Adverbs - are they a lazy tool of a weak mind?

Question

Could someone please give me a bearing on the use of adverbs in grammar, daily conversation and (more to the point), their use in business.

To me they seem like a short cut of some kind, to compress an idea in a very clumsy way. Try to avoid them myself....

Could someome please give me some ideas of
a) when to AVIOD them
b) when to it would be OK use them

Oh, and before you say it (yes), I am also curious of how much validity that quote from that 1995 movie `Outbreak` has, when Kevin Spacey's character (Casey Schuler) was taking some dictation about a crisis and said " It's an adverb, Sam. It's a lazy tool of a weak mind. "

Thanks - Brad M

(PS: No silly one-liner answers, and references if you can - cheers)

Answer 1

Adverbs are used to modify the action indicated by the verb of a sentence (similar to how adjectives modify nouns). For example, compare the sentence "He walked" versus "He walked quickly". The word 'quickly' states how he walked, and provides greater depth and colour to the sentence.

Adverbs should be used where they add something to what's being written, and avoided where they would only add confusion.

Answer 2

Adverbs modify a verb and are useful to put more emphasis on the situation. For instance, if you say, "He drove to the store" it doesn't tell you how he drove. But if you say, "He drove slowly to the store" then you have a more vivid picture. In business they could be used to help describe how an employee does his/her work or how a customer acts, etc. "John filled out the forms" or "John filled out the forms sloppily." The second sentence lets you know the forms might have to be redone. "The customer returned the item" or "The customer angrily returned the item." The second one gives you a better idea of the situation and the customer's disposition. Most people use adverbs and don't necessarily think about the fact they are using an adverb.

Answer 3

Adverbs are part of the English language, and not to use them would be very limiting.

I couldn't have used "very" above, since it's a kind of adverb.

Adverbs generally tell you HOW something is done...slowly, quickly, etc. They can give you information about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. There is nothing wrong with them.

Answer 4

Adverbs are to verbs ,what adjectives are to nouns, i.e. descriptive additions. If you are going to avoid adverbs ,and presumably adjectives, then you are going to be a boring, inarticulate conversationalist with a penchant to irrational secrecy.

Answer 5

We use adverbs:

to say how something happens
'The family walk (how?) quickly.'

to say where or when something happens
'I met him (when?) yesterday.'

to say how often something happens
'She gets the bus (how often?) daily.'

to make the meaning of an adjective, adverb or verb stronger or weaker
'Dave eats (degree?) more slowly than his wife.'

Answer 6

I think you mean proverbs.