so bad / so badly

[the1dsuniverse]

Hey guys! Should it be:

'I want to go to Manhattan so badly this summer' or 'I want to go to Manhattan so bad this summer'?

I've heard both and if I had to go with the grammatically correct option I'd probably pick 'badly' but I'm not sure either so I just wanted to check

Thanks in advance!

 

[Juhasz]

There's no subtle grammatical point, here. The verb, want, is being modified, so you need an adverb ("badly"). The reason you hear "I want it so bad" is just because a lot of people often use adjectives where they should use adverbs.

 

[the1dsuniverse]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[the1dsuniverse]

Would the same thing happen with verbs like 'need'?

As in: 'You don't understand how badly I want her to...'

 

[Juhasz]

I assume you meant to write "You don't understand how badly I need her to..."

If so, yes, the same is true here. The only times you would use an adjective instead of an adverb is when the verb describes a state of being:

I am bad. I am badly.
You look happy. You look happily.

 

[the1dsuniverse]

Okay thanks! And yes, I did mean to write that, my bad!