At their best, adverbs spice up a verb or adjective. At their worst, they express a meaning already contained in it:
- "The blast completely destroyed the church office."
- "The cheerleader gyrated wildly before the screaming fans."
- "The accident totally severed the boy's arm."
- "The spy peered furtively through the bushes."
- The blast destroyed the church office.
- The cheerleader gyrated before the screaming fans.
- The accident severed the boy's arm.
- The spy peered through the bushes.
- Look through the newspaper for any word that ends in �ly. If it is an adverb, delete it with your pencil and read the new sentence aloud.
- Do the same for your last three essays, stories, or papers. Circle the adverbs, delete them, and decide if the new sentence is better or worse.

