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Reread the piece. Cut as many adverbs as possible. These are words that typically end in -ly (like “typically”). This is especially important when writing dialogue, he said intently.
Jeff Goins • You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)
Most adverbs are unnecessary. You will clutter your sentence and annoy the reader if you choose a verb that has a specific meaning and then add an adverb that carries the same meaning.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Most adverbs are unnecessary. You will clutter your sentence and annoy the reader if you choose a verb that has a specific meaning and then add an adverb that carries the same meaning.
William Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Most adverbs require the same tough surgery as adjectives:
Sol Stein • Stein on Writing
To understand the difference between a good adverb and a bad adverb, consider these two sentences: “She smiled happily” and “She smiled sadly.” Which one works best? The first seems weak because “smiled” contains the meaning of “happily.” On the other hand, “sadly” changes the meaning.
Roy Peter Clark • Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
two rules for testing adverbs to see if they are worth keeping: • Keep an adverb that supplies necessary information.
Sol Stein • Stein on Writing
Adverbs are a very broad group that includes those -ly words we all learned, but also many other types of words. To identify adverbs, think of them as words that answer the questions when, where, how, to what degree, and in what manner. When in doubt, check a dictionary. Better yet, check two or three.
June Casagrande • It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences
Most adjectives and adverbs are dispensable. The easiest ones to dispense with are “very” and “quite,”
Sol Stein • Stein on Writing
Hopefully when used to mean “it is hoped” is a member of a class of adverbs known as disjuncts. Disjuncts serve as a means by which the author or speaker can comment directly to the reader or hearer usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached.