Adverbs are words that modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause to answer the questions “how,” “when,” “where,” and “how much.”

Now that the quick refresher is out of the way, let’s talk about why you should avoid using superfluous adverbs in your writing and instead substitute them for better verbs.

Why “go gentle” when you can “ease”?

Good writers use the right word;  clumsy writers use adverbs to bolster up the wrong verb.The right verb is not just concise, it pops at the reader, conveying just the right meaning. In an interview on Daily Writing Tips, Karen Reddick emphasizes this point:

What’s the best advice you have ever given about writing or editing?

Cut out unnecessary words and banish the adverb! Our language is filled with so many wonderful verbs, let’s be creative and use them.

Let’s look at some examples.

He talked quietly on the phone.

The adverb here is “quietly,” which modifies the verb “talked.” Can you think of a verb that means the same thing as “talk quietly”? Sure you can.

He whispered into the phone.

We have conveyed the same thought, but by using a more interesting verb rather than a verb-adverb combo, we added a little more spice to the sentence and saved a word.

Let’s try another:

The newly married couple ran toward their car, which was covered in toilet paper and shaving cream.

The adverb here is “newly,” which modifies the adjective “married” (which modifies the noun “couple”). Switch out the adverb and adjective and make it:

The newlyweds ran towards their car, which was covered in toilet paper and shaving cream.

Now, instead of having an adverb modifying an adjective modifying a noun, we just have a noun. More efficient? Yes. More effective? Oh yeah.

Dan Santow wrote an example of a redundant adverb so amusing that I couldn’t resist borrowing it:

“The company generously donated $2 million.”

Quoth the writing guru:

“Generously” as opposed to what? Parsimoniously? Grudgingly? A $2 million donation is, implicitly, generous; it doesn’t need further explanation. … Don’t let adverbs get in the way of a good story.

Rage against it . . . don’t just boldly protest

Adverbs are effective when meted out. However, you shouldn’t rely on them to modify every verb or adjective; if you do, all you’ll end up with is flat, lifeless writing, quite the opposite effect from what you intended.

My sincerest apologies to Mr. Dylan Thomas for manipulating his work to fit my own selfish needs in this post.

This article was written by Jennifer Roach http://jennifermroach.com Jennifer is a fiction writer, blogger, and freelance editor/proofreader. You can follow her on Twitter @jennifermroach or on MySpace . To see more posts click here

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