Adverbs are bad, every writer has been told, repeatedly. Use them sparingly, if at all, is the advice commonly given. But adverbs do serve a purpose, and more often it is misuse, not overuse, that unfortunately taints bad writing. Robin Black, writing at Beyond the Margins, defends the adverb: Adverbs are modifiers. They modify – […]
...moreAdverbs acting as manner adjuncts “do not occur between whether and infinitival to,” you guys. Duh. Or, in other words, you can’t say, “…decide whether unconditionally to attend the Geneva talks.” Instead, you should say, “…decide whether to unconditionally attend the Geneva talks,” because that “rule” about split infinitives doesn’t actually exist. Geoffrey Pullum explains […]
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