Strong Verbs
Build your sentences on strong verbs. Replace flabby generic verbs with vibrant, exact, sturdy verbs. The right verb doesn't have to be fancy, but it should ring with the clarity of its intention.
Strong verbs save us from the perils of the appended adverb.
Not – ran. But – jogged, hurtled, skittered, made a break for it, dodged, raced, ate ground, escaped.
Not – moved. But – winced, slid sideways, avoided, eased past, twitched, jerked.
Not – sat down. But – flopped into the chair.
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeleteVery helpful. But I should have read it before I began the revision where I started adding ing to my verbs and adding he said/she said.
Marion
Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteDiscovering how to do something = good.
Discovering how to do something after you have just finished doing it wrong = total frustration.
I would say. discovering that I changed something good to something wrong = total frustration.
ReplyDeleteMarion