a noun or pronoun. An adverb describes a verb. Examples: She IS beautiful. She SINGS beautifully. Now, in that example “is” is obviously a verb of being. All variations on “to be” are followed by adjectives, and not by adverbs. I am happy, but I laugh happily. You are polite, but you behave politely. And so on. Those are the obvious cases. But there are other verbs that convey a state of being. Among those words: seem taste smell feel become Again, those are all verbs of being, and they should be followed by ADJECTIVES, not by adverbs. Tom Hanks seems NICE, not nicely. (On the other hand, he plays his roles nicely.) When my team loses, I become SAD. I don’t become sadly. (On the other hand, I weep sadly when they lose.) A pretzel tastes SALTY, not saltily. Pizza smells GOOD, it doesn’t smell well. A drunk feels DIZZY, he doesn’t feel dizzily. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/15 "2003-01-17T15:52:47Z")
I always thought of the ending -ly as meaning “in this way or manner”. So beautifully would be “in a beautiful way”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/16 "2003-01-17T16:24:48Z")
My dog has no nose. ---
**Author:** ![raygirvan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@raygirvan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raygirvan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/17 "2003-01-17T16:37:29Z")
\*Gary T X comes into the house covered in manure, and asks “Do I smell much?” I reply, “You smell badly”. Sorry, that’s not correct.\* The only incorrectness I can see is that someone appears to have invented a descriptive rule that doesn’t fit real usage, and now everyone’s applying it prescriptively. Here’s an example about [incense recipes](http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/thewackywiccan/incensemain.html) that shows both usages. On the one hand: **Any ingredients with an “\*” next to them only smell bad or are irritating to the nose and eyes** (that is, these ingredients have a bad smell under any circumstances). On the other: **Don’t knock off the ash … unless the incense starts to smell badly** (that is, it’s accepted that incense smells, but knock off the ash if it starts to smell more intensely than usual). This may be in part a regional thing; in UK usage, “smell badly” is very standard idiom for “smell intensely” (in parallel with other uses of “badly” = “intensely”, such as “my finger hurts badly”). I don’t many people here would take it to mean “be poor at smelling” except as a rather pedantic joke. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/18 "2003-01-17T16:40:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*I always thought of the ending -ly as meaning “in this way or manner”. So beautifully would be “in a beautiful way”, etc. \*\* That’s generally true, “-ly” will convert and adjective to an adverb. However, there are a few exceptions. “Lovely” shows a noun converted to an adjective, “goodly” shows an adjective converted to a different adjective. ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Luongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chris\_Luongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Luongo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/19 "2003-01-17T16:44:21Z")
Here’s a little joke that I think explains it all: John is walking his dog through the park. Michael walks by from the other direction. Michael: Hey man, your dog smells! John: No; my dog stinks. You smell. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167/20 "2003-01-17T16:46:54Z")
_ **Don’t knock off the ash … unless the incense starts to smell badly** (that is, it’s accepted that incense smells, but knock off the ash if it starts to smell more intensely than usual)._ I stand corrected. I wasn’t thinking of “smell” in the sense of “give off an odor” ( = stink). In this usage, it is not a linking verb and “smell badly” is correct. Thanks for the clarification. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-you-smell-bad/149167.md?page=2)