"The road to hell is paved with adverbs" is one of the most quoted pieces of writing advice, and like most advice it is half right. Adverbs are not a sin. But a manuscript that leans on them is usually working too hard to rescue weak verbs, repeating what the verb already says, or telling the reader how to feel. This guide explains when an adverb earns its place, how to spot the ones that do not, four ways to replace them, and a worked example. The last section shows how Quillen highlights adverbs and tracks how many you use.
The short answer
Cut an adverb when it repeats the verb ("whispered softly"), props up a vague verb ("walked slowly"), or labels an emotion you should be showing ("said angrily"). Keep it when it changes the meaning of the verb or adds information the verb cannot carry ("she smiled sadly" can be right; "he almost died"). In Quillen, Analyze Document marks adverbs in pink and shows their share of your words against a 2% guide.
What adverbs actually do
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb, and most of the ones writers overuse end in -ly. They tend to fail in four ways:
| Problem | Example | Why it weakens the sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Repeats the verb | whispered softly, shouted loudly, sprinted quickly | The verb already carries the meaning |
| Props up a vague verb | walked slowly, ate greedily, looked intently | A precise verb would do the work |
| Labels an emotion | said angrily, smiled happily, replied sadly | Tells the reader how to feel instead of showing it |
| Intensifies without information | really, very, extremely, totally | Adds volume, not meaning |
Four ways to replace an adverb
1. Choose a stronger verb
"She walked slowly" becomes "She trudged" or "She shuffled". "He ran quickly" becomes "He sprinted". One precise verb replaces two words and says more.
2. Delete it
If the verb already carries the meaning, the adverb is clutter. "He whispered softly" is just "He whispered". "She shouted loudly" is "She shouted".
3. Show the detail
When an adverb labels an emotion in dialogue, replace it with a gesture, a physical reaction or a change in the line itself. "I'll kill you," he said angrily becomes "I'll kill you." He slammed his palm on the table.
4. Rewrite the sentence
Sometimes the adverb is covering for a sentence that does not do its job. "She looked at him suspiciously" might become "She looked at the sealed letter in his hand and then at the door behind him." The reader reaches the suspicion themselves.
When an adverb is the right choice
Plenty of adverbs do real work. Keep them when:
- They change the meaning. "He almost died", "she barely spoke" and "they nearly won" cannot be rewritten without losing information.
- They create contrast. "She smiled sadly" says something a bare smile does not. "He answered politely" can signal a character holding back anger.
- They are not -ly intensifiers. Words such as then, now, here, there, always and never are adverbs too, and are rarely the problem.
- They set rhythm in dialogue tags. An occasional adverb can break a run of plain tags, as long as you use it sparingly.
- They are part of a character's voice. A pompous narrator may sound right with a thicket of -ly words.
Dialogue tags and the adverb habit
Dialogue is where adverbs breed. A tag such as "he said quickly" or "she asked nervously" often comes from a worry that the line does not carry its own emotion. The best fix is usually to make the line carry it. Use "said" as the default tag, and let punctuation, rhythm and action do the rest. A line such as "I didn't mean— I mean— Look, I'm sorry" needs no adverb at all.
A worked rewrite
Before:
"I really need a boat," he said quickly. She looked at him suspiciously and walked slowly to the end of the dock. "It's a very good crown," he added eagerly, "and the price is extremely generous."
After:
"I need a boat." He glanced over his shoulder. She studied the sealed crate in his hand, then shuffled to the end of the dock. "A fine crown," he said. "I'll make the price generous."
The second version has fewer words, more movement, and a better sense of the stranger's anxiety, because it shows his glance rather than calling him quick.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing -ly adverbs with adjectives or other filler | The sentence is still telling | Show with detail or choose a stronger verb |
| Banning all adverbs | Loses useful ones, such as almost and barely | Cut the repeated and the redundant |
| Stacking adverbs in dialogue tags | Distracting, and often unintentionally funny | Use 'said' and let the line speak |
| Swapping a single adverb for a single vague verb | The problem moves, it does not disappear | Use a specific verb |
| Ignoring intensifiers | Prose feels shouted | Search for very, really and extremely and cut most of them |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen's Analyze Document tool underlines adverbs for you and keeps count, so you can see where they cluster.
- Open the scene in the editor and click Analyze Document.
- Find the Adverb chip in the stats bar. It is pink, and shows the percentage of your words that are adverbs against a guide level of 2%. In our sample scene it read 4.4%.
- Look at the pink underlines. Quillen marks -ly words, with an exception list for words that only look like adverbs, such as family, only, early and daily. The Vague category separately catches intensifiers such as very and really.
- Edit directly on the page. Replace the verb, delete the adverb or rewrite the line. The page remains editable while highlights are on.
- Click Clear Highlights or run the analysis again to see your new percentage.
Remember that the tool matches patterns, not meaning. It will flag adverbs you want to keep, and it cannot tell you whether the verb underneath is strong. Treat each highlight as a question, not a verdict.
Checklist
- Each -ly word checked: does it repeat, prop up or label?
- Weak verb plus adverb replaced with one strong verb.
- Emotion tags in dialogue replaced by a gesture or a better line.
- Useful adverbs (almost, barely, nearly) kept.
- Intensifiers (very, really, extremely) mostly cut.
- Adverb percentage below the guide, or the excess deliberate.
Common questions
Should I remove all adverbs from my writing?
No. Adverbs that change the meaning of a verb, such as almost, barely and nearly, are useful. Cut the ones that repeat the verb, prop up a weak verb or label an emotion.
How do I replace an adverb?
Choose a stronger verb, delete the adverb if it repeats the verb, show the detail through action or gesture, or rewrite the sentence so the reader reaches the feeling themselves.
Are adverbs in dialogue tags bad?
Often they are a sign the line is not carrying its own emotion. Use 'said' by default and let the words, rhythm and action do the work, saving an occasional adverb for variety.
How does Quillen find adverbs?
Analyze Document underlines adverbs in pink and shows what share of your words they make up, against a guide of 2%. It matches patterns, so each highlight is a prompt to check, not an error.
What is a good adverb count?
There is no rule. Quillen's guide level is 2% of words, which is a useful place to start, but voice and genre matter.