To Axe or Not to Axe: Adverb Advice

 

By Martin Wiles

I remember sitting in front of her. She was an agent, and I was pitching my manuscript—hoping her agency would show interest and take me on as a client.

Well, that didn’t happen, but she did give me one piece of advice I haven’t forgotten—not that I agree completely with the advice, although it was pertinent: “The first thing I tell a client is to wipe every ly word from their manuscript.”

As an English and writing teacher and a freelance editor, I, too, caution my students and other writers about overusing adverbs. My favorite saying is, “If you must add an adverb to a verb, choose a better verb.”

Specific nouns—not common nouns—top the writing pyramid I teach and use as a writer and editor. I can write about a large dog, but a German Shepherd gives a better picture. Next comes the verb, the most important word in the sentence. The one that makes the sentence bloom or shrivel into oblivion.

And it is this part of speech that adverbs modify most often, which is why editors need to help writers choose the best verb that paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. John can walk slowly down the hall. But the picture is quite different if he limps down the hall. Choosing limp eliminates the need for the adverb slowly.

Adjectives follow verbs on the pyramid. Adverbs can also modify this part of speech. An example is, “John’s car is excessively slow.” A better choice is, “John’s car putters along,” thereby eliminating the need for the adverb.

Most adverbs are at the bottom of the writing and editing pyramid. Perhaps this is why they are also at the tail end of speech parts in most curriculum guides. A better verb or a more descriptive adjective abolishes the need for many of the adverbs we often use—especially the ones that end in ly and have three tongue-twisting syllables. 

So, when do we need this controversial part of speech? An editor’s job is not to instruct a writer to destroy all adverbs, only the unnecessary ones—but not the ones that address time and place.

If our son or daughter calls to let us know they need us to keep a grandson, we must know when so we can plan. We might even need to know how often. Will they bring this grandson tomorrow? And will it be weekly? And will they come here (to our house), or must we go there (to their house)? If this grandson wants to go outside when they arrive— but it’s pouring rain, and I say, “You can’t go”— it might help him if I add outside.

Adverbs can add important information to fiction and nonfiction writing. Let’s use the necessary ones that make our writing pop. The unnecessary ones, we can … well … axe.

Photo by Brands&People on Unsplash

Martin Wiles is an author, pastor, English teacher, and freelance editor who resides in Greenwood, South Carolina. He is the administrator/assistant editor for VineWords: Devotions and More and the Managing Editor for Christian Devotions. He is the founder/editor of the internationally recognized devotion site, Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com). His most recent book, Don’t Just Live … Really Live, is available on Amazon. He has also been published in numerous publications. He is the husband of one, the father of two, and the grandfather of seven.