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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Ad[verbs/jectives]
The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and often reflect poor writing. She claims most adverbs are needed only due to the weakness of the chosen verb and most adjectives due to the inaccuracy of the noun. Choosing stronger verbs and more accurate nouns will eliminate many (most?) adverbs and adjectives.
My tendency is to agree but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.
dg (domain=ccwebster)
My tendency is to agree but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.
dg (domain=ccwebster)
Top answer
[nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ... ) adverbs and adjectives. [/nq] Agreed.
- [nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ...
- ) adverbs and adjectives.
- [/nq] Agreed.
- ; forms of "be", especially forms of "there is" and the anticipatory "it is"; words such as "of course", "so", "however".
- To paraphrase John Fredrick Nims, nouns are bones, verbs are muscle, and adjectives and adverbs are fat.
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22 Answers
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[nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ... many (most?) adverbs and adjectives. My tendency is to agree but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.[/nq]
Agreed. Other things to watch out for, according to my teachers: overly repeated "to the", "of a", etc.; forms of "be", especi
Agreed. Other things to watch out for, according to my teachers: overly repeated "to the", "of a", etc.; forms of "be", especi
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[nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ... to the inaccuracy of the noun. Choosing stronger verbs and more accurate nouns will eliminate many (most?) adverbs and adjectives.[/nq]
If her "most" refers not to most adjectives and adverbs in the language but to most adjectives and adverbs found in random sam
If her "most" refers not to most adjectives and adverbs in the language but to most adjectives and adverbs found in random sam
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[nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ... many (most?) adverbs and adjectives. My tendency is to agree but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.[/nq]
It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are
It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are
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[nq:2]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is ... but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are to be shot without trial. But it's only a general principle: this message would collapse without the suspects.[/nq
[nq:1]It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are to be shot without trial. But it's only a general principle: this message would collapse without the suspects.[/nq
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[nq:2]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is ... but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.[/nq]
[nq:1]It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are to be ... Spirit in a waste of shame , is crammed with adjectives, but the only adverbs there are "straight" and "
[nq:1]It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives are guilty until proved innocent, while adverbs are to be ... Spirit in a waste of shame , is crammed with adjectives, but the only adverbs there are "straight" and "
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[nq:2]It's certainly among the general principles of sub-editing that adjectives ... only a general principle: thismessage would collapse without the suspects.[/nq]
[nq:1]Arguably, you could have omitted "certainly" without major damage.[/nq]
Yes, I did think about it not long and hard, but at least I thought but I decided that it did make a slight contribution to what I wanted to say. I f
[nq:1]Arguably, you could have omitted "certainly" without major damage.[/nq]
Yes, I did think about it not long and hard, but at least I thought but I decided that it did make a slight contribution to what I wanted to say. I f
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[nq:2]Shakespeare is the top gun, of course. At random...Sonnet 130, ... adjectives, but the only adverbs there are "straight" and "well";[/nq]
[nq:1]And "well" is there only for the rhyme. "Straight" might not be necessary either.[/nq]
Aren't you being a bit severe? The two "well"s are neat enough word-play; I imagine that "****" was in his mind first, of course, so that far I'll go with
[nq:1]And "well" is there only for the rhyme. "Straight" might not be necessary either.[/nq]
Aren't you being a bit severe? The two "well"s are neat enough word-play; I imagine that "****" was in his mind first, of course, so that far I'll go with
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[nq:1]be message[/nq]
[nq:2]Arguably, you could have omitted "certainly" without major damage.[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I did think about it not long and hard, but at least I thought but I decided ... what can be wrong with adverbs: do they sometimes announce mood rather than conveying information? (Would Areff here interject "NTTAWWT"?)[/nq]
Oh, I was kidding, your sentence is fine as is.
[nq:2]Arguably, you could have omitted "certainly" without major damage.[/nq]
[nq:1]Yes, I did think about it not long and hard, but at least I thought but I decided ... what can be wrong with adverbs: do they sometimes announce mood rather than conveying information? (Would Areff here interject "NTTAWWT"?)[/nq]
Oh, I was kidding, your sentence is fine as is.
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[nq:1]The instructor of the poetry seminar I'm currently attending is of the opinion that adverbs and adjectives are overused and ... many (most?) adverbs and adjectives. My tendency is to agree but comments from this esteemed assembly will be greatly appreciated.[/nq]
I'd like to know what's on her list of 'poems where adverbs are needed only due to the weakness of the chosen verb' and poems
I'd like to know what's on her list of 'poems where adverbs are needed only due to the weakness of the chosen verb' and poems
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[nq:1] ("nothing"[/nq]
[nq:2]And "well" is there only for the rhyme. "Straight" might not be necessary either.[/nq]
[nq:1]Aren't you being a bit severe? The two "well"s are neat enough word-play;[/nq]
Not his best, if you want my opinion (I mean "unvarnished opinion). It's just repetition with the order reversed; "knows well" means the same thing both times.
I imagine that "****" w
[nq:2]And "well" is there only for the rhyme. "Straight" might not be necessary either.[/nq]
[nq:1]Aren't you being a bit severe? The two "well"s are neat enough word-play;[/nq]
Not his best, if you want my opinion (I mean "unvarnished opinion). It's just repetition with the order reversed; "knows well" means the same thing both times.
I imagine that "****" w
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