The “one plus one” guideline does not apply to a conscious piling-up of words for effect. Here

Certain words frequently constitute flab and can be eliminated: “however,” “almost,” “entire,” “successive,” “respective,” “perhaps,” “always,” “there is.”

“One plus one equals a half”

Keep an adverb that helps the reader visualize the precise image you want to project.

two rules for testing adverbs to see if they are worth keeping: • Keep an adverb that supplies necessary information.

If not all adverbs should be cut, what is the purpose of this exercise? It’s to get you to pay close attention to whether each word is helping or hurting your intention. Most of the time two adverbs slow down the pace and weaken the sentence they’re in. But

Most adverbs require the same tough surgery as adjectives:

There are several rules for determining which adjectives to keep:

Any word or group of words that makes the reader ask “Why?” or “How?” also serves as an inducement for the reader to go on.