Back to Grade School

I saw, in a post comment, a question as to whether one should say “I feel bad.” Or “I feel badly”. The answer is, alas, either, depending on context.

Verbs, you were taught, can be either ‘transitive’, needing an object (a transaction) to follow or ‘intransitive’, needing an adjective or adverb to enlarge on the idea.

So, you can feel the towel to see if it is still wet or you can feel happy. So far, are you with me? Reluctantly, but still reading?

Adjectives become adverbs, in  many cases, by having ‘ly’ added.  It is a quiet room, not a quietly room. Right? You by the door, do not slam it behind you. The first use is as a descriptor for ‘room’; the second answers the question ‘how?’. As an example, You by the door, leave quietly. (Answers 'how') Your exit should be a quiet one. (Describes 'one') Or even "Your exit will be quiet if you do not slam the door." (Describes 'exit')

So, you can have a bad dream, but not a badly dream. You need to turn the sentence around and dream badly. In the first instance, the dream is defined. In the second, what you are doing, the question ‘how’, is answered.

How are you feeling? I feel sick, overwhelmed, wet, bad. ‘Intransitive’ use. Descriptor for ‘feeling’. What is not shown here is that "I feel" is actually a shortened form [grammatically noted as 'understood'] of "I am feeling..."

How do you feel? Badly. I have gloves on and that makes it hard to identify small objects. Transitive; you are running your gloved hand over something understood to be there.- you are doing something; a transaction.

Got it? Class dismissed.