Adverb with care

Adverbs; strengthening or life-sapping? Of course, this depends upon use. Some have a habit of reducing impact:

• This house is very expensive.

We can see [very] adds little information to the sentence; it’s not exactly life giving. All the reader knows is the house is subjectively expensive.

However, there is a little collection of adverbs which are perfect for communicating subtleties, imprecision or uncertainty. The modality collection, though cautious in meaning, are invaluable because they add information:

• This house is definitely worth buying.

• She clearly researches her reports.

Whereas [very] does not enhance, [definitely] and [clearly] add information. Here are a few more in the collection:

• feasibly

• cautiously

• probably

• certainly

• irrefutably

• distinctly

• necessarily

• perhaps

Modality is the difference between a factual assertion and a cautious view:

• This is an expensive watch. [an assertion]

versus

• This appears to be an expensive watch. [an impression; a cautious opinion]

Let words speak for themselves: cultivate the habit of using adjectives and adverbs to make meaning precise, yet be careful of those used for emphasis.