How Do You Know You’re Using an Adverb?
First things first, it helps to make sure you know when you’re using adverbs. The “-ly” ending is usually a clear giveaway. Take this sentence for example: “The writer cried loudly when she found out that adverbs were off-limits.” “Loudly” describes the type of crying the writer did. It lets you know the way the writer cried, but it doesn’t do much else.
Not every adverb ends in “-ly,” those tricky things. For example, “well” is an adverb, as in “he did well on his test.” Adverbs can also modify adjectives, as in this case: “She didn’t enjoy the mildly flavored gaucamole.” “Very” is another adverb that’s often used before adjectives, as in “the very tired girl took a nap.” Using “very” in that sentence doesn’t add much to it. You already know that the girl is tired, because she’s described as such and because she’s taking a nap.
It’s funny how easy it is to miss adverbs when you’re drafting something, even if you think you should know better by now. I’ve caught myself slipping a “quickly” or “honestly” into a sentence just to get a point across faster, but when I go back and read it over—it’s almost like hitting a speed bump. The word’s there, but it doesn’t really stick. If you pause and actually look for them, they start to stand out like little neon signs.
Readers notice the difference, too. There’s a reason tight, vivid writing feels so much more real: it trusts the audience to visualize what’s happening without being spoon-fed every little nuance. Stephen King wrote in On Writing, “the road to hell is paved with adverbs,” and as much as that phrase gets tossed around, it’s stuck for a reason. The punch of a good verb, or a sharply drawn image, just can’t be matched by adding “barely” or “truly” to the front of something.
How Do you Stop?
You’ve seen the error of your ways and you want to eliminate adverbs from your writing, or at least limit their use as much as possible. There are several ways to trim the adverb fat from your pieces.
One option is to pick a more descriptive verb to use. In the example above, instead of crying “loudly,” the writer can “howl.” Another option is to use adjectives and nouns to describe what’s going on. For example, the writer could “cry, with tears streaming down his face, making a sound that echoed through the room, when he she found out that adverbs were off-limits.”
Use the same rule when cutting out adverbs before adjectives, too. Think of a more descriptive and showy adjective. Instead of “mildly flavored guacamole,” you can describe it as “bland guacamole” or even “guacamole that tasted like cardboard.”
Spotting the Adverbs
Before you send any writing to your clients, give your pieces a read over, looking for adverbs. Question the use of any of those adverbs in piece. You might be able to use more descriptive words or you might be able to eliminate the adverbs. Try reading the piece, skipping over any words such as “really” or “very.” It will flow better and you’ll end up turning in a sharper, tighter piece to your client.
