1. Use active verbs:
Passive verbs do not assign responsibility. However, you might use a passive verb when the action is more significant than the actor.
Example: A landmark civil rights ruling was struck down yesterday by the U. S. Supreme Court.
2. Paint pictures with your verbs:
Those four-letter, five-letter verbs help the reader visualize (see) what you are writing.
Examples: Maim, kill, jump, sidle, slam, suck, jump, choke, dump, stuck
3. Hidden Verbs:
Verbs give sentences their oomph. When flabby phrases smother verbs, trim the fat.
Examples: Change have a need for to need
• Make a confession confess
• Take into consideration consider
Have, to be able to, make, made and take also create obese sentences.
Examples: Have a tendency tend
• Be able to speak speak
• Make a statement state (say, said)
• Take action act
• Made a decision decide
4. Check out disguised verbs:
Also watch for verbs disguised as nouns ending in -tion, -sion, and -ment. When such nouns appear as subjects especially in sentences using the passive voice, turn the noun into a verb.
Example: The announcement of cutbacks for city services was made by
Mayor Joan Smith
• Mayor Joan Smith announced cutbacks in city services.
5. Double verbs:
In these examples only the second verb may be necessary.
Examples: The tiger attacked and clawed the dog.
• The tiger clawed the dog.
The child was taken to the hospital and treated.
• The child was treated at the hospital.
She sat up and left.
• She left.
6. Verbs ending in –ing:
Some writers unthinkingly use the progressive form where the simple form produces a more concise sentence.
Example: The congresswoman is planning to visit Mexico City
• The congresswoman plans to visit Mexico City.
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