Two highlighted selections from the referenced book. They read:
To understand the difference between a good adverb and a bad adverb, consider these two sentences: âShe smiled happilyâ and She smiled sadly". Which one works best? The first seems weak because âsmiledâ contains the meaning of âhappilyâ. On the other hand, âsadlyâ changes the meaning.
Remember the song âKilling Me Softlyâ? Good adverb. How about âKilling Me Fiercelyâ? Bad adverb.
Look also for weak verb-adverb combinations that you can revise with stronger verbs: âShe went quickly down the stairsâ can become âshe dashed down the stairs.â âHe listened surreptitiouslyâ can become âHe eavesdropped.â Give yourself a choice.