Adverbs are Usually, Completely,
Totally, Unneeded. (In Other Words, Avoid
Adverbs.)
By Beth Ann Erickson,
FilbertPublishing.com
Remember High School
English? Remember sitting in your desk
trying to write something “creative?” If
you’re like me, your sentences usually wound up with a whole
lotta adverbs… “She glided swiftly to the house where she heard
the jolly laugh of her father…” (I
know. It’s a bad sentence, but it
illustrates my point….)
But my local school district is still teaching writing the
same way. Just before school finished for
the year, my son came home from his sixth grade class with a
homework assignment involving adverbs. I’ve
never seen so many “ly” words in my life!
You should have seen the papers he brought
home! (Guess I’ll have to have him do this
assignment too….)
I don’t know why popular teaching techniques are so contrary
to good communication, but read any letter to the editor, any
sales letter, any local ad and you’ll find a lot of adverb
use.
But here’s the truth:
The overuse of adverbs is taboo in these days of “I’m in a
hurry and don’t waste my time.” If you use
too many unnecessary words, your words won’t get read.
Here’s the rule: If you use an adverb,
cut it and use a strong verb whenever possible.
So, what’s an adverb? It’s any word that
describes a verb (or an “action” word.) Many
adverbs end in “ly.” For example, “quickly,
slowly, sexily,” these are all adverbs.
So if you write, “He walked quickly,” just write, “He ran,”
and you’ve just created a stronger sentence.
“She spoke softly,” can be turned into “She whispered.”
“She looked at him sexily,” can be transformed into, “Her
gaze penetrated his many facades and melted his
senses.” (My son would DIE of embarrassment
if he’d seen me write that!)
So, let’s review. Use strong
verbs. Avoid adverbs.
Shouldn’t be too hard, huh? Don’t worry if
it feels odd to write this way at first.
Soon it will become a habit and good writing will flow from
your fingertips like water from a fountain.
(Ugh. How’s that for a metaphor?)
Review anything you’ve written in the last few
days. Cut your adverbs and rework your
sentences using strong, active verbs. Well,
at least cut as many adverbs as you can part with… after all
you don’t have to get rid of EVERY adverb, just the unnecessary
ones….
Keep writing and practicing. You’ll be
amazed at your progress.
Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing
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