To Use Adverbs or Not To Use Adverbs?
For this is the question, my dear writer.
If you are building a home, you need to know how to create a framework for the house. However, to create the framework you need to know the different elements of the house you are going to frame. What is the floor plan? Where are you going to place the duct work for heating and cooling? Where do you need to run the electrical wiring?
You need to know all the elements going into the house to create a proper functionally home. You would not want the light switch in your bedroom to turn on the disposal in the kitchen.
As a writer, a speaker, or even a business owner, knowing how the different parts of speech work together gives you the foundation you need to write and create amazing works of art. Whether you are writing a How-To Manual or crafting an email for a client knowing proper English is important. The more clearly you can convey your message, the better others will receive it.
Basic sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).
Subject ~ a noun or pronoun (link to pronoun agreement). A subject is always a noun or pronoun, but a noun is not always a subject.
Verb ~ expresses action, being, or state of being
Object ~
- a : a noun or noun equivalent (as a pronoun, gerund, or clause) denoting the goal or result of the action of a verb (as ball in I hit the ball)
- b : a noun or noun equivalent in a prepositional phrase (as table in on the table)
according to Merriam-Webster.com
Ex. He writes novels.
My dog sheds hair. (Literally everywhere!)
Many sentences also contain another common element, adverbs. The most common position for an adverb is at the end of a sentence. However, they may appear in several different places.
What does an adverb do?
Adverbs modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or an entire sentence.
Ex. The alarm rang loudly. (Loudly modifies the verb rang).
How did the alarm ring? loudly
A rather ugly cat followed me. (Rather modifies the adjective ugly)
How ugly was the cat following me? rather
She ran very slowly. (Very modifies the adverb slowly)
How slowly did she run? very
Certainly, I will help you. (Certainly modifies the entire sentence)
How will I help you? certainly
Adverbs can be single words, phrases or clauses.
Adverbs answer questions: How? When? Where? And Why?
They can tell time, place, manner and the like:
Ex. I quit work today. (time)
He lives here. (place)
She shoved me hard. (manner)
He was extremely arrogant. (degree)
They are not scared. (negation)
To Use Adverbs or Not To Use Adverbs? For this is the question, my dear writer. @Joyce_Glass
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Comparing Adverbs
Adverbs can be compared like adjectives with -er and -est or with more and most.
Ex. She ran slow. (positive degree)
She ran slower than I did. (comparative degree)
He ran the fastest of all. (superlative degree)
Derivative Examples -wise and -ward:
Ex. Turn around clockwise.
She rolled backward.
The most common adverbial suffix is -ly. used to form adverbs of manner and degree.
Ex. Maggie opened the door cautiously. (manner)
He was extremely polite. (degree)
CAUTION: The -ly ending appears on adjectives as well as adverbs. By adding -ly to an adjective, the result is an adverb.
Ex. The mechanic started the motor carefully.
By adding -ly to a noun, the new word created can become an adjective.
Ex. The friendly woman helped her neighbor.
What does the word modify?
Test the word ending in -ly to see what it modifies. If it modifies a verb, such as started in the example, it is an adverb. If it modifies a noun, such as a woman, it is an adjective.
Adverb or Adjective? What about both?
Some words can be both.
Ex. She ran daily. (adverb)
His drinking was a daily occurrence. (adjective)
Put them all together
Ex. He drove quite rapidly on the hilly roads of North Carolina today.
Rapidly - an adverb of manner modifying the verb drove.
How did he drive? rapidly
Quite - an adverb of degree modifying the adverb rapidly.
How rapidly did he drive? quite
Today - an adverb of time modifying drove.
When did he drive? today
Hilly is an adjective modifying the road, not an adverb. Using the -ly suffix on the noun hill creates hilly.
Avoid an adverb when a single word is stronger.
Using adverbs can make your writing wordy. If you can replace two words with ONE stronger one, then please do so! You want your writing to be concise as possible. The more concise the stronger your content!
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