World, Writing, Wealth discussion
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adjective/adverbs
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Mehreen
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Mar 24, 2017 01:48AM
Why use them?
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Because, when used properly, they add to the communication. Thus there is an important difference between a carbonaceous chondrite and a silicaceous chondrite :-)
Ian wrote: "Because, when used properly, they add to the communication. Thus there is an important difference between a carbonaceous chondrite and a silicaceous chondrite :-)"Makes sense.
Ian wrote: "Because, when used properly, they add to the communication."Agreed. If you use an adverb and / or adjective, it should be because you absolutely mean it.
This is a great question to ask! When editing my own work, I find that many of the adverbs / adjectives, which appear in my first drafts, are not necessary. Just as Ian pointed out, intentional adverbs / adjectives can increase clarity in communication, but unnecessary ones can decrease clarity.
If you use SlickWrite.com, it will tell you which adjective, adverbs, and preposition you over using.
Mehreen wrote: "Why use them?"They are part of the language, how can one not use them? They describe nouns and verbs, so wherever the description is important they should be there -:)
J.J. wrote: "They boost word count..."In my view, the wrong reason for using them
Utilizing adjectives and adverbs unnecessarily, merely to inflate the word count of a manuscript, may actually detract from the intended impact or importance of a sentence.Adjectives and adverbs are descriptive tools that enhance the impact of something or some activity that the author wishes to convey to the reader. "Quickly leaving the room..." conveys an entirely different meaning than "Leaving the room...". "During the dark and stormy night..." conveys an entirely different meaning than "During the night...".
Jim wrote: "Utilizing adjectives and adverbs unnecessarily, merely to inflate the word count of a manuscript, may actually detract from the intended impact or importance of a sentence.Adjectives and adverbs ..."
Great advice. If you don't need it, don't use it!
Ian wrote: "J.J. wrote: "They boost word count..."In my view, the wrong reason for using them"
In a way, I was joking; I know it doesn't come across through simple text. However, we tend to forget that all the "classic" authors who published through the magazines in the 19th century, getting paid by the word, all padded their word count just to get a couple extra pennies. For example, take any Charles Dickens novel and ask yourself how many words he actually needed to tell that story, and how many he could have cut out.
There are no bad words, only bad writers. :)
According to Stephen King, adverbs are anathema.
So King does not use adverbs? See whether he ever used "when"?
Of course. But I sometimes wonder if some people know what an adverb is.
Can't speak to that, but I would refer you to King's On Writing.
I think King's sales have little to do with the alleged absence of adverbs, and more on his reputation, especially obtained from his earlier books.
Ian wrote: "J.J. wrote: "They boost word count..."In my view, the wrong reason for using them"
Couldn't agree more.
Faith wrote: "Sometimes we need an extra word and sometimes we don't, so it depends on cases. Kipling wrote: "the female of the species is more deadly than the male" (you can't drop a word and keep the meaning) ...""More deadlier" is incorrect anyway. It should be "more deadly".
Ian wrote: "I think King's sales have little to do with the alleged absence of adverbs, and more on his reputation, especially obtained from his earlier books."I was referring to King's book On Writing, not to his sales. I don't think he was advocating eliminating all adverbs, but was making the point that many adverbs are unnecessary. He was saying that if you can eliminate them and keep the meaning, then do it. >Anathema was too strong a word for me to use in this case. My mistake.
I think the main case against adverbs is their use tends to be lazy, and laziness leads to overuse of the easy. They tend to be general, thus slowly does modify the verb, but you usually could say something here that gives a bigger picture.
Maybe I'm in a little extreme mood today, but we can go a few steps forward and give up on words in their entirety! This seems to be the trend.Written word preceded visual, but its popularity (in my opinion at least) is in decline, giving ground to visual.
Adverbs, adjectives and phrases are already being superseded by emoticons.
To enhance the blurb, writers make book trailers today, counting on visual to lure the readers in.
Soon (already?) the technology will allow to create visual sequences book-movies and further maybe - full movies and these might further undermine classical reading..
Been a while since I'd read Herbert. Maybe he's a real Nostradamus and will come visit us in his time machine in the future
Faith sort of verifies the saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same
