Powerful Adjectives and Adverbs

An adjective is a word that names an attribute of a noun. Some are strong and paint clear, specific pictures of the thing they are describing. Some are weak and vague and don’t tell us much.

We use strong adjectives to be more expressive than normal adjectives. Strong adjectives can replace really or very with normal adjectives.

Here's an example:

• Sam is cold.

“Cold” is a weak adjective that doesn’t paint a vivid mental picture in your reader’s mind.

In my mind, I imagine Sam's lips are blue and his teeth are chattering. He feels like an icicle has replaced all of the blood in his veins.

In your mind, however, maybe you think Sam had better just throw a jacket around his shoulders and he’ll be fine.

There is a lot of ambiguity with “cold” and your reader is left to guess what you mean. This ambiguity is why an author might be tempted to add a “very”–to give it that extra punch.

• Sam is very cold.

But instead of adding a very, you should really be replacing your weak adjective with a stronger one.

• Sam is freezing.

Below are some more examples to get a feel for the difference:

Weak: Happy + very = I’m very happy. Strong: I’m ecstatic

Weak: Hot + very = It’s very hot out today. Strong: It’s sweltering out today.

Weak: Sleepy + very = She looks very sleepy Strong: She looks exhausted.

Weak: Glad + very = He’ll be very glad to see you. Strong: He’ll be delighted to see you.

Weak: Funny + very = You’re very funny. Strong: You’re hilarious.

Weak: Dirty + very = That dog is very dirty. Strong: That dog is filthy.

Weak: Big + very = The elephant in the room is very big. Strong: The elephant in the room is enormous.

Tips for Using Strong Adverbs

Take care to avoid overusing adverbs in your writing. When you use adverbs too much, readers may become annoyed and bored rather than enthralled or excited. Apply the tips below to make sure that you are using adverbs just enough.

• Use adverbs when they are most needed.

• If the adverb isn't helping, remove it.

• If the adverb is weak, replace it with a strong adverb.

• If the verb or adjective works great without the adverb, remove it.

• The adverbs "really" and "very" are overused a lot. Make sure they are truly necessary before adding them.

Powerful Adverbs: It's a Balancing Act

When it comes to adverbs, it's all about balance. Best Selling American author Stephen King is known for cautioning aspiring writers to use adverbs sparingly. He once compared using adverbs to having dandelions in your yard. One on your lawn looks pretty and unique, but the weeds can easily overtake the lawn if they're not rooted out. To reinforce what you've learned, take a look at some examples of adverbs in sentences. Now that you've got a handle on adverbs to improve your writing, shift your focus to action verbs.

What Is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Adverbs are like the seasoning in sentences. They help describe how things appear and how things happen. They help a reader visualize an action with an appropriate level of intensity.

Adverbs help control what others see when you speak or write. They are one of the necessary components of good writing. When used correctly, they can add a whole new dimension to your work. Check out how using a strong vs. weak adverb can improve your writing.

What Makes a Strong Adverb?

Written words should paint a picture in the reader's mind, and adverbs help make that happen. Adverbs add oomph to punches and power to kicks. Having a list of adverbs to call on can help add a degree of energy or spice to your verbiage.

However, not all adverbs are strong. Some adverbs like "really" or "very" aren't adding to your imagery and could be removed or substituted. You can see this in action by comparing "really" vs. "unbelievably" in a sentence.

• She moved really slowly.

• She moved unbelievably slowly.

While "really" isn't telling the reader much about how slow "she" is, using "unbelievably" gives you a vivid understanding. Her movement was so slow as to be unbelievable, which is very different from just being a bit slower than expected. As you can see, choosing adverbs is important.

Strong Adverbs Modifying Verbs

Now, it's time to look at a list of adverbs for writing to make it stronger. It's easy to say that "The quick brown fox jumped over a lazy brown dog," but how did he do it? That's the thing everyone is dying to know. A strong verb can often stand on its own, but adverbs can strengthen and colour verbs to add vividness and clarity to any sentence. When adverbs modify verbs, they describe the way something is happening. In the examples below, the adverb is in bold and the verb is underlined.

Powerful Adverbs Modifying Adjectives

How tired were you? How ugly was it? Readers and audiences beg for the answers to such questions. Adverbs give them those answers, adding more information to an adjective, while lending intensity to writing and speech. In the following examples, the adverb is in bold and the adjective is underlined.

Strong Adverbs Modifying Other Adverbs

Sometimes, even adverbs need help. When you want to bring attention to a level of rapidity or to a degree of languidness, you may need an adverb to describe another adverb. When you want to describe one adverb with another, just put them next to one another. In the examples below, the modifying adverb is in bold and the main adverb is underlined.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/adverbs/list-of-adverbs.html