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Grammar Guide 4 - Back to Basics - Adverbs

Myr

Entry posted by Myr in Grammar Guide

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Last week we covered verbs, and now it is time for adverbs.

Adverbs

Adverbs tell us more about a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.  Most adverbs end in -ly, but not all of them.

Some Common Adverbs that Don't End in -ly

quite, now, very, fast, never, well

Adverbs Answer Questions

image.png

Examples:

  • Adverbs modifying verbs
    • The zombie staggered slowly towards the brains.
  • Adverbs modifying adjectives
    • Cats have very twitchy whiskers.
  • Adverbs modifying other adverbs
    • Cats can walk remarkably quietly when then are stalking something.

Bonus Round - Show Vs Tell

As writers, our editors and beta readers are no doubt constantly telling us "Show, don't tell!"  Adverbs are the tell for telling.

  • He walked slowly down the street.
    • the walking dead zombie GIF
  • He walked happily down the sidewalk
    • Homer Simpson Love GIF by Robert E Blackmon
  • They walked quickly into the office.
    • tv land running GIF by nobodies.

Adverbs tell you details about the verbs action.  In this case walked.  Sometimes, you want to just say something (and that's fine).  An intermediate step is to change up your verbs... He shuffled down the street... he skipped down the sidewalk... they scurried into the office.  You're still telling, mostly, but you are being more efficient at it.

  • References:
    • Kern, Jara. (2020). The Infographic Guide to Grammar. Adams Media
    • Venolia, Jan. (2001). Write Right! (4th ed.). Ten Speed Press
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11 Comments

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Carlos Hazday

Carlos Hazday 115,803

Posted

WARNING

At one point, the promotion team chastised me for using, I quote: "too many ly words."  When I work with other authors these days, I suggest not every verb needs an adverb just like not every noun needs an adjective.

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Myr

Myr 32,882

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3 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

At one point, the promotion team chastised me for using, I quote: "too many ly words."  When I work with other authors these days, I suggest not every verb needs an adverb just like not every noun needs an adjective.

If you makes you feel better, I am a horror show when it comes to commas.  @Cia edits for me, posts included, and is always telling me about my missing commas.  I do check for the Oxford comma though, otherwise she's really clobber me ;)

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Ron

Ron 6,147

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Most things that end with LY can be said or written using other words, it just takes more words to get the point across.

"He walked happily down the sidewalk." can become "It was clear to all that he was happy due to his prancing while wearing a bunny suit because most people don't do that unless they're happy." :rolleyes:

Also, it ups your word count. ;)

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AC Benus

AC Benus 36,635

Posted

I flagged something in my book-editing efforts this morning. Adverb-verb arrangement; what is your preference?

My example: "He truly began to like Kitchiner", or would you feel it's more natural so say: "He began truly to like Kitchiner"? 

Do you follow any set rules?

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JamesSavik

JamesSavik 24,831

Posted

Like any other spice, used sparingly, adverbs can be useful. Where they are most useful is characterizing by action. It doesn’t just tell you what the character did. It tells you how they did it. 

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Cia

Cia 59,511

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On 1/28/2022 at 2:46 PM, AC Benus said:

I flagged something in my book-editing efforts this morning. Adverb-verb arrangement; what is your preference?

My example: "He truly began to like Kitchiner", or would you feel it's more natural so say: "He began truly to like Kitchiner"? 

Do you follow any set rules?

Placement of the adverb depends on the type of adverb. Out of those two examples, the first is correct because began is the verb and to is not. Some might write it as "began to truly like Kitchiner" as an alternative, and I might not argue that, but it's good grammar to place the adverb right before the verb you want to modify in the middle of a sentence. 

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AC Benus

AC Benus 36,635

Posted

30 minutes ago, Cia said:

good grammar to place the adverb right before the verb you want to modify

Citation, please :)

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Cia

Cia 59,511

Posted

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25 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

Citation, please :)

Look it up with your favorite sources. It should be easy to find. Honestly, I teach it with Readygen to 4th & 5th graders to primarily use at the beginning and end of sentences or before the verb. This is all information built into my curriculum at school, but I am not going to get into that on my weekend. :P

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Mrsgnomie

Mrsgnomie 67,073

Posted

Oh my! I missed this last week. It totally slipped by. I only caught it because I’d the weekly wrap up.

ill have to come back to this lesson a few times. Good stuff here 

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Carlos Hazday

Carlos Hazday 115,803

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15 hours ago, Cia said:

Look it up with your favorite sources. It should be easy to find. Honestly, I teach it with Readygen to 4th & 5th graders to primarily use at the beginning and end of sentences or before the verb. This is all information built into my curriculum at school, but I am not going to get into that on my weekend. :P

Monday's just around the corner. :P

 

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Cia

Cia 59,511

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1 hour ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Monday's just around the corner. :P

 

Don't remind me! We had a 3 day weekend week (Friday), but it wasn't long enough! Upside, we won't have a snow day before Friday so we get an inclement weather day on the 18th and the 21st is a federal holiday so 2 full weeks, a short week, then a 4 day weekend. YAY! Downside, all our extra days off make it really hard to really progress students on IEPs and make their goals before our next trimester ends the first week of March.  

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