Powerful verbs are essential to writing strong, clear prose. I have collected some techniques to boost my verb power, strategies I often apply when writing or revising. In the hope of inspiring you to do likewise, I wrote this handout describing my techniques, with examples showing how I apply them.

The Right Verb for the Job

Every complete sentence includes a verb. How fortunate for us writers that some of the most powerful words in our language are verbs.

In The First Five Pages, Noah Lukeman advises, “Strengthen your nouns and verbs so that they don’t need adjectives and adverbs.”

Will Ludwigsen (http://www.will-ludwigsen.com/gym/adverb.htm) calls adverbs and adjectives “fat.” He claims that, in most cases, a descriptive verb is stronger than an adverb. I would go so far as to say that a good verb is worth more than any preposition, adjective, or adverb—even the majority of nouns.

Alas, many writers rely on non-verbs to carry their meaning, seldom paying much attention to their verbs. Their laziness limits them to a handful of commonplace verbs.

I keep a list of overused verbs and their many forms:

Why choose boring verbs like these, when English offers thousands of unique and powerful verbs to choose from? Why have a nice day when you can savor life? Why take a nap when you can doze? Why go as quickly as possible when you can race?

As I revise my writing, I watch for opportunities to replace vague verbs with more powerful ones. When I compose, I try exercise my full repertoire of verbs, hoping for the strongest possible first draft. I do not mean to imply that I ignore other aspects of style (rhythm, alliteration, mood, freshness, personality, etc.) in my word choices, but this article focuses on clarity and power.

Now for some specific pointers …
 
 

Beware of To Be

To be is the most overused verb in English. It comes in many forms, including am, are, been, is, was, and were, collectively called “verbs of being” or “be verbs.” Verbs of being appear not only in passive constructions (discussed later) but in many other wordy circumlocutions as well.

David A. McMurrey (http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/hirev2.html) claims that “one of the big culprits that cause weak, indirect writing is the use of the be verb as the main verb.”

According to the Howe Writing Institute (http://www.sba.muohio.edu/hwi/powerfulprose.htm) writers should challenge every appearance of was or any other form of to be.

Jack Lynch (http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/index.html) suggests that “beginning writers may profit from the exercise of removing all the verbs of being from their writing, since it forces them to find more forceful means of expression.”

On the other hand, A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker cautions that “Not every be verb needs replacing. [They]… work well when you want to link a subject to a noun that clearly renames it or a vivid adjective that describes it … If a be verb makes a sentence needlessly wordy, however, consider replacing it.”

It’s hard to eliminate the be verbs entirely, but when find an opportunity, I do. For example:

The original sentence appears to the left of the arrow, and the revised sentence to the right. Both sentences are grammatically correct, but the revised sentence is simpler or more powerful.

I have stripped the examples down to the meat and removed them from context in order to illustrate my arguments in a compact form. I do not mean to imply that one should write entirely in short, simple sentences, except perhaps in a children’s primer. All the principles I’m trying to illustrate apply to more elaborate sentences as well.

There Is, a Hazard

Verbs of being are particularly powerless after the word there. Since there is seldom the actor or topic in a clause, why put it at the start, in the driver’s seat? (I’ll say more later about placing actors.)

Finding this word-combination is easy. Eradicating it is harder. To rid myself of there was and its kin, I use many strategies.

When the sentence ends with a second clause, I bring its predicate forward. For example:

To be isn’t the only overused verb in English. If a sentence has two verbs, I often discard one and make the other do all the work. Examples:

In fiction, whenever you write a thought without ascribing it to anyone, it belongs to your point-of-view character. When my point-of-view character is a third-person female, I don’t write “she thought” all the time. This reduces the number of verbs and brings the reader closer to the character. For example:

By “better verbs” I mean ones that describe the action with greater vigor or precision but without obscurity or pomposity. English has hundreds of specialized verbs, many of them underutilized. When I write lazily, I often find myself using too many words to describe the action. When I find the right one during revision, all the supporting words drop away as redundant.

Harry Shaw, in Error in English and Ways to Correct Them, says, “The exact use of words depends on clear thinking. If we have only a vague idea, we are likely to choose for its expression the first words that come to mind.”

According to Pearson Adult Learning Center (http://palc.sd40.bc.ca/palc/bcassign/acmar23.htm) choosing more specific verbs makes your writing more powerful.

During revision, I try to spot vague verbs and replace them with exact ones. For example:

Better than Said

In dialog, I find often myself tagging each quote with said to indicate who spoke the words. I often find I can drop these tags with no loss of clarity. For instance, if the scene consists of two characters arguing pro and con, once you establish who is on which side, your reader can infer who said what for the rest of the scene.

Another fine way to eliminate tags is to blend dialogue and action in a single paragraph, as in: John opened his front door. “I’m home, honey!”

However, if your reader cannot easily tell who is saying what, they will likely grow frustrated stop reading. If in doubt, provide a tag.

The question is: should you stick with said and asked or should you vary the tags?

ICTeachers Ltd. (http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/sats/verbs2.htm) teaches children to replace said with a more descriptive word such as laughed or shouted to make their writing more powerful, vivid, and interesting. But other writers claim you should never use these synonyms. Pitfalls certainly exist.

Pam McCutcheon (http://www.pammc.com/dialogue.htm) points out that no one can laugh dialogue. Nor can one hiss words that don’t contain an s. She warns writers not to overuse synonyms for said.

Strunk and White (The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition) go so far as to urge us to “let the conversation itself disclose the speaker’s manner or condition.”

I find Strunk and White’s advice difficult to follow in practice. Readers sometimes need emotional cues beyond the dialog itself. In such cases, rather than append adverbs like angrily or regretfully to the tag, I look for more descriptive verbs, like snarled and sighed. Your mileage may vary. Here are examples where I think replacing said would be a good idea:

According to The Ultraweb Awards website (http://www.ultrawebaward.com/writingforweb.htm) nouns are like still carnival rides waiting for someone to ride them. Verbs switch them on to create excitement and drama. Ultraweb claims that verbs are the most powerful writing tools in the English language, yet many writers choose nouns over verbs.

When looking for better verbs during revision, one trick is examine the nouns following each verb—the objects of the verb and any adverbial phrases. Often I end up promoting an object to a verb and retiring the old verb.

As Diana Hacker put it in A Pocket Manual of Style, “Often a phrase following the word will contain a word (such as destruction) that suggests a more vigorous, active alternative (destroyed).”

Here are my examples:

Turning nouns into verbs isn’t always wise. Strunk and White (The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition) note “Many nouns have lately been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but all are suspect.” They cite gift, host, chair, headquarters, and debut as suspect verbs. These examples surprised me, since the verbs listed seem familiar and accepted to me. But even I have my limits. Given the awesome array of verbs already available, I regard coining a new one as a serious matter, requiring careful justification.

For example:

Another trick is to look at the modifiers following each verb. I often find I can promote one of the them to replace the verb. For instance:

English provides short, specialized verbs for many activities. I try to use these wherever I can. Even when they make the sentence longer, they add color and clarity. For example:

A longer word does not necessarily improve on a shorter one. I find this particularly true of verbs. For instance:

In Errors in English, Harry Shaw says, “Nine-tenths of all good writing consists of being concrete and specific. The other tenth doesn’t really matter.”

Metaphor offers an opportunity to make abstract thoughts more concrete and interesting. Good metaphors liken the invisible to the visible. Verbs evoking images of energetic or violent action are ideal fodder for the mind’s metaphor machine.

Examples:

In most situations, knowing the actor clarifies the meaning of the action.

Put the Actor before the Action

I always try to put the actor (or agent) before the action (verb). When writers reverse the normal order, they obscure the identity of the actor, and their writing seems evasive.

J. Yellowlees Douglas (http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~jdouglas/clarity1.html) says that when you use agents as subjects, your writing benefits. You will write shorter sentences that are more specific and concrete.

Dr. Charles Hill (http://www.english.uwosh.edu/hill/387_spring04/Week09.PPT) cites research showing that “readers expect agents as subjects and actions expressed as verbs.”

Here are some examples:

A common way to defer naming the actor is to use passive voice. When I see by following a passive be verb, I immediately want to change it to an active one.

Strunk and White (The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition) offer “use the active voice” as a principle of composition, stating “it is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive.”

Capital Community College’s Guide to Grammar and Writing (http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm) says “There is nothing inherently wrong with the passive voice, but if you can say the same thing in the active mode, do so ... Your text will have more pizzazz as a result, since passive verb constructions tend to lie about in their pajamas and avoid actual work.”

The ASU Writing Center (http://www.asu.edu/duas/wcenter/passive.html) points out that passive verbs are hard to envision because they do not carry any action. “Passive voice slows down your writing and makes it wordy.”

Examples:

You can conceal the actor’s identity using certain backward constructions (including passive voice). Avoid this—unless you want to keep the reader from thinking about who the actor might be.

Pat Hurley (http://emedia.leeward.hawaii.edu/hurley/eng209w/principles/active_voice.htm) says that “because the passive de-emphasizes the actor, passive voice is popular with people in authority (self-protective government, military, and business interests.) The passive conceals the identity of a person responsible for a mistake.”

Here are some examples:

Strunk and White (The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition) made omitting “needless words” one of their principles of composition.

In the First Five Pages, Noah Lukeman says, “When rewriting, pretend someone will give you $100 for every word you are able to cut. You will be able to cut scores of adjectives and adverbs just by strengthening their subjects …”

With this attitude in mind, consider the following ways to trim words around your verbs…

Zap Dangling Prepositions

These are prepositions that lack an object, such as the second words in phrases like refer back, rise up, and connect up. They often add nothing to the verb. Examples:

Sometimes the verb says it all, leaving the adverbs nothing to add. For instance:

abate abide abut accept accord accost accuse ache address admire admit adore advance advise afford age agree ail alight amaze amend announce anoint appear apply appoint approve argue arise arouse arrange array arrive assail assault assent assist assume assure atone attain attend attire avail avenge aver avert avoid awake awe

back banish bar bare bargain barter bear befall bathe bear beat beg beget beguile behave behold bellow bend berate bereave beseech beset besmirch bespeak betoken betray bid bind birth bite blast bleat bleed bless blight blind bloom blot bluff boost boot bore bound bow brawl breach break breathe breed brighten brim broach brood bruise brush budge build bundle burble burn burst bury bustle butcher buzz

calm care caress carve cast catch cease chain chance char charge chase chat chatter check chew chill choke choose claim clap clasp clatter cleanse cleave clench climb clog clutch coat coax color comfort command comprise conceal concern condemn confer confide confound connive consent console consult consume contend content contest coo cost counsel couple cover cower crack crash crave cringe cross crouch crow crowd crown crumble crush cull curl curse

dab dabble dally damn dance dandle dangle dare dart dash dazzle declare dedicate deduce deem defeat defend defy degrade delight depress desert deserve desire desist despoil destine destroy detest devise devote devour dim disarm discard discern disclose disdain disgorge disgust dismiss disobey disturb divine dodge don doom dot dote doubt doze drag drain drape draw dread dream drench drive drop drown drum dwell dwindle

earn ease eat ebb elect elude embrace emerge employ empty end enflame enforce enjoin enjoy enlist entail enter entitle erase err erupt escape espy essay etch exalt excite exile expel

face fade fail fall fashion fathom feed feign fetch favor feed fell fidget fight find finish fix flay flee flail flinch fling flirt float flock flourish flow flutter fly fold follow fondle forbid force foresee forfeit forge forget forgive form found free fret frighten frolic fulfill fumble fume

gain gainsay gape garner gather gaze gird gladden gleam glisten glance glare glitter glory glow gnaw grace grant grasp grate graze greet grieve grip groan grow guard guess gulp

haggle hail hammer hang harass harvest hasten hate haunt head heap hearken heed help hide hinder hiss hoard hobble hold honor hope howl hug humor hurl hush

imbue implore impound improve induce inhale inherit inscribe insist install invest invoke

jab jingle jinx join joke judge

keen keep kick kill knead kneel knit

lack lag lame languish laud laugh launch lean learn leer lift linger like liken link loathe long loom lose lull lust

manage march mark marshal marvel match maul mean meet melt mend merge merit mete mimic mind mingle mire miss miscarry mistake mistreat mistrust misuse mix mock molest motion mourn murder mumble muster

name nap need neglect nod nourish nurture

obey object offer ooze open order outdo outlast outrage overcome overhear

pack pain pale pant parade pare pass pat pause pay peal peer perceive perform perfume permit pet pin pity phone plague plait plant please pledge plod pluck plumb plummet plunge ply press poise poison pollute ponder possess pour praise pray preen prepare presage present press prevail prey probe proclaim prop prosper prostrate prove provoke prowl pry pursue

quake quarrel quench quest quit quiver

race rage rail raise rally range rankle ransom rant rape rattle ravage react ready rear rebel rebuff rebuke recall receive recite reckon recover redeem reduce reel refuse regain regard rein rejoice relax relieve relish relive rely remark remind remove rend repair repay repeat repent report repose require reside resign resist rest restore retch return reveal revere revive rid ride right ring rip ripen rise risk roar rob rock roll root rot rouse rout rub rue ruin rule rush rut

salute salvage save savor scatter scheme scold scorn scour scout scowl scramble scurry seal season seek seize sell send sense serve set settle sever shake shame shape share sharpen shatter shear shed shield shine shirk shiver shock shoot shrink shroud shudder sicken sigh signal sing sink sit skewer skip skirt slacken slake slander slap slaughter slay slip slither smile smite smother snag snarl snatch snicker soak soar sob soften soil sound spare spatter spew spill spin spit spoil sport sprawl spread spring spurn squeak stand stain stalk stand startle starve steal steep stiffen sting stink stir stoop straddle strangle stifle stream stride strike strip struggle strut stuff submit succumb suck suffer suit sulk summon sunder support surprise survive swaddle swallow swap swarm swear sweat sweep swell swindle swing swoon

taint tally tarry taste taunt teach tear teem tell temper tempt tend thank threaten throb throw thwart tickle topple torment toss touch trade trail tramp transform trap tread treat try triumph truss trust tuck twirl

undo unfold unpack unsay urge utter

vanish vanquish veil vent venture vex visit voice void vomit vouch vouchsafe

wail wake wallow wander wane want warm warn wash waste watch wave wax waylay weaken wear weep welcome whimper win wink wipe withdraw wither withhold withstand witness whet wonder wrack wrap wreak wrest wreath writhe

yearn yield

zap zoom