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Effective Verb Usage for Vivid Writing

Learn how to use action verbs effectively to create vivid and engaging writing. Improve your verb usage and enhance your storytelling skills.

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Effective Verb Usage for Vivid Writing

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  1. Show Don’t Tell Verb Usage

  2. Writing Handbook Page 12 Jackie ran a race last weekend What is the action verb here? Notice that action verbs help you be more concise • Linking verb • Passive • Connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject (see pg. 11) • Helping verb • Passive • help the main verb in a sentence by extending the meaning of the verb • Action verb • Active! • Show that the subject is doing something, not just existing. We are running in a race. What is the helping verb here? Notice that many helping verbs can also be linking verbs… Keila is a shopaholic. Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay.

  3. Action verbs SHOW rather than TELL. • The man is a monster. • Does this show or tell? • Not very vivid…in fact it’s dull. • So…change it to action to show he is a monster. Page 14 of your writing handbook The man ripped off the sheep’s head and ate the eyeballs with a sickening squishy crunch.

  4. Be precise; use words that convey a better sense of the action (a)  The goalie crouched low, swept out his stick, and hooked the rebound away from the net. (b)  The goalie crouched low, reached out his stick, and sent the rebound away from the net.

  5. Be Specific: Concrete language is always better than abstract a)  The senator spoke about the challenges of the future: problems of famine, global warming, and arms control. (b)  The senator spoke about the challenges of the future: problems concerning the environment and global peace.

  6. Page 19 of your writing handbook Be specific

  7. Use definite, specific and concrete language (a)  In proportion as men delight in battles, bullfights, and combats of gladiators, will they punish by hanging, burning, and the rack. (b)  In proportion as the manners, customs, and amusements of a nation are cruel and barbarous, the regulations of the penal code will be severe.

  8. Active Voice = A+ Active voice: When the subject performs the action Passive voice: When the action is performed on the subject. In other words, you’ve made the object into the subject. Weak: The truck was loaded with crates of bananas by the workers. Better: The workers loaded the truck with crates of bananas.

  9. 11. The shoe was lost by Cinderella. 12. The apple was eaten by Snow White. 13.“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” was sung by Mary Poppins. 14. The mirror was cleaned by the housekeeper. 15. The baby was fed by the mother. 16. The trees were pruned by the gardener. 17. The book was written by JK Rowling. 18. The flowers were picked by the little girl with blonde curls. 19. The canon was loaded by the pirate with one eye. 20. The living room was vacuumed by the polite teenager. 11. Cinderella lost the shoe. 12. Snow White ate the apple. 13. Mary Poppins sang" Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. 14. The housekeeper cleaned the mirror 15. The mother fed the baby. 16. The gardener pruned the trees. 17. JK Rowling wrote the book. 18. The little girl with blonde curls picked the flowers. 19. The pirate with one eye loaded the canon. 20. The polite teenager vacuumed the living room.

  10. Passive voice is NOT Grammatically incorrect! It’s a style issue. Active voice makes the writing more concise and thus more enjoyable for the reader.

  11. The Holy Matrimony of Verbs & Subjects • Strongest verbs SHOW rather than_______. • Subjects are _____ and ________ that PERFORM the action of the verb TELL NOUNS PRONOUNS

  12. Subject (Noun/Pronoun) & Verb Agreement • A SUBJECT is either ________ (one) or ______ (many) • The VERB must always AGREE (change form to match) with the SUBJECT • SINGLE subject = ________ verb; PLURAL subject = ________ verb SINGULAR PLURAL SINGULAR PLURAL

  13. Collective Nouns • Nouns that SEEM like they are plural, but they are in a group and that group acts as one UNIT. • A swarm of bees = 1 swarm, containing many bees (The swarm attacks my friend. [not attack]) • A pack of cards = 1 pack, containing many cards (The pack of cards sits on the chair. [not sit]) • A family of 5 = 1 family, containing multiple members (The family goes on vacation. [not go])

  14. Compound Subjects • SUBJECTS joined by OR or NOR then the verb takes the form of the CLOSEST subject • Either the actors or the director is at fault. • Either the director or the actors are at fault. • SUBJECT is MORE THAN ONE thing/person (Joined by AND) • My colleague and manager were promoted. (THEY were promoted) • Rupert and Jane are football fans, but Colin prefers shopping. (They are football fans, but he prefers shopping)

  15. Practice subject/verb agreement handout

  16. Pronouns and Antecedents Must also agree

  17. Pronouns pg 21 • Replace nouns • Should agree with and HAVE an antecedent (a noun that precedes it) • Suzy loves her new bag. (underline the pronoun and circle the antecedent) • Possessive pronouns show ownership • John’s bag is on the counter = His bag is on the counter

  18. Singular/plural • A singular personal pronoun should be used with 2 or more singular antecedents joined by or or nor • Neither Tom nor Ken brought his equipment. (circle the pronoun; underline the antecedent) • A plural personal pronoun should be used with 2 or more antecedents joined by and. • Sue and Stan have chosen their instruments. (circle the pronoun; underline the antecedent) • EXCEPT when distinguishing between joint and individual ownership. • Neither Linda nor Maria let me play her guitar (they both have a guitar) • Neither Linda nor Maria let me play their guitar (the guitar belongs to both of them)

  19. Indefinite pronouns • anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, no one, and nobody are always singular. Circle the grammatically correct sentence. • Somebody left his or her bag at the station. • Somebody left their bag at the station.

  20. Compound pronouns • Form should stay the same when something is compounded. • This bag is for me. • This bag is for Fred and me/I. (circle the correct pronoun)

  21. Who, whom, whose • To choose correctly among the forms of who, rephrase to choose between he and him. • Whom/Who do you think is responsible? (Do you think he/him is responsible?) • Whom/Who should we ask to the club? (Should we ask he/him to the party?) • Use the chart to help you circle the correct pronouns in the sentence above.

  22. Practice page 22 Pronouns and antecedents

  23. Review Parallelism passage B on page 18 of your writing handbook

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