A Writer's Enemy?

If you want to alarm or vex a writer, mention the word “adverbs.” It’s almost guaranteed to provoke a reaction, usually along the lines of wide eyes or an instinctive reach for the Delete key.

Adverbs are the enemy. They must be eradicated!

But I’m not so sure. I’m reasonably certain I can think of a few that aren’t evil.

There are some adverbs you’ll almost always want to avoid: happily, sadly, angrily, excitedly, etc. Emotion should be conveyed by the verb and/or the circumstances. If Smith is down on his knees with his head in his hands, I don’t need to tell you that he’s going to speak sadly. If he’s pumping both fists in the air, I think you’ll know he’s happy without me telling you that.

Let’s face it, adverbs are like anything else in writing: you should use them judiciously and in moderation.

Sometimes they can make a big difference. Let’s consider our friend Smith.

Smith knew her.

Smith knew her instantly.

^ Do you see the difference there? In the first sentence, the relationship is vague and there’s no real indication of any emotion we should feel or what’s happening. In the second sentence, you can feel a little tension: something has happened that makes Smith’s knowledge of her identity important. Whether he saw through her disguise or just stumbled upon her body, it’s more significant that he knows her.

Smith shambled (or stumbled, or shuffled).

Smith walked unsteadily.

^ This one’s a little less clear-cut. The first sentence is perfectly fine and uses the verb to tell you how Smith was moving. This is preferable when you can find the right verb. Verbs are a writer's friend, as long as you don’t stretch too far to use something like peregrinated. You don’t want to confuse the reader. I also like the second sentence because there are subtle differences in how someone walks and none of the verbs was exactly right. This is a matter of personal preference. You’ll know which works better for your particular sentence.

My point is that adverbs are not the evil plague that some writers claim. You want to minimize them, but using a few of them won’t make you a terrible writer.

Besides, if you use Word’s Find function to seek out and destroy all words that include ly, you might accidentally wipe out burly or fly or lyric, so be careful!

If an adverb works, use it deliberately and proudly.