How to Use Adverbs in Writing

Place adverbs into sentences that require more detail to complete the picture you are trying to portray. For instance, if a character in your book stomps off after an argument, adding words like "stormily" or "angrily" help your readers understand the mood of your character.

Avoid overusing adverbs. Do not place an adverb into every sentence or even every other sentence. While adverbs can be important words that help readers visualize the idea you are expressing, using too many may clutter your writing and take away from the experience.

Use adverbs in positions that promote the flow of words rather than detract from it. As a general rule, an adverb should follow the verb that it describes or the verb following the noun it describes. However, adverbs such as "suddenly," "unfortunately" and "typically" often come at the beginning of sentences and apply to the whole sentence.

Avoid using double negatives when you do use adverbs. For instance, when using adverbs such as "hardly," "barely" and "scarcely" do not follow up with "no." Instead, use "any."

Choose your adverbs carefully. Adding "ly" to the end of an adverb can change which word in your sentence it modifies. In general, adverbs that end in "ly" describe a verb, while the same word without the "ly" describes a noun. For instance, "He was careful" describes the subject as careful. However, if you wrote "He walked carefully." the word "carefully" describes how he walked, not the subject himself.