Finding adverbs and adjectives

[Kerrybuchanan]

Is there any way to copy and paste a lump of text from MS Word into a web site or program to highlight all the adverbs and adjectives?

I am a typical beginner with an addiction to the dratted things and although I'm slogging through my WIP to try and weed most of 'em out, when I'm tired I just don't see them anymore. I know this is a lazy question and I should just knuckle down and sort them manually, but being able to see how many have sneaked through the net might just cure me forever with the shock of it!

 

[The Judge]

Can't help you with the web site or program, sorry. There are a number of grammar checkers out there, but I've no idea if they spot things like adjectives.

In the meantime, if you use the seach button for -ly that will pick up most of the adverbs, at least. And if you read your work out loud that will help pinpoint the adjectives and non-ly adverbs -- basically anything qualifying a noun or a verb is suspect. Colour them purple before deleting them, though -- that might give you the shock you need.

 

[TimothyQ]

I had a glance at autocrit the other day and they will analyse a sample of text and product a small report for free. You need to subscribe to get the full package (whatever that is) but the free report points out adverbs, passive tense indicators, repetitive words, cliches etc, obviously it's up to you to interpret what this data means. Sometimes cliches are just nifty.

Also, if you're ever feeling down about your writing you can pick a book by a much loved author off the shelf, type a segment of text into the box and discover even the best can't resist a good adverb now and then.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Thanks both of you. I've tried the search for -ly, TJ, but I have a great adverbial vocabulary and a lot of them don't end in -ly, sadly. I'm still doing it the old fashioned way for now.

I love the idea of copying and pasting some published text TimothyQ. Must do that!

I'm thinking of trying prowritingaid.com, but I'm a little wary of it. Anyone else used it?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Never used any programmes, just the old-fashioned beta, critique-ing etc approach. Why not stick up a crit and ask about your usage of them? My teeth could do with a wee outing...

 

[Hex]

eeeeee! springs' teeth....!

I'm not aware of a program that's free and picks them out. You might find some esoteric linguistics tool that does.

I like TJ's suggestion -- and to extend it: make a list of adverbs/ adjectives (especially the ones you think you overuse) and search and replace for them -- purple is a lovely colour. I don't think they're always an issue, though, unless they unbalance your text and the only way you can decide that is, you know, by reading it.

I heard Holly Black speak last year (sigh) and she said she always read her stories aloud but she'd noticed a huge difference (it made a massive difference, I think, to the quality of her writing and storytelling) when she started reading them to her husband and noted when he started staring blankly out of the window. Do you have a tame friend or family member who might suffer such treatment?

 

[Dennis E. Taylor]

And if you are using WORD, you can search for a word and just change the formatting (including color)

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

@Hex if I appear holding a wad of paper or electronic device all my family do a runner. They glaze over at the mere mention of a reading. I need new blood! Someone nice and naive who hasn't had my stuff inflicted on them yet.