overuse of adverbs examples

(The link will take you to the subscription widget at the top left of this post.). It would be better to describe what she was actually doing: Similar points apply to the use of angrily and aggressively. They often lose their meaning because of thisoveruse. (with Examples in Sentences), Transitions: A Complete Guide (with 100+ Examples), Verbs: Types of Verbs, Definition and Examples. Suddenly she heard a loud noise behind her. Correct: He plays tennis well. Put them together and you get a red car. Do you have additional room for the furniture? . Thestate-of-the-artdesign caught the eye of the tech giant. The adverb for this meaning is well. (tells us when we learned) Genre fiction contenders included The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon, Hot Six by Janet Evanovich, Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts and How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny. The position of the adverb does not change in a negative sentence: Subject + main verb + adverb of time e.g. Some examples: "Brian seems sad." Sad describes the noun, Brian, not the verb, seems. He saw Fiona chatting flirtatiously with Adam, and went over to her angrily. Look at the following 50 examples sentences of adverbs. abnormally grumpy: cantankerous, churlish, crabby, absolutely afraid: horrified, petrified, terrified, absolutely outstanding: exceptional, stupendous, superior, amazingly fierce: ferocious, savage, vicious, appallingly bad: abysmal, appalling, terrible, astonishingly harsh: abrasive, caustic, rough, awesomely powerful: almighty, invincible, omnipotent, brightly clad: gaudy, ostentatious, showy, cautiously optimistic: encouraged, hopeful, upbeat, considerably large: huge, humongous, massive, deeply channeled: furrowed, grooved, rutted, deliberately inappropriate: facetious, flippant, sardonic, distressingly hungry: famished, ravenous, starving, dreadfully tired: drained, exhausted, spent, enormously creepy: frightening, macabre, sinister, especially charming: captivating, endearing, prepossessing, exceedingly happy: delighted, ecstatic, thrilled, exceptionally good: fantastic, outstanding, superb, excessively small: diminutive, miniscule, tiny, extraordinarily eager: ardent, impatient, keen, extremely glossy: brilliant, dazzling, glaring, extremely important: crucial, imperative, vital, genuinely funny: hilarious, sidesplitting, uproarious, hopelessly dependent: helpless, incapable, vulnerable, horribly frightened: horrified, petrified, terrified, indescribably unpleasant: hideous, repulsive, revolting, intensely preoccupied: absorbed, engrossed, fascinated, markedly doubtful: cynical, skeptical, unconvinced, noticeably depressed: gloomy, glum, melancholy, overpoweringly noisy: deafening, roaring, thunderous, overwhelmingly tasty: delectable, delicious, scrumptious, particularly calm: placid, serene, tranquil, pleasantly melodic: dulcet, musical, tuneful, remarkably careful: cautious, vigilant, wary, richly carved: elaborate, ornate, sculpted, seriously wrong: calamitous, dire, disastrous, strikingly beautiful: gorgeous, striking, stunning, strongly resistant: defiant, obstinate, uncooperative, superbly gifted: accomplished, adept, talented, terribly anxious: apprehensive, overwrought, perturbed, totally amazing: astonishing, astounding, mind-boggling, tremendously courageous: bold, fearless, undaunted, truly ugly: hideous, repulsive, revolting, unbelievably healthy: hardy, robust, vigorous, universally accepted: familiar, known, recognized, unusually awkward: clumsy, inept, uncoordinated, utterly ashamed: disgraced, humiliated, mortified. The most common intensifiers are "very," "extremely," and "incredibly." The sole purpose of an intensifier is to tell us about the intensity of another word. "Consequently" is another example of an artificial transition. She received lots of compliments on her performance. There are three main categories to watch out for: In this example, quietly is a bad adverb because its redundant when used with whispered. Whispering is already quiet. The office had a great amount of debt to consider. His scent was manly. Don't say "very big". Adverbs are quite a varied class of words, which work in several different ways in sentences. [W2F-007 #47] They are looking at each other lovingly, both laughing. Adverbs are great! When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 1) Kristy was very sleepy. These are the perfectly matched socks for the outfit. He whispered to her lovingly She zoomed around the oval speedily He stuttered haltingly She whipped around. Adverbs are grammatically correct, but not all adverbs are created equal. Because it applies to almost any situation, writers are tempted to use it often. 8. 3. If youre going to write, youll want to scour your writing to make sure you are not guilty ofoveruse. Find some solid adverbs you may want to use in your own writing within this extensive list! If you use it multiple times in a speech to describe various levels . 9. 8. Naturally. Yow.) . "Good" is just good enough. Delicately: Grandma's crystal vase is a priceless antique that must be handled delicately. Correct: I am very sorry. (position) David is moving away. Incorrect: I am much tired. (direction) 4. Some of them are anywhere, back, there, here, everywhere, and more. They say in many words what a strong adjective or verb can say in one word. She turned toward it. He is generally late. If you want to irritate an editor, use this word repeatedly. (tells us to what extent to try) 5) Marie is always on time. He cited the overuse of guitars as the worst part of the album. Get a FREE book of writing prompts and learn how to make more money from your writing. Other examples of Adverbs of Confirmation are - Definitely, Absolutely, Surely, etc. . (Adverb of place for "where") Yesterday, he searched for his shoes. Twisting tendrils writhingly probing through the malodorous ether enfolded me even more tightly and tenaciously than the grotesquely intimate caress of the dampness. Another problem that can trip up writers is the overuse of adverbs in dialogue tags. Note: Let's note one thing that most of the time the subordinating conjunction "that" is often omitted . An icy blanket of clamminess enveloped me in its tight embrace. Ungainly bumps covered his arms. Oddly, I hadn't thought of that option. Consider: The second option is clearer and easier to read. He had a manly scent. You are fantastically welcome, Debby. Sad answers the question: which way does Brian seem? Good dialogue should use strong verbs rather than '-ly' adverbs. Adverb of Degree 9. If an -ly word modifies a noun or a pronoun, its an adjective: The teenagers voice was crackly. Lots/Lots of. They are also used to reinforce the action that is described by the Verb. As you consider your own writing, you will want to avoid some of these. Search your WIP for all words ending in -ly. Generally, adverb placement is taught when focusing on specific types of adverbs. It is so over-used that you will get a red pen mark quickly when you do. For example, a student who walked awkwardly versus one who walked confidently. Big is an adjective, and dog is the noun the adjective modifies. The following list includes a few -ly adverbs of degree collected from books Ive read. Thanks profusely for the FB share! Whenever you see an adverb-verb combination, proceed with caution. I also wanted to check and see if there was a difference between literary fiction and genre fiction. For example, played in Susan played the guitar for us, is the verb of this sentence. The average was four adverbs in five pages. The average was six adverbs in five pages. "Welcome to Macy's." She smiled brightly. Thanks muchly, Jen! Thanks. Example: Writing an essay can be challenging. Consider the definition of adverb: any word or phrase that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb. If you delete an adverb and the sentence weakens, try finding a stronger expression. The overuse of flowery, over the . This type of adverb modifies a verb anddescribeshow(or in what manner) something happens. But if you wish to use it in your classroom, please register your details on Englicious (for free) and then log in! They played well. 4. He reads only good . I bought the computer this morning. Adverb use ranged from one adverb in five pages for The Road to six for The Bishops Man. Overuse of adverbs is the hallmark of lazy, cluttered writing. Here are some examples: Note that most one-syllable adverbs have the same form as their equivalent adjectives. 5. Adverbs are often tacked on to dialogue tags to describe how something was said. It can be used to mean enjoy or appreciate, but those are better words to choose. By replacingoverused wordswithsynonyms, your writing can have more meaning and depth. (Incorrect): He lives miserly. In the last example, it is an adjective. As an Amazon Associate, we also earn from qualifying purchases. These adverb examples use the verb 'searched'. The Totally Mostly Useless Adverb. Are You Interested in Word Lists and Writing Tips? When you overuse adjectives, they lose their meaning. Thanks muchly LOL . One rule of thumb is to use no more than one adverb per 300 words of prose. The boy delivered lots of newspapers Saturday morning. We run simultaneously away from the farmland. Think about it: what does very mean, anyway? The big dog barked loudly. You could be referring to something that's slightly better than something else, something that's suitable, or something that's really good. The word important no longer carries a strong meaning because of how often people are overusing it. The mother very happily going to see her daughter. Adverb of Attitude 4. I did a count of ly words in a 20-page chapter and was horrified to learn that I had 18 adverbs. It's trusted by millions of writers for a reason. However, there are techniques that can make the process a little easier. What Are Adverbs of Frequency? Very is used without much before adjectives and adverbs in the positive degree. Instead, find a more colorful and descriptive word, like these examples: Both great and amazing have the same meaning, and these words get used too often. to nine in How the Light Gets In. The baseball fans screamed loudly when their star shortstop hit a home run. Adverbs can be used to express time, place, degree, or manner. When an adverb is used midsentence, use a comma only for sentence adverbs modifying the entire clause. Adverbs of Frequency 8. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The most common (over)use of adverbs is to modify the verb said, e.g. So were the critiquers right? The most common adverbs overused in creative writing are words that end in -ly. Not all adverbs are bad. If an adverb has only one syllable, we usually just add -er to make it comparative: fast faster. Most often, action beats should be used instead of a tag, not in addition to it. 4 Good. Relax and enjoy your creative journey . A rotten one. Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. Keep this list handy as you write, and remove as many of these words as you can to make it stronger. Here are some examples: In the tech industry,innovativeis over-used. My exhalations wheezed inexorably, filling the mysteriously dark air with rapidly swirling spirals of steam. The 5 main types of adverbs can give us more information about frequency, manner, degree, place and time. Check out the exercises at the end to test your understanding! The boy ran really fast to catch the runaway ball. 5. Cue wallowing in a pit of despairat least until I realized was that each page in that chapter was 300 words and therefore I did have one adverb per 300 wordsfewer in fact. They seemed to be sisters, more than friends. Like with the passive voice, adverbs are not the problem--- it is the overuse of adverbs that causes problems. Good is an adjective. They had a relaxing afternoon at the beach. Consequently. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world. Experienced writers advise us toshow rather than tell the reader what is happening. Your email address will not be published. Evaluate the following phrases and their suggested replacements. Transform wooden protagonists into believable personalities that readers will learn to love. Many adverbs end in "-ly." Focusing adverbs can modify noun phrases, prepositional phrases, verb phrases . Delightfully: Her outfit showcased her delightfully quirky personality. Action Verbs The teenager had a crackly voice. But even pointing that out did not satisfy some critiquers. Here are some examples that use a better word in place of this superlative. appear gradually: emerge, fade in, materialize, change slightly: acclimate, adapt, adjust, check continuously: monitor, surveil, watch, collide violently: crash, plow into, slam into, destroy utterly: annihilate, decimate, extirpate, obliterate, enfold clumsily: clinch, grope, manhandle, examine closely: analyze, inspect, scrutinize, flicker intermittently: fluctuate, gutter, twinkle, flow slowly: dribble, drip, seep, trickle, investigate fully: analyze, reconnoiter, scrutinize, look curiously: contemplate, examine, study, look nearsightedly: peer, squinch, squint, miss frightfully: ache for, pine for, yearn for, move convulsively: convulse, judder, spasm, object strongly: condemn, oppose, protest, poke experimentally: examine, probe, prod, react irritably: glower, grumble, threaten, repair temporarily: improvise, jury-rig, make do, speak bitterly: complain, grouse, grumble, speak excitedly: exclaim, rant, vociferate, speak hesitantly: dither, hedge, vacillate, speak meditatively: posit, postulate, theorize, speak suddenly: blurt, interject, interrupt, strike violently: assault, clobber, punch, take seriously: accept, acknowledge, believe, talk longwindedly: blather, drone, prattle, trip repeatedly: stagger, stumble, totter, wade energetically: slosh, splash, sploosh, watch helplessly: cringe, despair, flounder. It is used so much, it becomesfiller. -> Not understanding the question, she asked the teacher for some help. "Very big" is sloppy writing. Adverb of Place 3. Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via : 2022 - Orpheus Technology, prowritingaid.com, Adverbial Clause: Definition, Meaning and Examples, Adverbs: Definition, Meaning, Usage and Examples, Analogy: Definition & Meaning (with Examples), Bad Adverbs: What Makes an Adverb "Bad" and Why (with examples), Clauses: Definition, Meaning, and How to Use Them, Conjunctions: Definition, Grammar Rules and Examples, Coordinating Conjunctions: Definition, Meaning and Examples, Declarative Sentence: Definition, Meaning and Examples, Interjections: Definition, Meaning, and Examples, Intransitive Verb: Definition, Meaning, and Examples, Nouns: Definition, Meaning and Types Explained (with examples), Prepositional Phrase: What Is It & How to Use, Pronoun: Definition, Meaning and Types Explained (with examples), Split Infinitive: The Complete Guide (with Examples), Subordinate Clause: Definition, Types, and Examples, Subordinating Conjunctions: What Are They? Avoid the overuse of transitions. But does that result in better writing? The bumps covering his arms looked ungainly. Adverbs of time can also be placed after the object. Examples of Different Categories of Adverbs of Place: He traveled down the mountainside. The song was very soothing. These adverbs were utilized most commonly in dialogue. Is your example of resizing emails really fantastic, or is a 30% increase in ROI fantastic? Your writing should be logical enough that your reader understands you without using transitions like "consequently" and "moreover.". This is one example in which the same word can be both an adjective and an adverb but not in the same sentence. Good writers know to grab aThesaurusand findsynonymsforoverused wordsthat pop up in their writing. "I'm leaving." Intensifiers are adverbs. The following passage is an example.

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