Hi peeps,
Can anyone tell me why it is そうに instead of そうな, even when it is followed by a noun. I’ve been failing this one for a while because of this 
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The reason why it’s そうに, and not そうな, is because そうに is being used adverbially to describe the way the verb is acting (in this case, to stroke or pet in a “kind” or “affectionate” way). It might help to rephrase this sentence as:
(彼女は) 犬を優しそうに撫でた。
HTH!
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i see, im gonna have to read about it a bit more then, thank you!
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if it was そうな, the noun would be what’s being modified, so the sentence would be, “She pet the affectionate looking dog,” and not “She pet the dog in a way that seemed affectionate.”
The そうに here is modifying the verb 撫でる (to pet), to turn it into “pet in a way that seemed affectionate.”
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In the sentence:
Quickly I ate the food.
Quickly is still acting on the verb to eat.
Same principle
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