How to use our Adverb Finder
Start by entering text into the text-box above. The adverb count above the text-box will automatically display the count as you type!
Under the text-box is a light-gray box that will display the list of adverbs found as a comma separated list.
If you want to copy the text in the text-box, simply hit the green "Copy Text" button.
What are Adverbs?
An adverb is a part of speech that is used to modify verbs, adjectives, sentences, or other adverbs. They typically provide information about how, when, where, to what extent, or under what conditions something happens or happened.
They are very versatile in that they can adjust the meanings of verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Adverbs are very much like adjectives. They're modifiers, used to tell the reader more about another word. In this case, as you might guess from the name ("ad" - "verb"), they're used to add information about verbs. They can also be used similarly to adjectives, directly ("very fast") or as a phrase ("He ran as fast as the wind.")
Note: The phrase above can be classified as an "adverbial clause." Clauses are a grammatical element that's beyond the scope of this simple guide. For the purposes of improving your writing,it's perfectly acceptable to consider them adverbial phrases.
For the sake of simplicity, adverbs also answer the same questions as adjectives, described in the previous article.
But there's more: adverbs can also be used to modify adjectives, as well as other adverbs. That makes them a pretty powerful asset!
Adverbs typically end in "ly"
Adverbs can usually be created by adding "ly" to the end of an adjective, as in "quickly," or by dropping "e" and adding a "y" when the adjective ends in "le," as in "subtly" (subtle - e + y).
That's important when you pair adverbs or use them to describe adjectives. Here's a simple example of how "ly" makes a difference:
"The slight rusted bucket hung from a hook on the wall." This bucket is both slight (meaning small) and rusted. "Slight" is an adjective describing the bucket.
"The slightly rusted bucket hung from a hook on the wall." Now the bucket only has a small rust problem and could be any size, since "slightly" modifies the adjective "rusted."
Adverbs are also important for words that can be used as both verbs and nouns:
"Frank planned a bold escape from prison." (escape as a noun, bold as an adjective)
"Frank would boldly escape from prison." (escape as a verb, bold + "ly" as an adverb)
As we said, adverbs typically end in "ly" such as loudly, slowly, extremely, easily and carefully. However, there are exceptions.
Some words like almost, always, here, there and now are adverbs but do not end in "ly".
And to make it even more confusing, there are some words that end in "ly" that are not adverbs. Words like lovely, ugly, silly, lonely and friendly are all considered adjectives.
This is why an adverb finder tool like this one can be helpful in finding adverbs in your text.
How Important are Adverbs?
Very. Remember, verbs are words that convey action. It can be just as important to add details to that action. The water flowing gently down the stream adds a peaceful ambiance to a scene in your story.
In a court case, the fact that someone was driving erratically just before being involved in a car accident is important. Adverbs serve an important purpose in all types of writing and should be a valued part of your tool kit as a writer.
Here's Where the Fun Begins
Using descriptive words like adverbs or adjectives can add interest to your writing, but using them well can be a bit tricky. Very simple mistakes can confuse or mislead your readers as to what you're describing. Some of these are so common that they've been named for easy identification. It's time to take a look at:
Common Mistakes in Adverb (and Adjective) Usage
"Squinting" modifiers: When you've placed a modifier close to two possible "target" words, it can appear that it might apply to either of the words:
Squinting: Standing up quickly leads to fainting. (Do I need to avoid standing up quickly, or stop standing up?)
Corrected: Quickly standing up leads to fainting.
Misplacement: Where you place a modifier in a sentence is important. In most cases, placing it next to the word you wish to modify is the best choice:
Misplaced: Rick accidentally struck a dog with a cane. (Why did the dog have a cane?)
Corrected: A dog was accidentally struck with a cane by Rick.
Dangling Modifiers
"Dangling" modifiers: When modifying phrases are "hanging out" too far away from the subject, it can have strange results:
Dangling: Rolling wildly down the hill, Jack's head struck a rock. (Where was the rest of Jack?)
Corrected: As Jack rolled wildly down the hill, his head struck a rock.
My apologies for the somewhat gruesome twist on a cherished nursery rhyme, but I believe it illustrates my point well. Dangling modifiers can drastically change the meaning of a sentence or phrase. While the result might be comical, it's not likely to help your writing flow well.
Any of these common mistakes tend to be "sticky spots" in any kind of writing and in business writing, they can be disastrous. They're also not likely to be helpful in short stories, novels or poetry. My advice is to learn to avoid them if possible.
Overuse of Adverbs
Though this could be listed under the common mistakes above, avoiding using too many adverbs is important enough to discuss separately. As a matter of fact, it may be an even more important consideration than the underuse of adjectives. (A problem that an online adverb finder can help fix)
Action words should have an immediate effect, in order to keep the narrative flowing. That means that "stalling" the action with descriptive words attached to them is even more detrimental. It might be enough to know that "Cheryl crossed the street," rather than "Cheryl angrily crossed the street" if we already know Cheryl is angry.
Storytellers, remember, you're painting images with your words. The difference between you and the painter is that your words have to create a moving series of images and that means they need to develop quickly. Don't bog them down with too many descriptive words. Let your readers' imaginations do some of the work and they'll be more engaged.
Writers in other circles (editorial, educational, etc.) may not tend to embellish their verbs quite as much. Nevertheless, it's a good practice to consider how the impact of adverbs affects anything you write and it should be considered during your proofreading.
Why should I use an Adverb Finder to find adverbs in my text?
As you can see from the many rules to determine which words are adverbs, it can be tricky to correctly identify them on your own.
Most end in "ly", however not every word that ends in "ly" is an adverb. And some words that don't end in "ly" are adverbs.
Then there are words that are both adverbs and adjectives. For example, "fast", "early", and "daily". There are also words that are adverbs and verbs. Some words are adverbs and nouns as well.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with all the rules, this is where our online adverb finder can come in handy to help you detect adverbs in your text. Simply paste your text in the text-box at the top of the page and you will get an adverb count being updated in real-time.
All the adverbs found will be displayed in the gray box.
Best of all, our tool is completely free
Thanks for using our Adverb Detector Tool!
That's all there is to it! We hope you enjoy using our adverb counter. Happy adverb counting!