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What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types & Examples

Published on October 20, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on February 7, 2023.

An adverb is a word that can modify or describe a verb , adjective , another adverb, or entire sentence. Adverbs can be used to show manner (how something happens), degree (to what extent), place (where), and time (when).

Adverbs are usually formed by adding -ly to the end of an adjective (e.g., “quick” becomes “quickly”), although there are also other adverbs that don’t have this ending. There are also adverbial phrases , series of words that play the grammatical role of adverbs.

Charlize never answers her phone.

It is an incredibly exciting film.

Table of contents

How are adverbs used in sentences, adverbs vs. adjectives.

• Adverbs of manner
• Adverbs of degree
• Adverbs of place
• Adverbs of time
• Adverbs of frequency
• Adverbs of purpose

Other types of adverbs

Other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

Adverbs provide context in a sentence by describing how , when , where , and to what extent something occurs. Adverbs can be used to modify verbs , adjectives , and even other adverbs .

Jeff is extremely talented .

Adverbs can also be used to modify entire sentences by expressing a viewpoint or making an evaluation. These adverbs (called sentence adverbs ) are typically set off with commas .

While adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and entire sentences, adjectives can only modify nouns and pronouns (e.g., “the red door”).

Adverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective. However, adverbs can also be formed from adjectives in other ways, depending on the ending.

Some adverbs use the same form as their corresponding adjectives. These are known as flat adverbs (e.g., “straight,” “fast,” “early”). Other adverbs (e.g., “never”) simply don’t have a corresponding adjective.

For example, in the sentence “Don’t drive fast ,” the word “fast” is an adverb because it’s modifying the verb “drive.”

Adverbs and linking verbs

Adverbs are sometimes confused with adjectives when they are used with linking verbs (i.e. a verb that connects the subject of a sentence with a subject complement that describes it).

While adverbs can be used to describe how an action is done, linking verbs (e.g., “look,” “feel,” “sound,” “be”) refer to states of being and therefore take an adjective rather than an adverb.

• Angela seems angrily .
• Angela seems angry .

An adverb of manner describes how an action is performed or how something happens. In most cases, adverbs of manner occur after the main verb.

If the verb has a direct object (a thing being acted upon), the adverb should be placed before the verb or at the end of the sentence. It should never be placed between the verb and its object (in the following examples, “the book” is the object).

• Jessie read quietly the book.
• Jessie quietly read the book.
• Jessie read the book quietly .

Adverbs of degree are used to qualify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs by expressing extent or degree. Some common adverbs of degree include: “extremely,” “absolutely,” “slightly,” “quite,” and “enough.”

An adverb of place provides information about the location of an action (e.g., position, distance, and direction). Adverbs of place typically occur after the main verb of a sentence.

Confetti was thrown everywhere .

Adverbs of time (e.g., “yesterday,” “today,” “tomorrow”) describe when something happens. They are typically placed at the end of a sentence.

Adverbs of duration (e.g., “temporarily,” “forever,” “shortly”) are slightly different; they describe the length of time something happens for.

Adverbs of frequency describe how often something happens. They can be divided into two categories based on how specific they are.

Adverbs of indefinite frequency (e.g., “always,” “sometimes,” “never”) give an idea of how often something occurs, but they don’t give an exact timeframe. Adverbs of indefinite frequency are usually placed before the main verb.

Adverbs of definite frequency (e.g., “hourly,” “daily,” “weekly”) give a more precise description of how often something happens. They typically occur at the end of a sentence.

Adverbs of purpose (also called adverbs of reason ) help to explain why something is the case. Many adverbs of purpose function as conjunctive adverbs. Other adverbs of purpose usually take the form of adverbial phrases instead of individual words.

There are a few additional types of adverbs that are worth considering:

• Conjunctive adverbs
• Focusing adverbs
• Interrogative adverbs
• Relative adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs (also called linking adverbs ) connect two independent clauses by turning the second clause into an adverbial modifier of the first. They can be used as transition words to introduce consequence, condition, comparison, contrast, and clarification.

Kelly’s funding application was denied; therefore , she can not continue her research. Note Conjunctive adverbs are often confused with coordinating conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “but”). However, unlike coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs can’t connect two clauses grammatically.

Instead, conjunctive adverbs are typically separated from a preceding clause by a period or semicolon and followed by a comma .

• The car is damaged, besides it’s too expensive.
• The car is damaged . Besides, it’s too expensive.
• The car is damaged ; besides, it’s too expensive.

Focusing adverbs are used to emphasize a particular part of a sentence. They’re typically positioned next to the word they’re drawing attention to. Some common focusing adverbs include: “only,” “just,” “especially,” “even,” “either,” and “neither.”

The interrogative adverbs “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how” are used to introduce a question.

The relative adverbs “where,” “when,” and “why” are used to introduce dependent or relative clauses (i.e., clauses that contain a subject and verb but do not express a complete thought).

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• First-person pronouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

There are many ways to categorize adverbs into various types. An adverb can fall into one or more categories depending on how it is used.

Some of the main types of adverbs are:

A conjunctive adverb is a type of adverb used to connect and modify two independent clauses. It does this by turning the second clause into an adverbial modifier of the first.

Conjunctive adverbs can be used as transition words to introduce condition, consequence, clarification, comparison, and contrast (e.g., “The weather is fine now. However , it is going to rain later.”). But it’s important not to confuse them with conjunctions .

A relative adverb is a type of adverb used to introduce a dependent or relative clause (i.e., a clause that contains a subject and verb but can’t act as a standalone sentence). The three relative adverbs are “where,” “when,” and “why.”

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Ryan, E. (2023, February 07). What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Which adverbs are important in academic writing?

This is the third and final chapter about Adverbs . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Review the key facts about adverbs

– Determine which adverbs are common in academic English

– Unlock, download and complete Chapter Worksheets to check progress and understanding and improve proficiency

Chapter 1: How do adverbs function in English grammar?

Chapter 2: What are the 3 categories and 16 types of adverb?

Chapter 3: Which adverbs are important in academic writing?

Having now explored adverbs in some depth, discussing their form, function and distribution in Chapter 1 and their sixteen types and three categories in Chapter 2, this third and final chapter deals with their use in academic contexts. By studying this chapter, you’ll review the sixteen adverb types in brief and will learn which adverbs are most common in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and which should be avoided. After completing this reader, don’t forget to unlock and complete our Chapter Worksheets to check your knowledge of adverbs and improve your overall English proficiency.

What are the key facts about adverbs?

As mentioned in Chapter 1 and 2, adverbs are one of most variable of all the word types in that their form, function and distribution is quite varied. This can make adverbs challenging to identify and master. In case you’re a student that’s jumped straight to Chapter 3 to find out about adverbs in academic contexts, let’s summarise what we’ve discussed so far:

• many (but not most) adverbs are formed from adjectives using the suffix ‘-ly’
• adverbs can modify adjectives, adverbs, verbs, prepositional phrases and sentences
• adverbs tend to express how , when , where , how often or to what extent
• adverbs are often quite flexible in where they can be placed within a sentence
• adverbs can be categorised into adjunctive , conjunctive and disjunctive types, each of which can be divided into a number of subcategories due to their shared meaning or grammar

Which adverbs are common in EAP?

To help students who are writing academic essays or designing academic presentations , we’ve included a list below of almost 100 high-frequency academic adverbs. It might be a good idea to learn the grammar and meaning of these words and incorporate them into your academic language:

above, accordingly, accurately, adequately, also, approximately, basically, clearly, closely, commonly, consequently, considerably, conversely, correctly, directly, effectively, either, equally, especially, essentially, explicitly, extremely, fairly, far, frequently, fully, further, furthermore, generally, greatly, hence, highly, however, increasingly, indeed, independently, indirectly, individually, inevitably, initially, largely, less, mainly, more, moreover, most, namely, necessarily, normally, notably, often, only, originally, over, partially, particularly, potentially, previously, primarily, purely, quite, readily, recently, relatively, secondly, significantly, similarly, simply, socially, solely, somewhat, specifically, strongly, subsequently, successfully, then, there, thereby, therefore, thus, traditionally, typically, ultimately, virtually, voluntarily, wholly, widely

What are the 16 types of adverb?

Among the adjunctive, conjunctive and disjunctive categories of adverb we discussed earlier, there are sixteen types of adverb. That’s a lot to learn! Thankfully, we’ve included each type with an example for you below. However, if you’d like to study these types in more detail, consider returning back to Chapter 2 where more examples are provided.

• Adverbs of degree : The student completely forgot about studying for the exam.
• Adverbs of frequency : It will take the students forever to get a high score on the test.
• Adverbs of manner : The tutor resentfully answered yet another student email.
• Adverbs of place : The students who were absent were falling behind .
• Adverbs of time : The teacher is too tired and will have to mark the exams later .

Conjunctive

• Additive adverbs : Additionally , VOCs significantly impact air quality.
• Contrastive adverbs : VOCs are not the primary cause, however .
• Listing adverbs : Finally , there are the multitude of greenhouse gases.
• Resultative adverbs : Therefore , pulmonary cancer rates are increasing.
• Relative adverbs : 4 o’clock is when the exam will finish.
• Interrogative adverbs : When will the exam end?

Disjunctive

• Adverbs of attitude : Smith (2020) correctly delineates the issue.
• Adverbs of certainty : These results are undeniably conclusive.
• Adverbs of doubt : Such findings are only theoretically conclusive.
• Hedging adverbs : This decrease is possibly due to government policy.
• Source adverbs : According to Smith (2020), emissions are increasing.

Which types are common in academic language?

When using English for Academic Purposes (EAP), it’s important to recognise which adverb types are common and which are infrequently used. We’ve therefore summarised their use for you in the following table. Those types with the most ticks (ü) are the most important to study as they are used most frequently:

Downloadables

Once you’ve completed all three chapters in this short reader about Adverbs , you might then wish to download our Chapter Worksheets to check your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Chapter 1 explores the topic: How do adverbs function in English grammar? Our Chapter 1 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 2 explores the topic: What are the 3 categories and 16 types of adverb? Our Chapter 2 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

Chapter 3 explores the topic: Which adverbs are important in academic writing? Our Chapter 3 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button. 

To save yourself 2 Marks , click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our Adverbs Chapter Worksheets. This  All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter, activity and answer key related to this topic in one handy and professional PDF.

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The Ultimate Adverbs Examples List

General Education

Adverbs are an important part of sentences that describe and modify other parts of the sentence. Verbs are words that describe an action, and adverbs provide description and details regarding that action. There are different types of adverbs and how we use them depends on what you’re describing, and how you want to describe it. This adverbs list has over 100 adverb examples, and they are categorized by type with adverb examples sentences in order to help you understand their uses and meanings.

What Is an Adverb? What Do Adverb Words Do?

An adverb is a word that is used to change, modify, or qualify other words . Think of adverbs as the descriptions of how, where, and when things are occurring.

You may be familiar with adverbs as words that end in "ly" that modify verbs, but that's not always the case. There are actually five types of adverb words, and adverbs can also modify adjectives, clauses, or any other type of verb or phrase. However, adverbs can't modify nouns and noun phrases, since they are modified by adjectives.

The 5 Types of Adverbs

There are five types of adverbs — they're listed below with examples to help you understand the differences between them.

Adverbs of Degree: Adverbs of degree describe the intensity of a verb, or to what degree. They can also modify an adjective.

• Example: This will hardly be enough food for everyone.

Adverbs of Frequency: Adverbs of frequency let us know how often a verb occurs.

• Example: She always goes to the store on Mondays.

Adverbs of Manner: Adverbs of manner let us know the manner, or in what way, the verb is carried out. These verbs are the ones that typically end in “ly.”

• Example: She waited patiently in line.

Adverbs of Place: Adverbs of place tell is where the verb took place. These usually appear after the noun or direct object.

• Example: I’ve been seeing these new games everywhere.

Adverbs of Time: Adverbs of time detail when a verb takes place. They usually appear at the end of a phrase or sentence. 

• Example: The town hosts this festival annually.

Adverb Examples

These adverb lists are sorted into the five different types for quick reference. This list is not a complete list of adverbs, but it will help you understand how to use and recognize adverb words. This adverb list provides adverb examples, as well as adverb examples sentences. 

List of Adverbs of Degree

List of Adverbs of Frequency

List of Adverbs of Manner

List of Adverbs of Place

List of Adverbs of Time

Now that you’re familiar with adverbs from our adverb lists, think carefully about how they work within a sentence. Adverbs are wonderful, but they should be used sparingly. A strong verb or adjective can be even better for your writing than an adverb. You don’t want your writing to be saturated in adverbs examples. Instead, they should be brought out like secret weapons to enhance imagery, emphasize important actions, and clarify complex themes in your writing. And when you're stuck, you can always reference this list of adverbs examples. 

What's Next?

Looking for more writing help and advice? Check out this list of The 20 Most Useful Rhetorical Devices and 122 Tone Words to Set the Mood in Your Story . And don't miss these guides on assonance and imagery !

For help with grammar in your test prep , read up on The Complete Guide to SAT Grammar Rules and the must-know ACT grammar rules .

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Carrie holds a Bachelors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, and is currently pursuing an MFA. She worked in book publishing for several years, and believes that books can open up new worlds. She loves reading, the outdoors, and learning about new things.

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List Of 100+ Common Adverbs By Type And With Examples

• Conjunctive Adverbs
• Adverbs Of Frequency
• Adverbs Of Time
• Adverbs Of Manner
• Adverbs Of Degree
• Adverbs Of Place
• Take The Quiz

Adverbs are incredibly common in English. You probably use hundreds of them every day, even if you’re not quite sure what an adverb is. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, other adverbs, or adverbial phrases. There are different kinds of adverbs, which you can learn more about in our article Six Types Of Adverbs Used In The English Language . In this article, we are going to cover examples from each of six categories and how to properly use them in a sentence.

The six common categories of adverbs are:

• conjunctive adverbs
• adverbs of frequency
• adverbs of time
• adverbs of manner
• adverbs of degree
• adverbs of place

One thing to keep in mind is that there can be some overlap or repetition across the different categories of adverbs, because words can have more than one meaning or use depending on the context. For example, yet can be a conjunction, meaning “though,” but it can also be an adverb of time, in the sense “in the time still remaining.”

Conjunctive adverbs

A conjunction is any word that connects words, phrases, clauses, or sentences. They express the relationship between ideas or parts of speech. A conjunctive adverb is an adverb that acts like a conjunction.

Conjunctive adverbs are often set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma. For example:

• We don’t have time to run to the store. Besides , you already have cereal at home.

Conjunctive adverbs can also go at the end of a sentence, in which case they don’t need to be set off with a comma, as in:

• I didn’t really want a pony anyway .

List of conjunctive adverbs:

• accordingly
• additionally
• in conclusion
• nevertheless

Want to learn more about conjunctive adverbs and how to use them? We’ve got a guide for that.

Adverbs of frequency

Adverbs of frequency detail at what rate over time an action or event occurs. They answer the question “How often? ”  Adverbs of frequency generally go just before the verb they are modifying.

• She always orders chocolate cake.
• My brother will never get over it.

List of adverbs of frequency:

• hardly ever
• occasionally

Adverbs of time

Adverbs of time describe when things occur. They answer the question “When?” Adverbs of time are very flexible: they can go at the beginning of a sentence set off with a comma, right before the verb or clause they are modifying, or at the end of a sentence. It depends on the adverb and how it is being used in the sentence. For example:

• Tomorrow , the class is going to the zoo.
• We last saw her before dinner.
• Are you going to Paris next ?

List of adverbs of time:

Adverbs of manner.

Despite their name, adverbs of manner aren’t necessarily polite. Manner here means “a way of doing, being done, or happening.” Adverbs of manner answer the question “How?” Adverbs of manner can go before or after the verb or phrase they are modifying. For example:

• The students quickly ate their lunches.
• Our mayor spoke loudly and authoritatively .

List of adverbs of manner:

• suspiciously
• accidentally
• really (can also be adverb of degree in sense of “very”)

We use pronouns every day. Even the word we is a pronoun! Learn about the types of pronouns with examples of each and how to use them in sentences.

Adverbs of degree

Adverbs of degree describe intensity or quantity of an action. They answer the question “How much?” Typically, adverbs of degree go before the verb or part of speech being modified. For example:

• We were too hungry to talk during the meal.
• The little puppy was extremely energetic.

List of adverbs of degree:

• exceptionally

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Adverbs of place

Adverbs of place describe location. They answer the question “Where?” Adverbs of place typically go after the verb or other part of the speech they are modifying. For example:

• I think your sister is upstairs .
• Go toward the big tree, then make a left.

List of adverbs of place:

• backward(s)

Take the quiz

Quickly , make your way over to our adverbs quizzes. We’ve got an entry-level challenge: Quiz Yourself On How To Use Adverbs . And for the grammar experts out there, we’ve got a more advanced test: Nervously Or Unknowingly: How Are You Taking This Quiz On Adverbs? It’ll distinguish whether or not you’ve skillfully applied the grammar knowledge you diligently gained from this article.

End your project with style with one of these 10 alternatives to the phrase "in conclusion."

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Grammar Tips: Adverbs

• 3-minute read
• 20th March 2023

Have you ever felt confused about what, exactly, adverbs are? If so, you’ve come to the right place! An adverb is a word used to modify (or describe) something – usually a verb or an action word.

It’s important to learn how to use adverbs effectively because they can add power and life to whatever you’re writing – but if overused, they can do just the opposite. In this post, we’ll break down how to use adverbs in your writing.

What Are Adverbs?

As we mentioned, adverbs are words that modify certain types of words, normally verbs. Verbs are action words, so essentially, you use adverbs to describe how, when, or where an action is performed. There are different types of adverbs for different purposes, so let’s dive into a few.

Adverbs of Manner

Some adverbs describe how an action is performed. One way to spot them is to look for the suffix -ly . Here are a few examples:

Adverbs of Place

As you may have guessed, adverbs of place describe where an action is performed. They might indicate a direction or distance, and they’re usually placed after the object or near the main verb of the sentence. Here are a few examples:

Adverbs of Time or Frequency

Some adverbs describe when or how often something happens. For example:

Tips for Using Adverbs

1.   the position of the adverb matters.

Where you place an adverb in a sentence can make all the difference in what it modifies. If it’s placed at the beginning of a sentence, for example, it modifies the whole sentence:

But if it appears at the end of a sentence, then it only modifies the main verb:

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2.   Be Careful When Using Adverbs To Describe Adjectives or Adverbs

Adverbs can be used to modify adjectives or other adverbs to emphasize them. However, this often leads to wordiness and redundancy , which will normally weaken your writing. For example:

A particularly overused adverb is “very,” which can almost always be removed, especially if you want your writing to be clear and concise.

3.   Don’t Overuse Adverbs

While adverbs can add more detail and power to your writing, the key is to use as few as possible. If you can swap an adverb and verb combo for a stronger verb , always do so. For example:

In summary, adverbs are words that modify certain parts of speech – usually verbs! While they can be useful for adding detail and life to your writing, the key is to use them sparingly.

We hope this post has helped you to understand what adverbs are and how to use them. If you’d like your work checked for issues with spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and more, our editors are happy to help! You can even get 500 words proofread for free .

What’s the difference between adverbs and adjectives?

Adjectives only modify or describe nouns, while adverbs can modify all other parts of a sentence.

Do adverbs have hyphens?

You should never use hyphens with adverbs. This includes linking the adverb with the word it’s modifying (e.g., “brightly-lit” is wrong; “brightly lit” is correct) and adding a hyphen before the suffix (e.g., “smooth-ly” is wrong; “smoothly” is correct).

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List of Adverbs: 300+ Best and Common Examples

By Hannah Yang

Adverbs can be a useful tool to add more descriptive detail to your writing.

If you’re looking for great adverbs in the English language to add to your vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place! This article will give you a list of over 300 amazing adverbs to help you spice up your writing.

Quick Refresh: What Is an Adverb?

List of the most common adverbs, list of positive adverbs, list of the best descriptive adverbs.

An adverb is a word that modifies an adjective, verb, or another adverb. Many adverbs end with -ly , though not all of them do.

Adverbs can provide many kinds of specific details, such as degree, frequency, manner, time, and more. By using an adverb, you can give the reader a more detailed picture of what you want to convey.

For example, consider the sentence “Sarah laughed.” This sentence tells the reader what Sarah is doing, but not how she’s doing it. Adding an adverb might completely change how the reader pictures this action, such as:

• Sarah laughed cruelly .
• Sarah laughed joyfully .
• Sarah laughed sarcastically .

Notice how the feeling of Sarah’s laughter changes in each sentence, thanks to the descriptive adverb at the end.

When Should You Use Adverbs?

You might have heard the rule “avoid adverbs.” This rule is a piece of advice often given to amateur writers.

It’s true that adverbs are often unnecessary, since they aren’t as fundamental as nouns and verbs. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid adverbs entirely.

So when should you use adverbs, and when should you avoid them?

The answer is that you should only use adverbs to give your reader an extra detail that they wouldn’t be able to infer on their own. In other words, if the adverb is already implicit in the sentence, there’s no need to include one.

For example, consider the sentence “I weep sadly .”

The adverb sadly doesn’t add much to this sentence, because we already associate the word weep with sadness. The sentence “I weep” would convey sadness without the word sadly at the end, so you can take sadly out.

On the other hand, consider the sentence “I weep gratefully .”

In this case, the adverb gratefully adds a new layer of nuance to the sentence, because most readers wouldn’t automatically associate weeping with gratitude.

When in doubt, try taking the adverb out. If the sentence still means the same thing without it, you probably don’t need it. If the sentence loses its depth and nuance, then keep the adverb in.

If you’re not sure you’re using adverbs in the right places, you can run your writing through ProWritingAid, which can help you catch redundant words and phrases. The Style Report will also highlight your adverb usage, so you can determine if each one is necessary.

Adverbs can play many roles in a sentence. Some of the most common categories include adverbs of frequency, adverbs of time, adverbs of place, evaluation adverbs, and conjunctive adverbs (also known as linking adverbs).

Here’s a list of adverbs you should know in each of these categories.

Adverbs of frequency can describe how often or rarely something occurs. We can put these words on a spectrum from always to never .

• Occasionally

Adverbs of time are used to describe relationships in time. These words are useful for describing how an event relates to the present moment, or how an event relates temporally to another event.

Adverbs can also describe where something is in space, or where an action took place.

Adjectives of evaluation tell the reader the extent of your certainty in what you’re saying. You can use these words to add some subjectivity to the sentence.

• Fortunately
• Unfortunately

Finally, a conjunctive adverb is a word that connects two clauses or sentences. Conjunctive adverbs act as transition words that help the reader understand how two ideas relate to one another.

• Accordingly
• Consequently
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless
• Subsequently

Positive adverbs convey a positive tone. These words are useful when you want to convey a good impression of something, such as when you’re writing a review of a restaurant you like, or writing a letter of recommendation for a colleague you respect.

• Adventurously
• Beautifully
• Courageously
• Delightfully
• Energetically
• Enthusiastically
• Kindheartedly
• Majestically
• Optimistically
• Thoughtfully
• Tremendously
• Vivaciously
• Wonderfully

Descriptive adverbs add more detail to a person, thing, or action. Here are some common descriptive adverbs:

• Deliberately
• Desperately
• Determinedly
• Ferociously
• Frantically
• Frightfully
• Immediately
• Inadequately
• Increasingly
• Inquisitively
• Interestingly
• Meaningfully
• Mechanically
• Mysteriously
• Obnoxiously
• Overconfidently
• Potentially
• Questionably
• Quizzically
• Reassuringly
• Reluctantly
• Reproachfully
• Righteously
• Searchingly
• Surprisingly
• Suspiciously
• Sympathetically
• Unaccountably
• Unexpectedly
• Unnecessarily
• Unwillingly
• Victoriously

There you have it—a comprehensive list of adverbs that can help you add more specificity to your sentences. Happy writing!

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The Ultimate List of Adverbs to Boost Your Writing Skills

By: Author ESLBUZZ

Posted on Last updated: August 4, 2023

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Are you tired of using the same old adverbs in your writing? Do you want to add more variety and depth to your writing? Look no further than our comprehensive list of adverbs! Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced grammar learner, this list is sure to provide you with the tools you need to take your writing to the next level.

From adverbs of time and frequency to adverbs of manner and degree, we’ve got you covered. So why settle for the same old adverbs when you can spice up your writing with our list? Keep reading to find out more!

List of Adverbs

Understanding Adverbs

Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or even entire sentences. They provide additional information about how, when, where, and to what extent an action is performed. Adverbs can be formed by adding -ly to an adjective, but there are also many adverbs that do not end in -ly.

For example:

• She speaks softly .
• He drives carefully .
• They arrived late .
• She is very happy.
• He is working hard .

Adverbs serve several functions in a sentence. The most common functions are:

• Manner: Adverbs that describe how an action is performed. Example: He sings beautifully .
• Degree: Adverbs that indicate the extent to which an action is performed. Example: She is extremely talented.
• Time: Adverbs that describe when an action is performed. Example: They arrived early .
• Place: Adverbs that describe where an action is performed. Example: She looked everywhere for her keys.
• Frequency: Adverbs that describe how often an action is performed. Example: He exercises daily .

Adverbs can be placed in different positions within a sentence, depending on the emphasis and meaning. Generally, adverbs are placed before the verb they modify, but they can also be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence.

• Before the verb: She always arrives on time.
• At the beginning of the sentence: Finally , he finished his homework.

List of Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner describe how something is done. They tell us about the way or manner in which an action is performed. These adverbs often end in -ly, but not always. Here are some examples:

List of Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place describe the location or position of an action or thing. They tell us where something is happening. Here are some examples:

List of Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time tell us when something happens or how often it happens. They describe the time frame of an action. Here are some examples:

List of Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree describe the intensity or degree of an action or thing. They tell us how much or to what extent something happens. Here are some examples:

List of Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency describe how often something happens. They tell us the frequency of an action. Here are some examples:

Position of Adverbs

Adverbs can be placed in different positions within a sentence, depending on the intended emphasis and the adverb type. In this section, we will discuss the three main positions of adverbs in English sentences: beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning of Sentence

When an adverb is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it is in initial position. This placement is often used to emphasize the adverb or to introduce a new idea. Common adverbs used in initial position include:

• Unfortunately
• Interestingly
• Consequently

Here are a few examples of adverbs in initial position:

• Suddenly, the phone rang.
• Unfortunately, I forgot my keys.
• Interestingly, the study found that…
• Consequently, the project was delayed.

Middle of Sentence

Adverbs can also be placed in the middle of a sentence, between the subject and verb or after the verb. This placement is used to modify the verb or to provide additional information about the action. Adverbs that are commonly used in the middle of a sentence include:

Here are a few examples of adverbs in middle position:

• He usually eats breakfast at 7 am.
• I often go to the gym after work.
• She sometimes forgets her phone at home.
• They rarely travel abroad.

End of Sentence

When an adverb is placed at the end of a sentence, it is in final position. This placement is used to modify the entire sentence or to emphasize the adverb. Adverbs that are commonly used in final position include:

Here are a few examples of adverbs in final position:

• The party was ruined completely.
• This is not going well, obviously.

Common Mistakes with Adverbs

Adverbs are an essential part of English grammar. They are used to modify verbs, adjectives, clauses, and other adverbs, providing additional details or information about how an action is performed. However, using adverbs incorrectly can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using adverbs:

Using Adjectives Instead of Adverbs

Another common mistake is using adjectives instead of adverbs to modify verbs. Adjectives are used to modify nouns or pronouns, while adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example:

• Incorrect: He runs very fastly.
• Correct: He runs very fast.

Overusing Adverbs

While adverbs can add depth and detail to a sentence, overusing them can make your writing sound cluttered and repetitive. Instead, try to use descriptive verbs or adjectives to convey meaning. For example:

• Overused: She spoke softly and gently to the children.
• Better: She whispered to the children.

Using the Wrong Adverb

Using the wrong adverb can also lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Make sure you choose the right adverb to convey the meaning you intend. For example:

• Incorrect: He spoke loudly to the baby.
• Correct: He spoke softly to the baby.

In conclusion, using adverbs correctly is essential for clear and effective communication in English. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can improve your writing and speaking skills and convey your message more accurately.

Remember that using adverbs sparingly is key to effective writing. Overuse of adverbs can make your writing appear weak or amateurish. Instead, strive to use adverbs only when they add value to your sentences and help convey your intended meaning.

Additionally, it’s important to note that not all adverbs are created equal. Some adverbs are stronger than others and can convey a more precise meaning. For example, the adverb “quickly” is weaker than “ briskly ” or “hurriedly.” By using stronger adverbs, you can make your writing more engaging and descriptive.

Overall, the key to using adverbs effectively is to strike a balance between using them too often and not using them enough. By incorporating a variety of adverbs into your writing and using them judiciously, you can take your writing to the next level and communicate more effectively with your readers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common adverbs in English?

There are many common adverbs in English, and they can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Some common adverbs include quickly, slowly, loudly, quietly, beautifully, and carefully. Adverbs can also be formed by adding -ly to an adjective, such as quickly from quick or easily from easy.

Can you provide examples of adverbs?

Sure! Here are some examples of adverbs in sentences:

• She sings beautifully.
• He runs quickly.
• They speak softly.
• The car drives smoothly.
• She writes neatly.

How do adverbs modify verbs?

Adverbs modify verbs by describing how, when, where, or to what extent an action is done. For example, in the sentence “She sings beautifully,” the adverb beautifully modifies the verb sings by describing how she sings.

What is the correct order of adverbs in a sentence?

The general order of adverbs in a sentence is time, manner, place. For example, “She sings beautifully in the park every afternoon.” However, there are exceptions to this rule, and the order can vary depending on the specific adverbs used in the sentence.

Where can I find a PDF list of adverbs?

There are many resources available online for finding lists of adverbs, including PDFs. A quick search on Google can provide you with many options to choose from.

What are some adverbs that don’t end in -ly?

While many adverbs end in -ly, there are also many that do not. Some examples of adverbs that don’t end in -ly include fast, hard, well, late, and early. These adverbs can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs just like their -ly counterparts.

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That's it for our Frequently Asked Questions section. We hope this has been helpful to you!

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How to tell if your writing has too many adverbs, and if so, how to prune them

By romeo (edited)

• January 9, 2020

In this post we first look at what adverbs are and what they do, along with some examples of adverbs in use. We’ll see how adverbs can be very useful in our writing and, conversely, how they can also be a problem -    especially if they are overused. Finally, we’ll look at when, and where, we should consider pruning them from our writing. 

INTRODUCTION

 “ It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife .” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

As I was writing this post about the much-maligned adverb, and thinking about how valuable, or problematic, this part of language is for writers, it occurred to me that much like Jane Austen’s universally acknowledged truth about wealthy single men, it seems it’s a universally acknowledged truth that adverbs are a problem – that they should be avoided, entirely if possible, and sought out and ruthlessly pruned from our writing.

Perhaps an appropriately similar quote would go something like this… 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that writing in possession of too many adverbs must be in want of some pruning/editing!

I expect you have read a great deal of advice that recommends avoiding over-using adverbs in your writing, especially with regard to creative writing. 

Mark Twain complained of an “adverb plague”, and according to Kingsley Amis, if you are using an adverb, you have got the verb wrong. 

But probably the most quoted advice is from the writer Stephen King

I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout if from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day . . . fifty the day after that . . . and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s — GASP!! — too late.

But are adverbs really such a problem? Should we purge them from our writing, or should we celebrate them as a perfectly good and useful part of language, and an essential part of the writer’s set of tools?

First, let’s take a quick look at what adverbs are, and what they do.

What are adverbs and what do they do?

Adverbs are words that modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

They provide us with additional information and describe the way something happens or happened. 

They can tell us things such as  how ,  when , and  where  something happens, and  to what extent  or under what conditions .

For example:

• She sings  beautifully .
• I write in my journal  daily .
• He writes  very  well.
• We saw her  yesterday  morning.
• We’re looking for  somewhere  to stay in France.
• We’ve  never  been to Paris.

Some examples of common adverbs

‘How’ adverbs 

‘When’ adverbs 

• afterwards – They met in May 2009 and got engaged shortly afterwards.
• today – Are you working today?

‘Where’ adverbs  

• here – The countdown to Christmas starts here.
• there – I emigrated from the UK in 1992 and I haven’t been back there since.

‘Adverbs showing the extent of something

• extremely – She did extremely well in her exams.
• terribly – Would you mind terribly if we didn’t come to your party next week?

Adverbs modifying verbs

• Our greenhouse was badly damaged in the storm.
• He walked home slowly .
• He gets up early every day.
• I’m sorry, I must go. My train will be arriving soon .
• She stepped carefully into the steaming bath.

Adverbs modifying adjectives 

• He drives a very fast car. 
• My grandfather was an extremely tall, thin man.
• Our boss expects us to work impossibly long hours.

Adverbs modifying other adverbs 

• My train arrived unexpectedly early.
• He ate his food extremely quickly.

Many adverbs end in -ly 

These are formed by adding  –ly  to an adjective.

• beautiful – beautifully
• bold – boldly
• eager - eagerly
• slow – slowly
• quiet - quietly

If the adjective ends in a ‘ y ’ you need to change the ‘ y ’ to an ‘ i ’ and then add - ly .

• angry – angrily
• cosy - cosily
• easy – easily
• moody – moodily
• ready - readily
• steady – steadily

Some adverbs have the same form as adjectives, for example:

• daily, weekly, monthly, yearly

For and against adverbs

The main argument against adverbs is that they can make your writing weak by littering it with unnecessary words.

However, as we have seen above, we need some adverbs - those that tell us things like how, when and where, and to what extent etc., something happens. 

We also need linking adverbs – these are words such as ‘therefore’, ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’, ‘whereas’, and ‘while’, that enable us to do things such as connect or contrast ideas and emphasize contrasting points or arguments.

Adverbs can add meaning, clarification, colour, depth and interest to your writing. Used properly, they strengthen your writing. 

If a character in your story is singing, you can give your reader more information with adverbs…

• Elsie sang quietly to herself as she folded her baby’s clothes.

You can use adverbs to create sentences that create a picture for your readers, or that evoke an emotion: 

“Tread softly because you tread on my dreams” – from The Cloths of Heaven, W.B. Yeats

“…or if your wish be to close me, i and my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly…” – from somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond , by e. e. cummings

How to identify and cut unnecessary adverbs from your writing 

Locate the adverbs in your writing – and see how removing each one affects its sentence. 

Ask yourself whether, without the adverb, the sentence has less impact and its meaning is now less clear. If so, keep the adverb in, or think of a stronger word or expression to replace the adverb. 

Conversely, if by removing an adverb you feel a sentence’s clarity and impact for your reader has now improved, feel free to unceremoniously eject the offending adverb from your writing.

Here are a few things to look out for…

Adverb/verb combinations

Adverb/verb combinations can sometimes be better written with a single (stronger) verb, e.g.

• ‘She ran quickly up the stairs’ could be ‘She sprinted up the stairs.’.  
• ‘He walked quickly through the graveyard and into the church’. Depending on your character and the effect you want, perhaps this could be better written as…
• ‘He strode through the graveyard and into the church.’
• walked slowly – ambled
• smiled cheerfully – grinned

Intensifiers

Intensifiers are words such as, absolutely, completely, definitely, extremely, highly, really, so, totally, truly, and utterly.

They are very common in speech…

• Oh my God, this song is totally amazing.
• Her wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous.

…but ‘amazing’, and ‘gorgeous’ are strong descriptive words that most likely don’t need those modifiers in your writing, unless you are writing very informally, or you are writing a character’s speech. 

• My father was extremely angry when I got home late.

Here, ‘extremely angry’ could be replaced with a strong adjective like ‘livid’.

• The hurricane completely obliterated the town.

The intensifier ‘totally’ is redundant here because if something is obliterated it is already wiped out or utterly destroyed.

Redundant or repetitive adverbs

Other redundant or repetitive adverbs include descriptors such as:

• she screamed loudly – ‘loudly’ is redundant because a scream is usually understood to be loud
• he smiled happily – ‘happily’ is redundant because it’s generally accepted that a smile is happy. An adverb would be an appropriate addition to ‘smile’ if you want to convey something other than happiness, e.g. sarcasm, malice, or fear.

Very often, adverbs are useful because they are helping you define and clarify meaning. But sometimes they are redundant, and excessive, and are simply literary litter to be deleted posthaste.

It’s impossible to completely avoid using adverbs, but when you check for them in your writing consider each one’s value and the work it’s doing for you and your reader. 

Consider which ones are unnecessary and can be removed where doing so will improve your writing, and which ones should stay because they are earning their keep.

Don’t automatically assume that adverbs must be avoided at all costs – after all, it’s your writing, your unique style, and your audience. But certainly, do use adverbs wisely and remove them judiciously – use them, but don’t overuse them.

Finally, let’s finish with a positive shout-out for adverbs…

“I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I very much respect.” Henry James

Edited January 9, 2020 by romeo

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When to Use Adverbs: A Guide on Using Adverbs Correctly

Know when to use adverbs well and how to avoid over-using them to make your English writing strong.

Adverbs are some of the most confusing modifiers in the English language. Because they can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, and even prepositional phrases and the entire sentence, the use of adverbs can be confusing. Here is a closer look at when and how to use adverbs correctly.

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When to Use Adverbs?

English writers use adverbs to modify a verb (ran fast), adjective (very happy), or another adverb (very happily). In some instances, they can also modify prepositional phrases and entire sentences. They often end in -ly.

Adverbial phrases do the same thing but have several words grouped in a phrase. Whether individual words or phrases, this part of speech is one that writers often overuse, so knowing when to use them and when to avoid them is essential.

The 5 Types of Adverbs

To know when to use adverbs, you must first understand the different types of adverbs you can have in a sentence. Here is a closer look at each.

1. Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner answer the question “how.” Often these adverbs end in the suffix -ly and have a position near the word they modify in the sentence. For example:

• They ran rapidly to win the race. (Rapidly tells how they ran.)
• He deliberately lied to protect his reputation. (Deliberately tells how he lied.)

2. Adverbs of Place

These adverbs answer “where” action takes place. They are different than prepositions, which show a relationship between two words in the sentence. Here are some examples of adverbs of place:

• They put the suitcase downstairs. (Downstairs tells where they put it.)
• The dog went outside to hide the bone. (Outside tells where the dog went.)

3. Adverbs of Frequency

Frequency adverbs answer “how often.” They include words that involve times but not necessarily time frames. Here are some examples of adverbs of frequency:

• He often spells his wife’s name wrong. (Often tells how often he misspells his wife’s name.)
• They will sometimes skip school for a family day. (Sometimes tells how often they skip school.)

4. Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time answer the question “when.” These words often have a time period involved with them. They will show up at the end of a sentence or the beginning in many instances. Here are some examples:

• We will go to the fair tomorrow. (Tomorrow tells when they will go.)
• Now, take out your math books and turn to page 74. (Now, tells the students when to take out their math books.)

5. Adverbs of Emphasis

Adverbs of emphasis also end in -ly. These tell “to what extent” the action takes place or how intense another modifier is. Superlatives and intensifiers often fall into this category. Here are some examples:

• Samantha moved the least elegantly of all the dancers. (Both least and elegantly are adverbs. Least is a superlative describing elegantly, making it an adverb of emphasis. Elegantly tells how she moved.)
• Stephen King writes some very intense novels. (Very is an adverb that intensifies the adjective intense.)

Where to Use Adverbs

There are several ways to use adverbs well in your sentences. Here are some examples:

At the Beginning of a Sentence

I the adverb is going to modify the whole sentence, it will show up at the beginning and be set off by a comma. Here are some examples of sentence adverbs:

• Clearly, the weather was not conducive to a trip to the amusement park. (Clearly describes the entire sentence.)
• Suddenly, nothing else in the world seemed important. (Suddenly describes the rest of the sentence.)

At the End of a Sentence to Modify the Verb

If an adverb is at the end of the sentence, it usually modifies the verb. Here are some examples:

• When given the reward of a treat, the children did their chores happily. (Happily describes how they did their chores.)
• The teenager woke up groggily. (Groggily describes how the teen woke up.)

In the Middle of a Sentence to Modify the Adjective or Another Adverb

If the adverb modifies another modifier, it usually comes somewhere in the middle of the sentence and before modifying the other word. They will also come after the determiners , including articles a, an, and the. Here are some examples:

• The shiny silver necklace caught the infant’s attention. (Shiny modifies the adjective silver.)
• The very dirty children had to hose off before coming into the house. (Very is an adverb modifying the adjective dirty.)

As an Adverbial Phrase to Modify Other Parts of the Sentence

An adverbial phrase is a group of words that performs the role of an adverb in a sentence. They typically modify the verb or the entire sentence. These phrases significantly impact the meaning of the sentence. Here are some example sentences:

• Early in the morning, you can hear the birds singing outside. (Early in the morning is an adverbial phrase telling when.)
• They go out to dinner every other Sunday. (Every other Sunday tells when they go to dinner.)

Between Two Items to Compare Them

The comparative form of an adverb compares two items in the sentence. It usually comes between the two items in the middle of the sentence. Here are some examples:

• I think apples taste better than bananas. (Better compares the two items and modify the verb taste.)
• The boys lasted longer than the girls on field day. (Longer compares boys to girls and modifies the verb lasted.)

In the Middle of the Sentence or at the End to Compare Three or More Things

The superlative form of an adverb compares groups of three or more things. This often appears in the middle of the sentence or even at the end, but the sentence makes it clear there is a group of things being compared. Here is an example:

• She ran the slowest of the group. (Slowest is a superlative adverb modifying ran.)
• He is the most loved teacher at the school. (Most is a superlative adverb modifying the adjective loved.)

In Front of a Prepositional Phrase to Modify It

Modifying prepositional phrases is a less common use of an adverb, but it is still used. These adverbs come before the proposition and do not apply to the verb or verb phrase. Here are some examples:

• She gets stage fright just before performances. (Just modifies before performances.)
• I will go, but only with Mark. (Only modifies the prepositional phrase with Mark.)

Writing Tip: Avoid Too Many Adverbs

Finally, make sure you do not use adverbs too frequently  when writing. They must be sprinkled throughout your writing like salt and pepper over a meal, but not overused. It’s far too easy to rely on these modifiers more than you should. For instance, look at this sentence:

• They were so very happily going on their way.

You could say the same thing with fewer words:

• They were joyously going on their way.

Only use adverbs when necessary or to clarify the meaning of the sentence. Do not use them simply to add more words to the sentence.

Interested in learning more? Check out our guide on “ what are interrogative adjectives? “

Adjectives and Adverbs: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Adjectives and adverbs serve a similar purpose in writing, they are both modifiers . They can sometimes be confused for one another, but with a little practice, adjectives and adverbs can quickly be mastered.

In this post we’ll review what adjectives and adverbs are, the types of adjectives and adverbs, and how to use them effectively in a sentence.

After reviewing the information below, test yourself with a post-assessment quiz and practice with our high quality, standards-aligned questions here .

What We Review

The Basics of Adjectives

What is an Adjective?

Adjectives are words or word sets that modify (describe) a noun or pronoun . There are several different types of adjectives.

Return to Table of Contents

Types of Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives.

Descriptive adjectives describe qualities of a noun or pronoun and are the most commonly used type of adjective. There are two main types of descriptive adjectives: Attributive Adjectives and Predicate Adjectives .

Attributive Adjectives

Attributive adjectives are words, clauses, or phrases used directly before or after the noun or pronoun they are modifying and describe a quality of the word being modified.

• I bought berry pie when I went to the grocery store.  

The word berry is modifying, or describing the type of pie. The word grocery is modifying the type of store.

• The snowflakes made my nose cold .

The word cold is modifying the word nose by describing it. In this example, the attributive adjective directly follows the noun being described.

Predicate Adjectives

Predicate adjectives are words, phrases, or clauses that modify the subject of a sentence or clause following a linking verb. They are called predicate adjectives because they are part of the sentence predicate. 

• That building is gigantic !

The word gigantic is modifying the word building by describing its size following the linking verb is .

Coordinate Adjectives

Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives that work together to modify the same noun. 

When using coordinate adjectives, commas or the word “and” must be used to separate the adjectives because each adjective is describing the noun.

• The energetic, mischievous Luna is our pet Husky.

The words energetic and mischievous are working together to describe Luna. If the comma was replaced with the word and , or the adjectives were reversed, it would not change the meaning of the sentence.

• The energetic and mischievous Luna is our pet Husky.
• The mischievous, energetic Luna is our pet Husky.

If your sentence doesn’t make sense, or the meaning is changed if you replace the comma with the word “and” or reverse the adjectives, you are probably using cumulative adjectives .

Cumulative Adjectives

Cumulative adjectives are two or more adjectives that have a building effect on the word being described, and the order of the adjectives are important to the overall meaning. Commas and/or the word “and” are not used with cumulative adjectives.

• That crazy large crimson Husky is our pet Luna.

In this sentence, the words crazy, large, and crimson are not independent descriptions of the noun. They work as a unit to describe the noun.

In this case, crimson is modifying Husky , large is modifying ‘ crimson Husky ’, and crazy is modifying ‘ large crimson Husky ’.

Limiting Adjectives

Limiting adjectives define nouns or pronouns by restricting them rather than describing them. They can be used to point out a specific object, set a number limit, and more. 

There are nine types of limiting adjectives. We will review eight of these types, and the ninth type, Definite and Indefinite Articles , will be covered in another post.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives modify nouns by showing possession or ownership. Some of the most common possessive adjectives are: my, your, his, her, its, our, and  their .

• I went to my room for some peace and quiet.

In this sentence, the word my is modifying the word room. It is possessive because it is showing ownership over the room.

• He went to the store to buy his groceries for the week.

In this sentence, the word his is modifying the word groceries. It is possessive because it is showing ownership over the groceries.

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative Adjectives are the same four words that make up demonstrative pronouns : this, that, these, and those , but used to modify nouns or noun phrases by indicating the position of the noun. This and that are used for singular nouns, and these and those are used for plural nouns.

• This restaurant is my favorite!

In this sentence, the word this is modifying the word restaurant. It is indicating that the singular noun, restaurant, is in close proximity to whomever is making the statement.

• Those buildings have a unique style.

In this sentence, the word those is modifying the word buildings. It is indicating that the plural noun, buildings, are at a further proximity to whomever is making the statement.

Indefinite Adjectives

Indefinite Adjectives are similar to indefinite pronouns, except that they modify nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases by describing an amount of them in a non-specific way.

• Many tourists visit the ancient ruins when visiting the Yucat á n Peninsula.

Here, the word many is modifying the plural noun tourists. It is indicating that there are a large number of visitors, but it does not indicate a specific number.

• You will have a few minutes to complete the assessment.

In this sentence, the word few is modifying the noun minutes. It is indicating that there are only a small number of minutes, but it does not indicate a specific number.

Interrogative Adjectives

Interrogative adjectives are similar to interrogative pronouns, except they modify a noun or noun phrase by asking a question. 

These are also known as interrogative determiners . There are three interrogative adjectives : What , Which , and Whose .

• Which subject is your favorite?
• What cuisine do you enjoy the most?
• Whose car is parked in front of the store?

In all of these examples, the interrogative adjective is asking a question about the subject, cuisine, and car.

Cardinal Adjectives

Cardinal Adjectives modify a noun by indicating a specific number of that noun.

• I have four books I want to read.
• There are nine classrooms down that hallway.

In these examples, the cardinal adjective is indicating a specific number of books and classrooms.

Nouns used as Adjectives

A noun can be used as an adjective when it is describing or specifying another noun.

• The game convention was sold out this year.
• That news reporter asked great questions.

In these examples, the nouns game and news are being used as adjectives to describe the type of  convention and reporter.

Proper Adjectives

Proper Adjectives work the same way as nouns used as adjectives when the noun is a proper noun. Proper adjectives are capitalized just like proper nouns are.

• He wrote his play in a Shakespearean style.
• I could really go for a Caribbean getaway.

In these examples, the proper nouns Shakespearian and Caribbean are being used as adjectives to describe the type of style and getaway.

The Basics of Adverbs

What is an Adverb?

Adverbs are words or sets of words that modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. There are five main types of adverbs: degree, frequency, manner, place, and time.  

Also, an adverb can be used as a conjunction when connecting ideas. These are called conjunctive adverbs, and will be discussed after reviewing the five main types of adverbs.

5 Main Types of Adverbs

Adverbs of degree.

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of a verb, adverb, or adjective in a sentence. They tell us how much , or to what extent an action has been or will be done. When used to modify an adjective, they tell how much about a quality.

Modifying a verb:

• They are almost finished with their homework.

For this sentence, the adverb almost is modifying the verb finished .

Modifying an adverb:

• The car is moving too quickly for the bicycle to keep up.

Here, the adverb too is modifying the adverb quickly , which are working together to modify the verb moving .

Modifying an adjective :

• The pasta was extremely spicy.

In this sentence, the adverb extremely is modifying the adjective spicy , which are working together to modify the noun pasta .

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often a verb is occurring. These adverbs usually appear between the subject and the verb, but they may appear at the beginning or end of the sentence. 

Adverbs of frequency may be single words, phrases, general or specific. 

Here, we will look at one sentence stem using a variety of adverbs of frequency:

• She occasionally volunteers at the animal shelter.
• Occasionally , she volunteers at the animal shelter.
• She volunteers at the animal shelter occasionally .

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner tell us how something is done. These are the most common adverbs, which primarily modify verbs, and end with an ‘ly’. 

These adverbs are generally located after a verb or at the end of a verb phrase, but can appear before the verb or verb phrase.

• She stepped softly on the stairs.
• She softly stepped on the stairs.

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place tell us more about where a verb is taking place. They generally are located after the main verb or direct object of a sentence and are only used to modify verbs.

• I went there to find that popular holiday gift.
• On Black Friday, there are desperate parents everywhere !

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time tell us when a verb takes place. Adverbs of time are similar to adverbs of frequency, but they more explicitly say when , not how often . They can be located at the beginning or end of a sentence.

• I can’t wait to go on vacation tomorrow .
• Yesterday , she was able to walk home in the nice weather.

Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive Adverbs connect two independent clauses or sentences with a transition word to show the relationship between one idea and the next. 

The relationship between the two independent clauses show transitioning information that is: additional, contrasting, emphasising, resulting, or sequential. Conjunctive adverbs are often confused with coordinating conjunctions .

While coordinating conjunctions join two independent clauses, they require a comma before the conjunction and must be located where the two independent clauses meet. 

Conjunctive adverbs are transitions, and they can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a single independent clause.

A conjunctive adverb can be positioned a number of ways within the two independent clauses where a transition is being shown. Depending on where the transition word is being placed, different punctuation rules apply. 

Pay close attention to the punctuation in the following sentences. All examples are correct ways to use coordinating adverbs:

• They searched for five hours . However , they could not find the extra set of car keys.
• They searched for five hours . They could not , however , find the extra set of car keys.
• They searched for five hours . They could not find the extra set of car keys , however .
• They searched for five hours ; however , they could not find the extra set of car keys.
• They searched for five hours ; they could not , however , find the extra set of car keys.

Pro Tip : Avoid a comma splice! Make sure you are able to identify two independent clauses when combining them with a coordinating adverb .

If you are making one sentence, there must be a semicolon before the coordinate adverb, and a comma after the coordinate adverb.

• Incorrect Example : They did not complete their chores today, consequently they could not go to the party.
• Correct Example : They did not complete their chores today; consequently, they could not go to the party.

In the incorrect example, the two independent clauses are combined with a coordinate adverb, but there is only a comma before the adverb.

In the correct example, there is a semicolon after the first clause, before the coordinating adverb, and a comma after the adverb. 

Refer to Albert’s blog posts on commas and semicolons for more information on the use of commas and semicolons.

3 Tips for Recognizing and Using Adjectives and Adverbs

Tip #1: know how to use the words ‘good’ and ‘well’.

The words good and well are often misused.

• Good is an adjective.
• Well is an adverb that answers the question how . However , when discussing physical health , well is used as an adjective. When describing someone’s emotional state , use the word good .

Ask yourself what word am I modifying ?

Look at the following examples:

• The flowers smell good .

Good is a predicate adjective modifying the noun flowers .

• He ran well today.

Well is an adverb modifying the verb ran .

• I feel good . — I feel well .

These are the most questioned uses of good and well. Which is correct? The answer is that BOTH can be correct!

• If someone asks you, “How do you feel?”, think about the context in which it’s being asked. Have you been sick? If so, you would want to use well in your response to indicate that you are not sick anymore. Have you been down or sad recently? If so, you would want to use good in your response to indicate that you are not sad now.

Tip #2: Know what word you want to modify

The location of a modifier can impact the meaning of the sentence and whether or not the modifier is an adjective or adverb. 

The series of sentences below all mean different things depending on where the modifier is located.

• Even the dog avoided the meatloaf.
• The dog even avoided the meatloaf.
• The dog avoided even the meatloaf.

In the first sentence, the word even is modifying ‘the dog’, suggesting that a number of people avoided the meatloaf, including the dog.

In the second sentence, the word even is modifying the verb ‘avoided’, suggesting that the dog is avoiding a number of things, including the meatloaf.

In the third sentence, the word even is modifying ‘the meatloaf’, suggesting that the dog wouldn’t normally avoid the meatloaf, and something might not be right with the dog.

Tip #3: Always pay attention to words ending with ‘ly’

Most adverbs are well known for ending with the letters ‘ly’. Adding ‘ly’ to the end of an adjective very often changes that adjective to adverb. 

• Note: depending on the ending of the adjective, some other rules will apply when converting the adjective to an ‘ly’ adverb. This is not a foolproof method of identifying an adverb , but it’s a good indicator that you should look at that word more closely.

As always, look closely to see what job the word is doing.

• That boy is silly .

In this sentence, the word silly is describing the boy, so this ‘ly’ word is an adjective.

• The assembly was held at the end of the day.

In this sentence, the word assembly is an event, so this ‘ly’ word is a noun.

• Knowing the job of a word will help you to identify which part of speech it is in a sentence.

Applying the Basics: Adjective and Adverb Review & Practice

Now that you understand what adjectives and adverbs are, and how to use them properly in a sentence, let’s practice identifying them and checking for proper usage. 

Remember, adjectives are words that modify nouns and pronouns. They help to describe or tell us more about those nouns and pronouns. Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. 

They help to describe or tell us more about those verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

The Ultimate List of Descriptive Adjectives

*Please note that this list does not include all descriptive adjectives.

The Ultimate List of Limiting Adjectives

*Please note that this list does not include all limiting adjectives.

The Ultimate List of Adverbs

*Please note that this list does not include all adverbs.

Adjectives Exercises & Review

Complete the quick exercise below to assess your mastery of adjectives.

Select the adjective(s) in the sentences below. Remember, an adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun . Adjectives can be descriptive or limiting

1. The ornate yellow house on the corner was the last house built in a Victorian style.

• Ornate modifies ‘ yellow house ’
• Yellow modifies house
• Last modifies house
• Victorian modifies style

2. Those younger kids with the soccer ball were slow getting to their homes by curfew.

• Those modifies ‘ younger kids ’
• Younger modifies kids
• Soccer modifies ball
• Slow modifies ‘ those younger kids ’
• Their modifies homes

3. My childhood home always brings back wonderful memories of good times with my family.

• My modifies ‘ childhood home ’
• Childhood modifies home
• Wonderful modifies memories
• Good modifies times
• My modifies family

4. The first time they won a basketball game, his team celebrated with a pizza party.

• First modifies time
• Basketball modifies game
• His modifies team
• Pizza modifies party

5. Which hotel from our tour of Western Europe was your favorite?

• Which modifies hotel
• Our modifies tour
• Western modifies Europe
• Your modifies favorite

For additional practice, check out the Adjective content on Albert.

Adverbs Exercises & Review

Complete the quick exercise below to assess your mastery of adverbs.

Select the adverb(s) in the sentences below. Remember, an adverb is a word that modifies a verb , adjective , or other adverbs .

1. My teacher usually gives too much homework every Friday; consequently, the weekends barely have time for relaxation.

• Usually modifies gives
• Too modifies much
• Every Friday modifies gives
• Consequently is a conjunctive adverb transitioning between two independent clauses
• Barely modifies have

2. The newly elected mayor wisely adopted a law that fairly punished swimmers at the beach if they littered there.

• Newly modifies elected
• Wisely modifies adopted
• Fairly modifies punished
• There modifies littered

3. The young girl always completes her work first; she could usually, therefore, enjoy her evenings.

• Always modifies completes
• First modifies completes
• Usually modifies enjoy
• Therefore is a conjunctive adverb transitioning between two independent clauses

4. Yesterday, the group of boys boldly approached the cliff’s edge and sprang fearlessly into the lake below.

• Yesterday collectively modifies the verbs in the sentence
• Boldly modifies approached
• Fearlessly modifies sprang
• Below modifies sprang

5. Normally, I struggle frantically to clean my room quickly, and my mom eventually tells me to do it again.

• Normally modifies struggle
• Frantically modifies struggle
• Quickly modifies clean
• Eventually modifies tells
• Again modifies do

For additional practice, check out the Adverbs & Conjunctive Adverbs content on Albert.

Try for Yourself: Adjective & Adverb Quiz

Feeling confident in your understanding of adjectives and adverbs?

Take this short quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. Do adjectives or adverbs modify nouns and pronouns?

• Answer: Adjectives
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns . Adverbs modify verbs , adjectives , and other adverbs .
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Remember, Adverbs modify verbs , adjectives , and other adverbs . Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns .

2. Should the following sentence use the word good or well ?

I didn’t sleep very (good/well) last night.

• Answer: Well
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Since the being modified is a verb, sleep, the modifier needs to be an adverb. Well is an adverb and good is an adjective .
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Remember, since the word being modified is a verb, sleep, the modifier needs to be an adverb. Well is an adverb and good is an adjective .

3. Which of the following sentences is accurately punctuated for the conjunctive adverb?

A. You must complete your dinner, otherwise; you won’t get desert.

B. You must complete your dinner; you won’t get desert, otherwise.

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! When using a conjunctive adverb , a semicolon must separate the two independent clauses , and the conjunctive adverb must be offset with a comma .
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Remember, a conjunctive adverb can be placed in various locations after the first independent clause , but you still must use a semicolon at the end of the first independent clause , and the conjunctive adverb must be offset with a comma .

4. Does the underlined section of the sentence below use cumulative adjectives or coordinate adjectives?

The wooden roller coaster was the first big ride at the theme park.

• Answer: Cumulative Adjectives
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Cumulative adjectives build off one another. Their placement cannot be changed, and they are not separated by a comma.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Remember, coordinate adjectives equally modify a noun. They must be separated by a comma or the word ‘and’. Cumulative adjectives build off one another. Their placement cannot be changed, and they are not separated by a comma.

5. Does the following sentence use a descriptive or limiting adjective?

Most students ride the bus to school.

• Answer: Limiting Adjective
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! The adjective ‘ Most ’ is an indefinite adjective describing an amount in a non-specific way. Indefinite adjectives are limiting adjectives .
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Descriptive adjectives describe a ‘quality’ of a noun or pronoun. ‘ Most ’ is an indefinite adjective describing an amount in a non-specific way. Indefinite adjectives are limiting adjectives .

6. Which answer is the best choice to make the underlined portion of the following sentence accurate?

The kids responded excited when they were told about the field trip.

A. respond excited

B. responded excitedly

• Correct Explanation: That’s right! The word excited is meant to be an adverb modifying the verb responded. Changing excited to excitedly makes the sentence accurate.
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right. Changing the tense of ‘responded’ to ‘respond’ makes the sentence further incorrect, as the rest of the sentence uses the past tense. For this sentence, the word excited is meant to be an adverb modifying the verb responded. Changing excited to excitedly makes the sentence accurate.

For additional practice with adjectives and adverbs, check out our practice on Albert.io: Adjectives , Adverbs , and Conjunctive Adverbs

Teacher’s Corner for Adjectives and Adverbs

While it’s true that adjectives and adverbs are a foundational grammar skill, the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart shows that even elementary-level skills “require continued attention in higher grades as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.” 

For specific standards addressing adjectives and adverbs, check out the Common Core State Standards site! 

Albert’s adjectives , adverbs , and conjunctive adverbs practice can be used for much more than homework! 

Our assessments can be used as pre-and post-tests to measure student progress. Our pre-made quizzes can be used as bell-ringers, exit tickets, and more! 

In addition to our pre-made assessments, you can also use our assignments feature to create your own quizzes and assessments.

Summary on Adjectives and Adverbs

An Adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun. The two main types of adjectives are Descriptive Adjectives and Limiting Adjectives . 

An Adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. There are five main types of adverbs: Degree, Frequency, Manner, Place, and Time . Additionally, Conjunctive Adverbs are used to connect two independent clauses with a transitioning word.

Adjectives and adverbs are words we often see and use in our writing. Make sure you check your work carefully and know what the job these modifiers are doing when deciding what adjectives and adverbs to use.

Practice makes perfect! Use our Adjectives , Adverbs , and Conjunctive Adverbs practice on Albert’s grammar course !

Need help preparing for your Grammar exam?

Albert has hundreds of grammar practice questions with detailed explanations to help you master concepts.

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10 Quick Tips for Using Adverbs

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Adverbs are modifiers used specifically to explain, describe, and define the way actions occur. They’re very simple things, which obviously means that using them can get complicated. Following these ten tips should help.

• Adverbs are not just words ending in -ly.

As I’ve mentioned before , while the majority of adverbs involve -ly, like quickly, slowly, nastily , and wantonly , some don’t, like never and often . And then some -ly words can be adjectives, such as an ugly worm, timely intervention, and monthly bills.

So don’t assume any word is an adverb based on how it’s spelled. Rather, look at what it’s modifying.

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

Considering their name, adverbs , it’s easy to forget they also modify adjectives and themselves.

If I have a pretty doll, I can say it’s quite pretty, and the adverb is modifying the adjective “pretty.” (To be specific, it’s modifying the action of being pretty.) If my doll is scary, I can say it’s really quite scary (because it has those creepy eyes), and then the first adverb is modifying the second adverb, which is modifying the adjective.

Get a free sample proofread and edit for your adverbs. Two professional proofreaders will proofread and edit your adverbs.

• Adverbs can be phrases.

An adverbial phrase will usually include words that in themselves are not adverbs. I can say that Dean and Samantha are going to be married as soon as they exchange vows . There is an adverb soon , but the adverbial phrase altogether narrows down just what soon means.

Other adverbial phrases could be under the sun , for only five dollars , and when hell freezes over, as long as they are modifying a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

• Adverbs never, ever take hyphens.

An adverb is inherently a modifier, which means it cannot function alone. If something is a tightly kept secret, the adverb already must be linked to “kept” because that is the verb. Same goes for a poorly marketed product, a car that runs like a dream , and a deeply serious conversation.

• Adverbs can strengthen your prose.

Like adjectives for nouns, adverbs for actions can enliven your prose, particularly for actions that are so varied there aren’t enough different words for each type.

• Adverbs can weaken your prose.

That said, adverbs can be a crutch when there is a better verb to choose than the one being modified. If someone is running quickly to the door, it would probably be better (and certainly less wordy) to say they sped to the door, or dashed to the door, or fell all over themselves to get to the door.

• A particularly tired adverb is very .

People throw very into the mix so often that having it in your sentence usually does more harm than good. I offer the words of the great Mark Twain:

Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very”; your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be.

• Adverbs “tell” instead of “show.”

Adverbs are often not the best choice for telling stories. I once coauthored something with an acquaintance (who was a little full of himself and got on my nerves) who called adverbs “taglines.” While I wouldn’t go that far, it is the business of the fiction writer to show a story, not just report it. Adverbs report the time, means, pace, and so on of an action. They don’t show the action.

For example, let’s say your hero is marching stolidly through the woods. Well, the reader has the information that the march is “stolid,” but it’s not a particularly evocative phrase. To show it, instead of telling with an adverb, you might have her look at her low ration of water, but then press on. She could sweat in the sunlight and brush her fingers over her brow with a grunt. Her stomach could growl even as she ignores it to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

• Be careful about splitting infinitives with adverbs.

It’s true that splitting an infinitive is no longer considered a grammatical mistake, but it can still be awkward and unnecessary.

If I made a decision to buy something nice and thoughtful for my friend, it’s not pleasant to read that I plan to nicely and thoughtfully buy something for my friend.

• Don’t confuse adverbs with adjectives.

If I tell you a bunch of things, and one of them is the most crucial thing I’m going to tell you, then I say, “Hey, most important, don’t forget to bring a towel .” I do not say “most importantly,” as if I’m speaking with a big, pompous voice.

Once again, if it’s an adverb, it cannot modify a thing, only an action, a description, or another adverb.

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Writing Tips: Abolish the Adverbs

by Melissa Donovan | Apr 28, 2022 | Writing Tips | 82 comments

Avoid adverbs: Are they running slowly or are they jogging?

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” ~ Stephen King

In the writing world, adverbs have a bad reputation for being weak and causing unnecessary clutter. But sometimes adverbs are necessary, and other times, they liven up a sentence or strengthen a description.

Today we’re going to explore adverbs and take a look at why they can be problematic and when they are essential.

Let’s start with a basic overview:

Adjectives and adverbs are modifiers. Adjectives modify nouns whereas adverbs modify verbs, other adverbs, adjectives, phrases, and clauses. In fact, an adverb can modify an entire sentence. This gives adverbs a rather large playing field; maybe that explains why they are overused.

For example, car is a noun and red is an adjective. Put them together and you get a  red car . The word run is a verb and the word quickly is an adverb. Put them together and you get run quickly .

But run quickly is better stated as sprint .

There are plenty of adverb-verb combinations that are best expressed with a single, more meaningful verb. For example, “driving fast” becomes “speeding.”

Why Adverbs Are Weak and How They Weaken Your Writing

Here’s a massive list of adverbs . The vast majority of them end in -ly , and these are among the most worthless adverbs, although they are often cited as examples to demonstrate how adverbs work. Ask someone how to identify an adverb and they’ll either tell you it modifies a verb or it’s one of those words that ends in -ly .

Why are adverbs that end in -ly so awful? I’m glad you asked. Let’s take a look at an example sentence:

“Why don’t you come over here and sit by me?” she asked flirtatiously.

It’s a horrid sentence. The adverb flirtatiously tells the reader how she asked the question, when instead it should show how she asked:

“Why don’t you come over here and sit by me?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

It may not be the greatest sentence ever written, but showing the character batting her eyelashes is a lot better than telling readers she asked a question flirtatiously . Visual cues show readers what’s happening; adverbs tell them. And we want to show what’s happening whenever possible to make our writing more vivid and easier to visualize.

Most adverbs either tell us what we already know or use too many words to communicate an image or idea. Let’s look at an adverb that modifies an adjective:

It’s a very warm day.

Once we write that a day is warm, does it being very warm change the day in the reader’s mind? The word very  does nothing other than intensify the word that follows it, and it does so poorly. Often, the word very and the word it modifies can both be eliminated and replaced with a single word that is more precise:

It’s a hot day.

In this sentence, we don’t need the word very or the word warm . The word hot does the job. It’s clearer and more concise, which is the mark of strong writing.

How to Avoid Adverbs or Use Them Wisely

“Adverbs are the tool of the lazy writer.” ~ Mark Twain

I’m always on the lookout for unnecessary words in my own writing. I find that seeking out adverbs is a good way to find words I can cut to tighten my prose. I may not catch them all, but I sure try. Here are some guidelines I apply when dealing with adverbs:

• Don’t be lazy. Choosing the right word is never a waste of time.
• Stay away from adverbs that state the obvious. One does not  scream loudly because by definition, screaming is done loudly.
• If a sentence is too short, don’t add a bunch of adverbs (or adjectives) to make it longer.
• Train your eye to catch adverbs when you’re editing and proofreading.
• When you spot an adverb, ask whether it’s the best word choice.
• Use an adverb if it’s necessary and you can’t convey the same meaning without it.
• Avoid vague or non-descriptive adverbs. Ask whether the adverb tells the reader something that you can show through imagery and description.
• Don’t use an adverb as a crutch for a verb (or any other word). Look for a better verb. If necessary, write a better sentence.
• Sometimes when you eliminate a single adverb, you need to replace it with several words. It took three words ( batting her eyelashes ) to replace one adverb ( flirtatiously ), but the sentence became clearer and more vivid.
• Don’t be redundant. One does not stealthily creep because  to creep is “to move with stealth.”
• When you do use adverbs, use them intentionally and with purpose.
• Make it a goal to never use the words very or really .

Are You Overusing Adverbs?

Here’s an exercise you can do to avoid adverbs in your writing:

Dig through your writing and find a final draft that has been edited and proofread. Go through and highlight every adverb. Ask a friend to check it and see if you missed any. How many adverbs did you find? How many adverbs were there per 100 words? Per 1000? Remove each adverb and ask whether doing so changes the meaning of the sentence. If it does change the meaning, then rewrite the sentence without the adverb. Now compare the original sentences with the adverbs intact to the new sentences that don’t include any adverbs. Which ones are better?

Using Adverbs

When is it okay to use an adverb? When you must. Here are some examples of sentences that use adverbs well (the adverbs are italicized):

Congress recently passed a new law. She entered the room silently . He drives a dark green sedan.

As you can see, sometimes we need adverbs. We just need to use them sparingly.

Are you attuned to how you use adverbs in your writing? Have you ever visited an old piece of writing and found it littered with unnecessary words? Do you have any writing tips to help other writers avoid adverbs or use adverbs wisely? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing.

82 Comments

In the example “dark green sedan” is “dark” not an adjective?

In the example, green is an adjective because it modifies the noun sedan . Since the word dark modifies the adjective green , it is an adverb (adverbs modify adjectives). Adjectives modify nouns and noun phrases; they cannot modify other adjectives.

Hi Melissa I want to buy a beautiful, new, blue, European car.  Which ones are adverbs? “Dark” doesn’t appear in any of my dictionaries as an adverb, only noun and adjective.. Cheers Bill

In your example sentence, the following words are adjectives: beautiful, new, blue, European. Every one of these words modifies the noun “car.” The verb phrase in your sentence is “want to buy” and there are no words that modify it. There are also no words that modify any of the adjectives in your sentence. Therefore, there are no adverbs in the sentence.

Adjectives modify nouns and noun phrases. There are no exceptions where an adjective modifies a verb or another adjective. One could argue that in the phrase “dark green sedan,” dark and green modify the noun sedan and are therefore both adjectives. It’s just as feasible to argue that “dark green” is a phrase comprised of the adjective “green” and its modifier/adverb “dark.”

Basically, if dark modifies green , then it must be an adverb because only an adverb can modify an adjective. My own dictionary says dark is an adjective in the phrase “dark brown” but in the context it provides, brown is a noun, not an adjective (“a dark brown”).

This one’s probably an argument for the ages. I would say both arguments are valid.

The word “dark” in the context of, “the leaves are dark green,” is still an adjective to my understanding but, combined with “dark”, functions as a compound modifier (specifically a compound adjective) whose combination modify “leaves”.

If we want an adverb to modify “dark”, the correct word is “darkly”: “The leaves are darkly green.” Here, “darkly” is an adverb modifying “green” rather than combining together with “green” to modify “leaves”.

Thesaurus.com describes a compound adjective as “made up of multiple individual words. Usually, the words are connected by a hyphen or hyphens when used as an adjective. Words like absent-minded and happy-go-lucky are examples of compound adjectives.” Merriam-Webster defines adverb as “modifier of a verb, an adjective , another adverb, a preposition, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence…”

In the phrase “dark green leaves,” there is no hyphen. The word dark is modifying green. Notice the difference between a compound adjective such as “absent-minded” and an adverb modifying an adjective such as “dark green leaves.”

There may be some room for dispute here. The rules of grammar are not always hard and fast. Here, I’m using credible definitions to classify these terms.

A way to understand the difference between adverbs and compound adjectives is to test the difference in a broader syntactical sense. For example, adverbs can uniformly modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, while adjectives cannot.

He dark dressed. [Incorrect, “dark” is never an adverb] He darkly dressed. [Correct, “darkly” is an adverb].

He wore dark green clothing. [Correct, “dark” modifies “clothing” as a compound adjective, as in “dark and green clothing”.]

He wore dark-green clothing. [Correct, “green clothing” becomes a compound noun and “dark” modifies “green clothing” as an adjective].

Jake, what are your credentials? What is your expertise in grammar and writing? Nobody is going to say “He darkly dressed.” That sounds awkward and unnatural. Examples should always be clear, simple, and realistic.

We also don’t hyphenate a construct like “dark-green.”

It’s perfectly fair to describe dark green as a compound adjective, as I said last week.

Dark is an adjective.

Hi Katy. While dark is usually an adjective, it can also be an adverb. Adverbs are words that usually modify verbs, but they are also words that modify adjectives. If green is an adjective and dark modifies it, then in that context, dark is an adverb.

Dark as an adjective: It’s a dark night. [ Dark is an adjective that modifies the noun night .]

Dark as an adverb: The leaves are dark green. [ Dark is an adverb that modifies the adjective green .]

Hope that helps.

I try really hard not to use adverbs very often, but I frequently find myself repeatedly using them in nearly everything I write. It’s difficult to break the habit, but I’m doing my best. Conciseness is, to me, the hardest part of writing. I do tend to pontificate. Thanks for reminding me that I should trim it down a little.

It takes some practice and discipline, but it can be done! Good luck to you, Bob.

You didst cause me to snort in my coffee. Thank you for that comment.

This information is golden. I discovered I am an “adverb addict” and tend to use the words so often I could cut half the time out of my papers by getting straight to the point, just in eliminating adverbs.

I think most of us have words that we use too frequently. Every so often, I notice some filler word that I use and I have to make a concentrated effort to edit it out and break the habit.

Firstly, please forgive my poor writing. English isn’t my main language.

Wow! I’m editing and rewriting my Nanowrimo’s draft at the moment and I can say that your post is what I needed. A lot of my sentences sounded weird or weak and I didn’t knew how to fixed them. After reading your post, I realized what I had to do. So a thousand time thank you!

I would add that the advice in this post can be applied to all words, not just adverbs. It’s always a good idea to go through and delete any words that are unnecessary.

I have often thought that the best writing advice is the header to Strunk and White’s Element #13, “Omit needless words.”

Every adverb is fine to use if it’s necessary. Very few of them are.

Well said, Gregory!

I have been doing the same with my NaNoWriMo editing. Cutting out words is quickly making my 50,000 words about 30,000! Thanks for the article. I needed to read this.

Cutting words is hard, but it feels good to see the prose become tighter and more concise.

Great article! Confession: until recently I had no idea how hated adverbs are. Once I realized it though, it was one of those “ah ha” moments where things began to make sense. Great lesson.

I don’t know if they’re hated. I think people might cringe at them a little. I would liken them to clutter.

I have a theory that perhaps we use adverbs so much because we were saying (or writing) the sentences before we finished gathering all our thoughts. For example, she ran quickly. The first idea that came to mind was that it was a she. And then she was running. And then we decided that the way she ran was quick, so she ran quickly. If I had said “she quickly ran”, I was probably thinking that she had to be moving quickly, and to accomplish the task of moving quickly, what she had to do is run.

I agree. Our thoughts and speech are littered with excess words (verbiage), which leak into our writing. And that is what editing is for!

I for one am not afraid of the English language or using adverbs to help describe things or move things along. If I want to use an adverb, I’ll use it. Same with nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and so on.

I’m not afraid. And I simply don’t care what the “experts” think or say. They aren’t the ones writing my books. I am.

So I’ll use whatever gets the job done. And if there’s a ton of adverbs, verbs, adjectives, and whatnot in it…?

My books. My rules. Get used to it.

Alrighty then. Good luck with that.

She entered the room silently. :: “She crept into the room without making a sound.” See? Even that sentence could be rewritten without the adverb. 🙂

I had the rule pounded into my brain so much that as soon as my fingers type “ly” they move to the “backspace” key. An adverb will remain if I can think of no other way to convey the action to the reader. Or, of course, it’s being used in dialogue because I want my character’s speech to come across as natural as possible.

Hi Paul. You did indeed rewrite the sentence without the adverb, but it’s been replaced with an adverbial phrase (which is really just a long adverb). In the interest of concise writing, I would probably opt for a single adverb over an adverbial phrase, but there would be times when the phrase would preferable, especially if it includes a simile or metaphor that evokes an image. Having said that, I love how attuned you are to adverbs and trying to weed them out!

Umm… “She crept into the room.”? 😉

I would say that her silence is implied in that sentence.

Great article! Made so much sense to me. Thanks Melissa!

Thanks, Duane.

I have just written a 250,000-word 1st draft epic fantasy trilogy and am now into editing as a 2nd draft.

I used Scrivener to write it and now ProWritingAid to edit. Will repeat this process a few times.

I don’t really have much formal education so writing is instinctive for me and tends toward poetry.

With the help of ProWritingAid, I am beginning, that education. It jumped all over me for excessive use of adverbs in my 1st draft which I didn’t understand, so I looked it up and found your blog.

It has helped a great deal.

Before this knowledge, I operated on instinct to feel my way through writing. Now I will see problems much quicker. Seeing them in a hard editorial light is good.

I hope I don’t lose that feel as I learn the rules though; it is a big part of my creativity.

I have little knowledge of Gramma yet I recognise the rules (gramma) as patterns in my understanding of words. Almost like music. I hope to make them work together.

Thank you very much.

I believe you meant grammar, and you’re right–they are rules and can be likened to patterns. I don’t think I’ve ever come across this idea that grammar could be akin to music, but I think it has some merit…something to think about. Keep writing!

The cadence of the words is like the rhythm in music.

Thanks Melissa. Whenever I read old-fashioned girls school stories – I still love them – I find myself noticing how nobody ever just says something, it’s always impatiently, crossly, furiously, bitterly, hesitantly etc. I think I liked it as a child, but it definitely sounds strange to the modern reader!

To the modern lazy reader, perhaps. Enid Blyton is as popular as ever with children, who enjoy those extra descriptors;

I’ve become much better at omitting adverb as I continue my learning curve as a writer. And with the help of Grammarly and Hemmingway. I noe am (usually) within their limits. Thank you for this post, and your replies to your other commentors. I am now clearer on adverbial phrases, and adverbs that modify adjectives, which I didn’t know before.

I’m afraid I always take up the cudgels in favour of adverbs, Even the ‘-ly’ ones add, to my mind, to the general effectiveness of sentences and the pictures they present. It becomes cumbersome if they are always replaced by a description of the action indicating how it was carried out. If they are simply omitted, one might as well aim for leaving out adjectives as well, for the full ‘fast food’ effect in writing. Admittedly, ‘very’ is a dangerous deathtrap, but even that has its uses when applied sparingly.

Stephen King is a fine writer but he id advising on how to write like him. English is about style as well as content and short, sharp sentences are not always appropriate. They are apt if describing fast action, but if the story is about a lazy sunny day then adverbs, adjectives, metaphors are appropriate. There is no one style any more than there is only one genre.

Hi Barb, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Stephen King isn’t advising on how to write like he writes; he is advising on how to write well, and his quote should be taken as hyperbole. I don’t think he meant to suggest that adverbs should (literally) never be used. Rather, he’s issuing a reminder that they should be used judiciously because adverbs are often weak or unnecessary. There are certainly times when we need to use them, but sloppy verbiage is often peppered with unnecessary modifiers, and adverbs are foremost among them.

“Live fearless.” That is a recommendation I hear frequently over a news station in the area where I live. The “ly” has been cut from the word “fearless.” Somehow this grammatical revision sounds wrong to me. What is your opinion?

It should be “live fearlessly” or “fearless life.” However, I think when we’re dealing with slogans, mottos, tag lines, and slang, people play with language and bend or break the rules. It’s also possible that whoever is using this phrase simply doesn’t know that it’s technically incorrect.

I’m also with the pro-adverb crowd. Adverbs are a tool, and like any tool, they can be used to great effect or used very badly. Omitting them from dialogue is always a bad choice, since people don’t talk that way, and it makes it sound unnatural. But by the same token, I feel that omitting them from writing can sometimes make the prose sound equally stilted.

The idea behind “adverbs are bad” comes from the broader advice to “show, don’t tell”, but even that advice is often oversimplified. I think better advice would be to control your pacing and descriptiveness, and make sure they’re accomplishing what you want them to accomplish. You can spend ten pages “showing” what someone ate for dinner, but if dinner isn’t your focus, then maybe you should just “tell” the reader that “Joe ate dinner quickly” and move on. Sure, you could rewrite that without an adverb, perhaps using something as simple as “Joe ate a quick dinner”, but then you run into adjective confusion. Did the dinner get up off the plate and run away? Ultimately, you’re saying the same thing either way, but avoiding an adverb there is pointless. There are other ways you could word it as well, but those add unimportant details. Who cares, for example, if he ate dinner in “five minutes”? Why are we timing his dinner eating? It’s not relevant. If you need more body or flavour text there, then by all means, add detail as appropriate, but don’t do so if it would detract from your focus. Longer or more vivid is not always better (all the more so in short-story writing).

So, in the end, I utterly reject the advice to “avoid adverbs”. Instead, I advise saying what you want to say in the way that makes the most sense for the style and pacing of what you’re writing. The rest will flow from that naturally without needing to fall back on pithy advice that doesn’t really capture the larger context, and discourages the art/craft of writing. To me, telling a writer to “avoid adverbs” is like telling a painter to “avoid red”.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. As with most writing advice, the idea that “adverbs are bad” is somewhat hyperbolic, not meant to be taken literally. The post above explains that adverbs aren’t inherently bad, but many accomplished writers agree that as a method for strengthening a piece of writing, hunting for adverbs and replacing them with richer language is often a useful technique during edits. If you don’t mind, I’ll use your example sentence to demonstrate what I mean.

You’ve said not only that adverbs are fine but also that there are times we should tell rather than show. I agree — adverbs are fine when they are the best option for conveying a particular idea, and there are times, particularly during exposition, when we tell rather than show. But with something like “Joe ate dinner quickly,” I think there are a few problems. First, sentences tend to flow better when adverbs are placed as close as possible to the verbs they modify: “Joe quickly ate dinner.”

Now, of course, the way the sentence strikes a reader will be subjective. Some readers will prefer the original; others will prefer the revision. But let’s see if we can pack more punch into this sentence. We usually opt for showing over telling because showing paints a picture in the reader’s mind, and when they visualize what’s happening, the text holds their attention and is more memorable. We don’t have to turn Joe’s dinner into an entire scene or even an entire paragraph. We can often replace an adverb and its corresponding verb with a single word that has more meaning and is more vivid:

Joe devoured dinner.

We can go even further with showing (vs. telling): Joe devoured a pizza. (Of course, pizza can be replaced with any meal).

Now, this is all subjective. So any reader might personally prefer “Joe ate dinner quickly” to “Joe devoured a pizza.”

The best thing about all of this is that each writer gets to make their own determination about which bits of writing guidance they want to use in their own work. The goal here at Writing Forward is only to make ideas available. You are free to embrace or reject them as you see fit. I only ask that you consider them with an open mind.

Fair enough. I think my main problem with the advice is that many of the examples of “stronger” writing are subjective. Writing is only strong, in my mind, if it actually helps you accomplish your goal. If your goal is to move past Joe eating dinner to move onto something else, then providing additional information like devouring pizza adds unnecessary information. (I’m also not a fan of “devour” in this context, as it reads as a bit over the top, but that might just be me.)

I’d read the article below before, but had forgotten it until just today. While it comes from a slightly different place than my own argument (which boils down to “prescriptive advice kills artistry”), I think it does a fairly good job of deconstructing the argument that adverbs are bad.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/06/abolish-the-adverb-you-seriously-must-be-joking.html

As you say, though, everyone will have their own opinions and is free to follow or reject whatever advice makes the most sense to them. Thank you for your reply!

Much of what we discuss in the world of writing advice is subjective, especially when we’re evaluating a piece of writing. For example, while I respect your use of “strong writing” to describe writing that accomplishes a goal, I would describe such writing as effective or perhaps successful .

Most advice that calls for decreased use of adverbs lays out, in detail, reasons why adverbs are often (but not always) less effective than other word choices. I have yet to find such a piece that doesn’t also stress that there are absolutely times when adverbs are required.

There are hundreds of articles online about the value (or lack thereof) of adverbs. Before writing this article, I researched this topic, weighed the arguments, and even ran some tests of my own (finding or creating sentences that used adverbs and then challenging myself to rewrite those sentences without the adverbs to make them better). I came to the conclusion that adverbs are often not the best choice ( best being subjective, obviously), but it seems that in your exploration of this topic, you came to a different conclusion, and that’s perfectly fine.

It seems like a subject that resonates with you, so we clearly share an interest in it, even if we come down on different sides of how often adverbs should be used.

Whether you use adverbs prolifically or not, my main hope is that you simply keep thinking about this and other writing-related issues, and of course, keep writing.

Wow, I disagree with this article. This is some serious adverb bashing. I’m a short-story writer and I try to tell a gripping, comprehensive story using as little words as possible. Using, “he crept into the room, aware that the slightest noise could wake the occupants,” when I could say, “He crept into the room silently,” is ridiculous for a short story writer. I DO agree with this for a novelist, which is why I’m very surprised (and not surprised) that Steven King would make such a comment. I’m not surprised because his books are VERY LONG.

But using them sparingly is a good goal for any writer. I am not fond of the “all adverbs are lazy writing” mantra we are creating.

Both Stephen King and the article above were very clear in saying that adverbs are sometimes useful or necessary, but they ore often overused or used unnecessarily. Notice that “He crept into the room” and “He crept into the room silently” have the same meaning and implications, so “silently” is unnecessary excess. I’m not aware of anyone, anywhere saying that “all adverbs are lazy writing.”

I also disagree with the article, and agree with Mr. Frisson. And I’ll point to the last 70 years of Pulitzer-winning fiction. I’ve run many of those books through an automated grammar-check app, and none that I’ve tested meet the “standard” for use of adverbs, i.e., they all have too many to satisfy the automated grammar checker. Admittedly, that could simply be pointing out the inadequacies of automated grammar checkers, but I think not in this case; it’s just counting words. So, who should I believe: the English professors and “experts” who push to minimize adverbs? Or the people who in effect set the standard for quality fiction?

You start your comment by saying that you disagree with this article, but then you fail to support your position by arguing with anything from the article itself. Instead, your comment offers anecdotal remarks about grammar checkers and prize winners. The premise of this article is that many writers make poor word choices with adverbs. For example, “she sprinted” is better than “she ran quickly.” Plenty of people argue with the general premise that adverbs should be abolished (from a piece of writing) but few bother to argue with the actual points made in the article, let alone the examples provided, which demonstrate why many (not all — but many) adverbs are weak.

it’s really good to see someone who understands my pain so clearly. (yes I just used an adverb QwQ) the problem is, I already knew about the adverb problem even as a novice author because I read Chinese fantasy stories which tend to over exaggerate a lot using adverbs but I still don’t know how to actually stop using them myself. it’s just that… shorter sentences make the work sound really plain (imo) and I tend to use adverbs to make them longer. so yeah, I dunno which one is considered more of a lazy writing, short sentences or an abundance of adverbs, giving me a huge writing bottleneck I can’t get over. this is where eastern and western writing styles come into conflict QwQ

It’s usually not beneficial to pack a sentence with unnecessary words to make it longer. Having said that, rhythm and flow are important, and sentences should vary in length. I can’t speak to the differences or similarities in eastern and western writing, but leaning anything takes time and practice. Eventually, it will become second nature.

I feel like I’ve learned so much reading this article and the comments and replies below it. I’m able to pick out adverbs in my writing that I wouldn’t have given a second thought before, and I take the time to determine whether or not they’re crucial to getting my point across or if a sentence would be better served by a stronger verb. I’ve found that my writing has a more consistent tone and is more fun to read! Thank you (to both the author and everyone who commented)!

You’re welcome. I’m so glad you learned something from this article. Keep writing!

I find it simple checking and abolishing adverbs ending in ly. They are now in my mindset and I can stop them in their tracks before they leave my fingers. What persists as a difficulty is the removal of the other, less obvious devils.

I also endeavour to eliminate duplicated words, or ensure a repeated word is distant in the text from its predecessor (unless I chose to be repetitive, for impact), but some words have few alternatives. Sometimes I want to say “sometimes”, because I had used “on occasion” on an occasion nearby (ouch!)

Your piece is reassuring. If it is concise and to the point, instead of taking it out, like a literary sniper, let it be, it has said its bit, but my biggest bugbear is “Not”, it is the adverb I use the most. I wind myself up in knots trying to eradicate my not’s, I find them impossible to destroy.

Should I even try to?

Hi Nigel. Thanks for sharing your experiences with adverbs and editing. Adverbs are necessary parts of speech, and we do need to use them. The message of this article is that adverbs tend to get overused, and it’s a good practice to look for adverbs that can be eliminated. That doesn’t mean every instance of not should be cut from a piece of writing. Some adverbs need to stay! Good luck, and keep writing.

Thanks – I needed that reassurance. I can be my own worst enemy!

I agree why adverbs ending “ly” are considered lazy writing. Their presence indicates a paragraph needs re-working and the result of their omission is more effective.

Well, not all adverbs that end in -ly are bad or lazy writing. However, -ly can be a red flag, something you watch out for and double check. Many of them can be removed or replaced with better language. Keep writing!

Do novel editors check your manuscript for adverbs? If so, does an occasional adverb or two make them think twice?

This article does not argue against all use of adverbs. It points out that there are many weak adverbs that can be replaced with more accurate and vivid word choices. It also notes that sometimes we should use adverbs. It’s really about making the best possible word choices. Some editors will check for word choice. It depends on what kind of editing they are doing.

In your phrase “It’s clearer and more concise“, isn’t ‘more’ an unnecessary adverb? Or am I making a mistake in trying to recognise adverbs?

The article does not say that all adverbs should be eliminated; it says to use them thoughtfully. “Conciser” is not a word, so we have to use an adverb to communicate the concept that is being conveyed. I suppose “more clear and concise” would be an option, but that can sound odd to the ear, because “clearer” is more concise than “more clear.”

I want to be a writer. How do i start writing?

Pick up a pen and a notebook, or open a new blank document on your computer. If you’re not sure what to write, look for writing prompts . Find one that interests you, and start writing. If you can’t find one that interests you, select one at random and write about it as if it’s an assignment. Until you have started writing, you cannot know that you want to be a writer. Give it a try and see how you like it.

I have a slightly different take on adverbs. I see them as phrases rather than words.

For example, in the sentence “Eliza placed her pen emphatically on the desk as soon as she had completed the last question on the exam paper to show the invigilator that she had finished.” has four adverbs:

‘emphatically’ ‘on the desk’ ‘as soon as she had completed the last question on the exam paper’ and ‘to show the invigilator that she had finished’.

All four phrases modify the verb ‘placed’ by telling how, where, when, and why the action was done.

The ‘rule’ against adverbs is actually a rule against redundancy, and my rule of thumb when editing is that, if an adverbial phrase can be left out without the loss of relevant information, it should be left out. In the above sentence, none of the adverbs is redundant – they all add something to the meaning of the sentence – therefore I wouldn’t eliminate any of them.

I would, however, replace ‘emphatically’ with either a stronger verb or with a stronger adverb… or both. For example, I might write instead “Eliza slapped her pen down on the desk like a final full stop as soon as she had completed the last question on the exam paper to show the invigilator that she had finished.” ‘Emphatically’ is a weak adverb because it tells rather than shows how the action was done. ‘Slapped… like a final full stop’ is stronger than ‘placed emphatically’ because it presents a stronger image of the manner in which Eliza put down her pen.

Hi Andrew, and thanks for commenting on this post. The phrase “on the desk” is not an adverb (if it were, it would be called an adverbial phrase ). It is actually a prepositional phrase. Like adverbs and adjectives, prepositional phrases are modifiers. They consist of a preposition (on) and its object (the desk). I’m not sure how deep you want to go into this, but here’s the difference between an adverb and a prepositional phrase: an adverb modifies a verb (or adjective), and a prepositional phrase describes a relationship between two things.

There is no rule against adverbs. It’s just a loose guideline that is often expressed in hyperbole, which (as hyperbole tends to do) causes a lot of confusion when people take statements like Mr. King’s literally.

For fun, here’s how I’d rewrite the sentence:

Eliza slammed her pen on the desk to let the investigator know she was finished.

No adverbs 🙂

“Full stop” is UK usage, while “period” is US.

I’m going to have to come back and read your responses as there looks to be as much information addressing doubts as in your article.

Many people are attached to the idea of using adverbs liberally. Others tend to drop comments before reading the full text of an article. If you note the actual arguments against overuse of adverbs in my article, you’ll see that none of the comments actually provide a counter argument, and many fail to acknowledge that my article says that sometimes adverbs are great and necessary!

Thank you so much also for this lesson, Great and very useful information. Have a beautiful weekend! xx Michael

You’re welcome!

Hi Melissa, I must say you are exceptional with your responses. I also noticed you do know this subject to the teeth. I am impressed.

“Sadly” as you can see, I am addicted to adverbs. Tried to cut them out without much success.

In maths, we can learn tricks to get through difficult mathematical processes. Is there a simple way you can teach me to get rid of this habit.?

Thank you for your kind words. If you’re already in the habit of proofreading everything you write, then you can add checking your work for adverbs into your edits. You might want to set aside one full pass at anything you write just to check for adverbs. Over time, you’ll start catching unnecessary words while you’re writing, and they will diminish over time. Unnecessary adjectives and adverbs are one of the top things I check for during editing! I always find plenty that can be removed. And yes, I even do it with my blog comments, lol.

“Hopefully” and “arguably” are sentence adverbs, sometimes known as disjuncts. They are editorial, in that they show that the writer wants us to think in a particular way- and so they are lazy and sloppy. “-ly” is simply Anglo-Saxon/ Old English for “like.”

In some cases, “hopefully” and “arguably” can be weak or ineffective, but these are not by default “lazy” and “sloppy” word choices.

1. Yes, sometimes writers want their readers to think in a certain way. There’s nothing wrong with using language choices that will help a writer achieve their goal.

2. If our character’s loved one is in the hospital and another character says, “Hopefully they’ll be coming home tomorrow,” it would be foolish if the editorial feedback was that “the word ‘hopefully’ is lazy and sloppy.”

Adverbs should be carefully considered, but I would caution against making universal, sweeping statements about them.

A difficulty I find is with respect to specificity. Taking your example of replacing “very warm” with “hot”, there appears to be a nuanced change in meaning.

“Warm” isn’t merely a description of temperature but carries the implication of how we feel about it; it implies a temperature on the higher side that we find comfortable. So “very warm” can imply a very comfortably high temperature, while “hot” just means a very high temperature (and typically implies some degree of discomfort).

Perhaps this is making too big a fuss over nuance, and we might simply be better off adding more clauses for clarification. Yet I doubt anyone who writes “very warm” actually meant to say “hot”, as it almost certainly evokes very different sensations for the reader.

Jake, I think you missed the point. To the reader, there is little difference between “very warm” and “warm.” There is a huge selection of words to describe temperature: ice-cold, cold, chilly, cool, moderate, lukewarm, warm, hot, and scorching, just to name a few. Using very when all these words are available is a lazy word choice made worse because removing it doesn’t change the meaning for the reader.

Keep in mind that your idea of lukewarm/warm/hot might be different from the readers, which only makes very even less meaningful.

In the example given, “very warm” modified “day.” We are talking about the weather, not how we feel about it.

I frequently find myself insert the word very only to review what I’ve written and realize that the meaning of the sentence does not change in the slightest if I remove it.

The general point I can see, but I would contest the idea that “very warm” would be interpreted the same way as “hot” to a general reader, as in the case of “very warm fireplace” vs. “hot fireplace”.

“Cozy” might achieve the intended effect in this case, or “cozy hot fireplace” if want to empathize the notion that it’s both comfortable and high in temperature at the same time.

“Ran quickly” and “sprinted” are also radically different, although there this might be specialized knowledge of the dictionary definitions that general readers don’t have being a former sprinter. Sprinting is to run at max effort, and something even Olympians typically cannot do for more than 30 secs or 300 meters. Runners who participate in races spanning 400m or beyond don’t “sprint” but instead “run very quickly.”

Hi Jake. I never said “very warm” would be interpreted the same as “hot.” I said that “very warm” and “warm” aren’t different to the average reader.

The fireplace is warm. The fireplace is very warm.

In a narrative, this use of very is unnecessary and doesn’t change the overall meaning of the sentence.

Let’s look at another example:

She ran quickly across the street. She ran across the street.

In a narrative, these are essentially the same. The word quickly is unnecessary. If the writer wants to emphasize speed, then sprint is a good option:

She sprinted across the street.

Are you intentionally changing what I’ve said here, or are you misreading my statements? I would suggest you read what I’ve written more carefully before you respond, as you have misstated my examples multiple times now.

* emphasize, sorry!

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How to cite ChatGPT

Use discount code STYLEBLOG15 for 15% off APA Style print products with free shipping in the United States.

We, the APA Style team, are not robots. We can all pass a CAPTCHA test , and we know our roles in a Turing test . And, like so many nonrobot human beings this year, we’ve spent a fair amount of time reading, learning, and thinking about issues related to large language models, artificial intelligence (AI), AI-generated text, and specifically ChatGPT . We’ve also been gathering opinions and feedback about the use and citation of ChatGPT. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and shared ideas, opinions, research, and feedback.

In this post, I discuss situations where students and researchers use ChatGPT to create text and to facilitate their research, not to write the full text of their paper or manuscript. We know instructors have differing opinions about how or even whether students should use ChatGPT, and we’ll be continuing to collect feedback about instructor and student questions. As always, defer to instructor guidelines when writing student papers. For more about guidelines and policies about student and author use of ChatGPT, see the last section of this post.

Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper

If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper. For literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the relevant text that was generated in response.

Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although nonretrievable data or quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications , with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is therefore more like sharing an algorithm’s output; thus, credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.

When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of your APA Style paper.

When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and “the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software

The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.

The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):

Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

Other questions about citing ChatGPT

You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims and ChatGPT provided five references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors, date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant, it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles, as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.

We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism? Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications ?

On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below. We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions, with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.

For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.

Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials .

We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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