Just an opinion … Adjectives and adverbs in policy writing If the adjective and adverb count is high, what you are reading is more likely to be opinion than analysis. Policy officers certainly have to write a lot: it is a core skill. There are reports exploring issues and options; submissions and memos; formal policy statements; manuals and handbooks; Acts, regulations and codes; handouts and brochures. Policy writing is usually factual, not the writer’s opinion, and the use (and overuse) of adjectives and adverbs points to opinion. These two parts of speech perform an important function in English writing: they modify other words, adding colour, light and shade. We need adjectives and adverbs to convey meaning properly, to engage our readers, and to state facts accurately. But modifying words are frail.[1] They cannot carry the weight of meaning, only modify it. Meaning lies in the...