Quotes on Adverbs

All I ask is that you do as well as you can, and remember that, while to write adverbs is human, to write he said or she said is divine.

I adore adverbs; they are the only qualifications I really much respect.

The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function, every long word that could be a short word, every adverb that carries the same meaning that’s already in the verb, every passive construction that leaves the reader unsure of who is doing what—these are the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence. And they usually occur in proportion to the education and rank.

You expect far too much of a first sentence. Think of it as analagous to a good country breakfast: what we want is something simple, but nourishing to the imagination. Hold the philosophy, hold the adjectives, just give us a plain subject and verb and perhaps a wholesome, nonfattening adverb or two.

I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.

Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange.

Death to all modifiers, he declared one day, and out of every letter that passed through his hands went every adverb and every adjective.

Just remember that Dumbo didn't need the feather; the magic was in him.