Operating Procedures: Omit Adverbs

This is the fourth post in our series to do with operating procedures and the advice provided in the book Elements of Style by Strunk and White.

Elements of Style

In this series of posts, we consider,

• Minimalist writing,

• The use of short, pithy instructions,

• Avoidance of the repetition of instructions,

• Omission of needless words,

• Omission of adverbs,

• The use of short and old words, and

• Avoidance of wordy phrases and padded syllables.

(The information is taken from the book Process Risk and Reliability Management.)

Previous posts are,

• Operating Procedures: Vigorous Writing, and

• Operating Procedures: Minimalist Writing,

• Operating Procedures: Short Pithy Instructions, and

• Operating Procedures: Omit Needless Words.

Omit Adverbs

In yesterday’s post — Operating Procedures: Omit Needless Words — we showed Table 6.11 from the book Process Risk and Reliability Management. One of the instructions read, ‘Open the valve carefully’. This begs the question: what value is the word ‘carefully’ adding to this instruction? After all, when did we see an instruction, ‘Open the valve carelessly’?

In general, adverbs (words that modify a verb) should not be used. Phrases such as the following.

• Open the valve carefully

• Open the valve slowly

• Open the valve cautiously

can all be replaced with,

• Open the valve

If we do need to modify the verb ‘Open’ then specific, quantitative guidance should be provided. For example,

• Open valve number 123 so as to increase the level in Tank, T-101, at a rate of 10 millimeters a minute.

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