Use Adverbs Cautiously

Adverbs are snobs; they only hang out with -ly. This is how I remember adverbs, but, like most rules in the English language, there are exceptions, but we're not here to talk about that. If you are interested, there are many online listings of adverbs.

For those in need of a quick reminder, adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Also, adverbs answer questions such as "when," "where," "how," and "how much."

Here are some examples, and the adverbs are bold.

He boldly told that elephant not to fly to Alaska.
She sat quietly as the doctors explained that she had grown a third arm.
He ran down quickly to the witches' cottage in the Forgotten Forrest.

Writers be wary. Although adverbs can be colorful and very useful to your reader, you do not want to drown them in adverbs.

While limping lazily through the meadow with surprisingly high grass, our hero, the hopelessly romantic Lorenzo, thought of his beautifully tall new wife.

Writing with too many adverbs can easily become messy and wordy, making it difficult for readers to get to the meaning of your words. Remember, Natalie Goldberg's book is "Writing Down the Bones", not "Writing Down the Fat, Muscle, and Meat on the Bones."

Use adverbs to enhance a sentence, not overpower it.

"Getting" Rid of "Get"

Verb: That's What's a'Happenin'! Schoolhouse Rock said it best.

Verbs are the foundation of every sentence; however, we've succumbed to settling for less-than-stellar verbs. Now it is common for the verb "get" to replace many distinguished ones.

When writing a paper, try to be as exact as possible. Here are some examples of replacing "get" with better verbs.

Instead of:
"Sherry got the manuscript of Stephen King's new novel."
Use:
"Sherry stole the manuscript of Stephen King's new novel."

This allows immediate implication of the character's action. However, if you want to hold off on that detail until later in the paper or story, you can use the correct tense of the verb "acquire."

"Sherry acquired the manuscript of Stephen King's new novel."

How she acquired it can be answered later on, leaving room for suspense and plot development.

Replacing "get" is especially crucial when writing for school or work. If you're having difficulty finding a better verb, look up "get" in a thesaurus. There should be plenty of options for you to choose from.