Quote:
Originally Posted by mobama
In reality (i.e. in descriptive grammar) "bad" modifies the verb here
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But it isn't. Descriptively, if you were modifying the verb then you'd be saying that you were numb or something similar: “I can't tell if the coin has ridges on the edges because I'm feeling badly—the Novocaine hasn't worn off.”
When people say they “feel bad”, “bad” is a linked state of being, not modifying feel. It’s exactly the same sort of construction as “I feel sick” or “I am sad”: "sad" isn't modifying "am", it’s just the specified state.
Compare:
I feel carefully around the edges of the glass, so as not to cut myself. “carefully” modifies the way in which I feel.
Do you feel reckless or careful today? I feel careful. Careful is my state of being.
http://grammartips.homestead.com/badly.html