Adverbs are Really Unnecessary
A Look Into the Problem of Adverb Overusage
Dec 28, 2008 Kenneth Burchfiel
Adverbs—the part of speech that encompasses words like quickly, extremely and very—exist for a reason: they allow writers to modify a verb or adjective without much thought. Nevertheless, adverbs detract from the quality of one’s writing; they limit the use of detail, create an informal tone and lead to “wordiness” when overused. With this in mind, words like really, only and sparingly should really only be used sparingly.
Adverbs Limit Detail and Imagery in Writing
Writers trying to modify an adjective or verb have two choices: fit in an adverb, or rewrite the sentence to bring out its true meaning. Far too many are content with the first option.
Suppose that an author wants to express the speed of a character’s running. They can use an adverb and solve the problem in seconds: He ran quickly. Or, She ran really fast.
From a grammar perspective, these sentences are fine. However, what if the author took a minute or two to devise a unique sentence that reveals much more about the character? Consider this alternative: Mud flew up from his feet as he sprinted towards the tree. Or this, better yet because it omits a telling verb like “sprinted”: All the photographs they took of her racing were blurry. These sentences both accomplish the primary objective—to portray the character’s speed—but do so in a detailed, original way.
When adverbs are replaced with explanatory detail and imagery, beautiful writing can result.
Adverbs can Sound Informal
Some parts of speech—interjections, for instance—are more conversational than others. They work fine in film scripts and beer commercials, but seem out of place in serious writing. This idea applies to most adverbs.
Below are two sentences from a hypothetical scientific article.
When the oil-coated riboflavin makes contact with the potassium ions at a high speed, it expands outward in the alcoholic medium in a spiraling pattern.
When the really oily riboflavin makes contact with the potassium ions quickly, it expands away in the alcoholic medium curvedly.
The only difference between these two sentences is the use of adverbs, yet this alone makes the second sentence seem inferior to the first. It might just be a prejudice on the reader’s part, but adverb usage can bring down the perceived quality of a composition.
Adverbs Take up Space
Nouns, verbs and adjectives are all necessary writing components; there is no verb that can replace the word “boat,” and no adjective that can stand directly in place of “express.”
But adverbs, as shown above, can always be replaced with a more fitting expression. With this in mind, having an abundance of words like extremely and unfortunately can make a piece far longer—and more cumbersome—than it need to be.
Before inserting an adverb into a story, one should ask two questions: will the adverb serve a real purpose in the piece? If so, is there no noun, adjective or verb that can replace it?
The fact that Google comes up with 6,900,000 results for “very unique” shows that writers are not asking themselves even the first question.
This article does not advocate a ban on adverbs. It simply points out that words like suddenly, actually and unfortunately are overused in modern English. Writers who are serious about their craft should seek an alternative to this part of speech.
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