Slide 1

Using Strong Verbs The verb TO BE is the most commonly used verb in the English language. It comes in many forms: am, are, is, was, were, be, been, being. We use it to state the existence or condition of something: • Downtown Greensboro is a more interesting place today than it was a year ago. •

The Issue • The problem is that habitual use of BE verbs can make writing dull and wordy. Substituting stronger, more expressive verbs can both brighten and trim a person’s writing style.

Solutions • Here are some specific ways that you can turn weak verbs into stronger ones, making your prose more muscular: • 1) Try not to start sentences with “there is” or “there are.” • There are clubs and bars lining Elm Street. • Change into: • Clubs and bars line Elm Street.

Solutions • 2) Use your imagination to substitute more interesting words: • Streets that were once empty. • Change into: • Streets that once stood empty.

Solutions • 3) Use the simple present tense instead of present progressive (she listens instead of she is listening) and the simple past tense instead of past progressive (she listened instead of she was listening).

Solutions • 4) Whenever possible, embed the description of something in an adjective before a noun, instead of dragging out the sentence with a noun and a “to be” verb phrase that includes an adjective: • The baseball stadium, which is brand new, towers over the downtown square. • Change into: • The brand-new baseball stadium towers over the downtown square.

Solutions •5)Always use ACTIVE voice instead of passive voice.

• Active voice propels the action forward through the sentence and onto the next. A. Passive: The sheriff was shot by me. B. Active: I shot the sheriff.

Active Voice • Active Voice

• The active voice sentence follows the sentence order of subject, verb, object. • The active voice sentence focuses on the agent performing the action, whereas

Can you rewrite this sentence in passive voice?

Passive Voice • Passive Voice

• The passive voice sentence flip-flops the subject and object. • Passive voice sentences focus on the person or thing affected by the action

Identifying Passive Voice • Identifying Passive Voice

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The form of the passive voice verb will always consist of the following elements: Passive Voice Equation: a form of to be* + the past participle form of a verb (the ed/en/t form) 1. The baby was scratched. 2. The players were injured. 3. I will be taken to the airport. *forms of to be: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

Write These Sentences in Active Voice • There is a considerable range of expertise demonstrated by the spam senders. • It was determined by the committee that the report was inconclusive. • We were invited by our neighbors to attend their party. • Your bicycle has been damaged.