Yes, it’s absolutely grammatically correct to modify an adverb with another adverb.
However, being grammatically correct doesn’t necessarily mean that a phrase sounds natural or is easy to read.
It’s perfectly normal to say, “He did quite well in the essay competition.”
But does “He did absolutely horribly in the essay competition” sound like a natural opposite?
Be careful when you modify an adverb with another adverb
Most of the time, we hardly notice adverbs being modified or intensified by another adverb.
A simple example is “He ran very quickly to catch the bus.”
Here, quickly is modifying the verb ran, and very is intensifying the adverb quickly.
It would still be quite a natural-sounding sentence if you replaced very with extremely.
But would it still read well if you intensified the sentence a little more?
“He ran extremely rapidly to catch the bus.”
It’s still a grammatically correct sentence, but it just seems a little awkward.
That’s the catch when using two adverbs in a row, and particularly with two -ly adverbs.
Absolutely is a common adverb we use to express an extreme or strong quality, as in absolutely brilliantly, absolutely beautifully, or absolutely horribly.
The trick in writing is knowing when modifying an adverb with another adverb works well and when it doesn’t.
Use adverbs in moderation
You often read advice about avoiding adverbs in writing, frequently referring to Stephen King’s take on adverbs.
If you’re new to creative writing, it can be a little confusing.
As a part of speech, adverbs are useful and the most appropriate choice in many situations.
Yes, refraining from using adverbs too often in dialogue tags is good advice, but for many other uses, an adverb is a perfectly fine choice.
Adverbs of frequency such as always, sometimes, and often rarely cause problems in sentences.
It’s the same for adverbs of time like now, tomorrow, or soon.
Where adverbs can become problematic is when they are describing manner. These include quickly, quietly, carefully, skillfully, or patiently.
Another form is adverbs of emphasis. Two that should be used judiciously are actually and literally.
Except for overusing emphasis adverbs, adverbs rarely cause problems by themselves.
However, readability issues can arise when you modify an adverb with another quantifying or intensifying adverb.
Even if a sentence is grammatically perfect, that doesn’t mean that it will sound right to a reader.
For a new MP, she answered incredibly confidently during her first press conference.
Our tech department worked exceptionally efficiently on the sudden weekend outage.
As you can see, the two sentences above have no grammar problems, but how well do they read?
It’s syntax, not grammar
Adverb choice and use are not about whether the words obey grammatical rules, but how they work together in a sentence.
And that is a syntax issue because it concerns the arrangement and relationships of words.
Here’s a simple example of the expectation of words in a phrase. If you mention an expensive Ferrari in your writing, what color would it be?
An ochre, brown, or olive Ferrari would be perfectly possible, of course, but readers might naturally expect red.
It’s no different for other words that often follow an expected pattern, such as “The time passed surprisingly quickly.”
In the sentence above, using another adverb might not be as natural. “The time passed unexpectedly quickly.”
That’s the choice you always need to make when you modify an adverb with another one to add emphasis or to intensify.
Sometimes you might use adverbs creatively to surprise or jolt a reader. “Time passes increasingly slowly when you watch a pot that never seems to come to the boil.”
Adverbs are a tool, and who better to use as an example than Douglas Adams from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
You’d better be prepared for the jump into hyperspace. It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
You ask a glass of water.
The adverb unpleasantly is a surprising negative.
He also used an adverb to modify an adjective in his most famous quote, mostly harmless, when referring to Earth.
There’s no problem, only opportunity
Using adverbs, and even modifying adverbs with adverbs, is perfectly normal and grammatically correct.
You can make a difference to how a sentence reads and the effect you want to create. It’s a creative tool you can use to surprise or make a reader think.
But pay attention and take care that the meaning, expectation, rhythm, and effect are what you want to create.
A sentence such as “He gradually slowly climbed the old rickety staircase” makes no sense at all because the two adverbs are redundant.
But “He gradually, intentionally slowly climbed the old rickety staircase” could make sense in the right context.
It might work, but I would probably opt for a more expressive single adverb. “He gingerly climbed the old rickety staircase.”
Adverbs are an extremely versatile part of speech, but don’t overdo them.
However, you always have the opportunity to write an absolutely, surprisingly brilliant sentence when the opportunity arises.
Conclusion
Never dismiss the usefulness of adverbs in writing, no matter what advice you might read.
Using an adverb to modify an adverb is always an option, but even though it’s grammatically correct, it isn’t always the best construction.
The most common problem is readability. If a reader needs to hesitate to try to figure out the meaning of a phrase, it interrupts the natural reading flow.
But if you write it to surprise, it can be a terrific little tool to have in your writing toolkit.
Related Reading: Can You Start A Sentence With An Adverb? Definitely!
English teacher, writer, and author. Passionate about grammar, creative writing, and self-publishing. Always exploring new tools and tech to help writers succeed.
