So as not to derail a certain thread--Adverbs. Are you in favor of using them a lot? Maybe you think they should be burned and ignominously dumped out of the English language?

Personally, I am against having too many adverbs in my writing, but the're one of the most common slip-ups I make.

So: this thread is for discussing adverbs: Discuss.

eruheran

I like adverbs... "immediately" and so forth. While they aren't a very strong word, I do like them. I don't use them very often though. It's a good word-count bumper for Nano, though.

I dislike it when people say they should never be used, but they probably should be used in moderation. I'm not actually sure how many I use...I haven't looked over my writing for that lately.

I personally love adverbs . I believe that they can set the mood of a sentence. When you use a good variety of them, they can be very powerful tools.

However, I think that writing can look cheap and messy if there are too many of them. It's sometimes the easy way out of writing creative sentence beginnings.

That being said, I'll agree with everyone else, that adverbs should be used in moderation. In the hands of a skilled writer, I believe that they can really pull a reader into a book.

Oh, adverbs.

I personally am quite fine with adverbs. As long as they are done tastefully. And with variety. If you're going to use adverbs, don't use the same word over in over again. It gets dull.

(One of the things I am seeking to overcome. I have a handful of favorite adverbs that I use far too often. )

But yes. In essence, just like many other things, if done tastefully it can be done well.

I need to review my grammar. It took me a moment to remember what an adverb was!

I've never actually payed much attention to them (which is maybe why I forgot). If it conveys well what you need it to say, than use it.

But yes they should be exercised with restraint. Books would get very boring indeed if every other word ended with an 'ly.'

- Terra

'Tis what's known as a brain freeze, dear sister of mine.

Another thing: An adverb shouldn't scream "LOOK AT ME! I'm an ADVERB!" They should be used subtly to grace a sentence, but not steal the show. (Like my adverbs tend to do. ;P)

Adverbs can be used well if they are handled properly, as the others said. I think style plays a large part. You can technically make any combination of adverbs work if it's your personal style, though in general it's better not to overuse them. Concrete verbs are generally stronger.

In screenwriting, I avoid adverbs more ruthlessly. In a script, time is at a premium, and concrete verbs carry more power. In prose, I am generally more liberal. Sometimes an adverb, even if it isn't necessary, sets the tone of the sentence. Sometimes an adverb affects the metre and flow of a sentence, too. I'm in favor of using adverbs when they roll off the tongue with a flavor.

Right on!

I take a lot of words to express my thoughts with clarity, so for my personal communication, I can end up using a great deal of adjectives and adverbs. I do try to keep my words more concise in writing, but my personal style does often feel more comfortable with an adverb than with an overly specified verb. I do end up noticing if there are too many -ly words near to one another during my editing.