Keep these basic guidelines in mind as you check your verbs:

• Rely on Active Voice

• Avoid Linking Verbs

• Convert Weak Nouns to Strong Verbs

• Be Concise

• Avoid "There are. . ." and "It is . . ." Constructions

1) Wimps Are Known by their Use of the Passive Voice

In daily life, we speak in active voice: a subject does an action:

Bob walked the dog.

Passive voice reverses that pattern, hiding the subject and in general requiring more "processing time" as our brains work to rearrange ideas into the expected order:

The dog was walked by Bob.

Passive voice can be useful in certain situations - if you need to avoid responsibility, for instance, or when you want to emphasis the object rather than the subject:

Cutbacks must be made.

However, unless you have a good reason to adopt passive voice, use active voice in your writing.

 

The verb "being," though not strictly passive voice, also weakens a sentence:

Instead of "Being that I am older than you, I ought to get to drive."

write "I ought to drive because I am older."

 

2) Linking verbs such as think, feel, seems, and appears make weak prose:

Don't Say	Say
He thinks he really likes his job.	He likes his new job.
She feels bad about that mistake she made.	She regrets her mistake.
It seems that every time I try to help, I mess it up.	Despite my best efforts, I make things worse.
It appears to be time that we should leave.	We need to go now.

 

3) Make Weak Nouns Into Strong Verbs

Too often, writers substitute longer, less direct noun phrases for more effective verbs. In particular, watch your prose for nouns ending in -ment, -tion, and -ance. For example:

 

Don't Say	Say
I will undertake development	I will develop
I will make a recommendation	I will recommend
We have made preparations	We have prepared
Since the submission of our proposal	Since we submitted our proposal

 

4)Inflated and/or vague verb phrases may well kill brain cells through tedium.

Avoid using 4 words where 1 will do, and keep the verbs short. For example:

Change Verb from	To
Ascertain that	Learn, find out
Make contact with	Call, phone, fax
Is not prepared to reveal	Won't tell you
It Has come to our attention that	We learned
Are not in a position to	We cannot/ we will not
Interface	Talk
Finalize	Finish
Impact	Touch

 

5) Avoid "There are . . ." and "It is . . ." constructions.

These phrases, like padding or linking verbs, weaken sentences by taking longer to get to the point:

There are several reasons that explain why profits fell.
Profits fell for several reasons.

It is essential that everyone understand the new policy.
Everyone must understand the new policy.

It is easy to learn the new database system.
The new database system is easy to learn.
You can easily learn the new database system.

 

Keep It Short-->