Eternally, adverbs

[TadOverdon]

Rather than necro a three-year-old topic that went in different directions.

Learning to live (almost) without adverbs. Are there any that you just can't, or don't want, to give up?

"Gently" is at the top of the adverbs I want on my freebie list.

Probably "dryly" or "wryly" as well for very brief remarks that are challenging to completely attribute attitude to by content or context alone. It's unnatural to type out "in a dry tone of voice" or describe expressions or gestures in order to avoid a single word.

 

[SamScribble]

Softly is sometimes useful. But no more than once every three or four thousand words.

 

[TadOverdon]

Softly is sometimes useful. But no more than once every three or four thousand words.

Yes, "softly." "Tenderly" is nice, too, but I guess can be done without; it's a rare instance when that's an important qualifier but can't be evoked by context.

There are ways around all of them, but sometimes an adverb is the shortest distance between two points.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Softly is sometimes useful. But no more than once every three or four thousand words.

Softly Softly, Sam, and you have an old BBC police procedural.

 

[SimonDoom]

I think adverbs can be used appropriate to characterize the way a person speaks or communicates, usually if it describes the tone or volume of the communication. Words like "quietly," "softly," "gently" have their place.

But, for example, one might consider using the verb "murmur" or "whisper" rather than "to say quietly" or "to say softly."

I think adverbs sometimes get a bad rap and some authors go too far in trying to purge them. The reality is that if you even very quickly scan reputable books you'll see plenty of adverb use.

What I try not to do (but fail all the time) with adverbs is:

1. Use them as qualifiers. One of my biggest writing sins. Words like "somewhat," "fairly," and "very." Better to pick the right verb or right adjective so you don't need them.

2. Get cute, or to try to put too much spin on the verb or adjective. E.g., "I'm the kind of the world," he said ridiculously. The adverb adds nothing here.

3. Use them too much. I try to review the draft carefully and keep their usage rate low.

 

[NotWise]

1. Use them as qualifiers. One of my biggest writing sins. Words like "somewhat," "fairly," and "very." Better to pick the right verb or right adjective so you don't need them.

2. Get cute, or to try to put too much spin on the verb or adjective. E.g., "I'm the kind of the world," he said ridiculously. The adverb adds nothing here.

3. Use them too much. I try to review the draft carefully and keep their usage rate low.

I'd add a fourth.

I try not to use them unnecessarily: "ran quickly" (the elderly aside, how else does one run?), "exploded loudly" (is there another way to explode?), "whispered quietly" (if you aren't on actor, isn't that how you whisper?), etc.

The adverb should add something.

 

[lovecraft68]

My theory on just about everything in life is everything in moderation.

To the snobs that eschew them and tell others not to use them, why are they part of the English language if they're so useless?

But too many in short proximity can be too much. I use them, but not liberally, in fact sometimes I use them sparingly, because too many are glaringly obvious.

 

[NotWise]

My theory on just about everything in life is everything in moderation.

To the snobs that eschew them and tell others not to use them, why are they part of the English language if they're so useless?

But too many in short proximity can be too much. I use them, but not liberally, in fact sometimes I use them sparingly, because too many are glaringly obvious.

I remember an anti-adverb thread from a couple years back where someone expressed disdain for adverbs, then Bramblethorn highlighted all the adverbs in their post.

Adverbs are a fundamental part of English. I don't think you can write English entirely without them.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'd add a fourth.

I try not to use them unnecessarily: "ran quickly" (the elderly aside, how else does one run?), "exploded loudly" (is there another way to explode?), "whispered quietly" (if you aren't on actor, isn't that how you whisper?), etc.

The adverb should add something.

Absolutely. One of the most common and bad uses of adverbs. Redundancy.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If I had to pick just one adverb to keep in my vocabulary, it'd be "not".

 

[Carnevil9]

.... I use them, but not liberally, in fact sometimes I use them sparingly, because too many are glaringly obvious.

I think I see what you did there!!

 

[SimonDoom]

If I had to pick just one adverb to keep in my vocabulary, it'd be "not".

Good choice.

"Not" confuses me. I've spent some time looking this up, and I can't find the answer in the authorities I've looked at.

All the authorities I've seen describe "not" as an adverb, a word that modifies verbs (but usually not linking verbs according to the same authorities), adjectives, and other adverbs. But not nouns.

So, according to the authorities, in the sentence

"The ball is not red."

Presumably, "not" negates "red," an adjective, rather than "is," the linking verb, because adverbs aren't usually supposed to modify linking verbs.

But how does one explain "The man is not Jim."?

"Jim" is a proper noun. So "not" must be an adjective. I cannot find a single authority that says "not" can be an adjective.

The alternative is that it's an adverb modifying "is," but most authorities don't like that either. [The] [man] [is+ not] [Jim]. This seems inconsistent with the logic of "The ball is not red."

I think it's a case where the adjective/adverb labels don't really work.

 

[TadOverdon]

"Suddenly," "finally," and "then" have been vexing to excise.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Presumably, "not" negates "red," an adjective, rather than "is," the linking verb, because adverbs aren't usually supposed to modify linking verbs.

What part of speech would you say "usually" takes in your sentence there?

 

[SimonDoom]

What part of speech would you say "usually" takes in your sentence there?

I am uncertain, and it's not for lack of trying in the last 24 hours, because I've been puzzling over this "linking verb and adverb," which I've also discussed in the thread on Grammarly.

Adverbs aren't usually supposed to modify linking verbs. Let's treat everything from "Adverbs" on as a standalone sentence and analyze it.

I think the right answer is that "are supposed to modify" is a modal verb phrase, consisting of the auxiliary verb "are" and the modal verb phrase "supposed to," and the main verb "modify." If I'm right, then "usually" modifies the verb phrase as a whole, and is an adverb, and "not" modifies "usually," and therefore is an adverb as well.

It gets trickier if you choose to see the word "supposed" as an adjective, but I don't think that's correct. I think it's correct to see "are supposed to modify" as a modal verb phrase.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/supposed-to/

 

[yowser]

Provisionally.

 

[Handley_Page]

Softly Softly, Sam, and you have an old BBC police procedural.

The Barlow stories ?? Stafford Johns ?
Magic !

 

[sophism]

"Suddenly," "finally," and "then" have been vexing to excise.

I can never seem to purge "suddenly" and "then" in my writing.

And these aren't adverbs, but "something" (ie. "something about") or "somehow" is also pretty prevalent when I write.

 

[TadOverdon]

"Recklessly."

As in "They kissed recklessly."

I'm keeping it.

 

[LoquiSordidaAdMe]

I never really understood the disdain for adverbs. I get that text can be richer and fuller if you make the effort to convey your ideas without them, but unless you're trying to pad your word count, is that always a good thing?

Maybe it's my journalism background, but I was taught not to use two words if one will do. I write (or rather 'fail to write' these days) short stories, so I try to keep my prose concise. Adverbs are my friends.

 

[LilyWaters]

I like adverbs. I know that Stephen King says in his brilliant memoir that the road to hell is paved with adverbs, but I respectfully disagree.

I also, however, subscribe to Strunk's dictum: "Omit unnecessary words." So that probably tempers my adverb use.

 

[NoJo]

Avoiding overuse of adverbs if fine: Overuse of anything, by definition, is over-use.

But it's bordering on insanity to excise them completely.

Writing without adverbs is like cooking without salt

 

[dirtylittlecucker]

Avoiding overuse of adverbs if fine: Overuse of anything, by definition, is over-use.

But it's bordering on insanity to excise them completely.

Writing without adverbs is like cooking without salt

I like the salt reference
I'm wondering if anyone was ever taught never to end a sentence with an adverb. I've learned this, but is it still a thing?

 

[SimonDoom]

No discussion of adverbs is complete without some reference to "Tom Swifties", such as these classics:

"I just ran over my father," Tom said transparently.

"I just dropped the toothpaste," said Tom crestfallenly.

"Welcome to my tomb," said Tom cryptically.

"I'll have another martini," said Tom dryly.

 

[Comshaw]

My theory on just about everything in life is everything in moderation.

To the snobs that eschew them and tell others not to use them, why are they part of the English language if they're so useless?

But too many in short proximity can be too much. I use them, but not liberally, in fact sometimes I use them sparingly, because too many are glaringly obvious.

True, but to few, or none, can make a story sound like a dissertation on the sex life of the Saharan jigger sand flea, as dry and devoid of diversity as that geographical location.

Comshaw