Liveliness: Hard-working Action Verbs and Verbals Action verbs Action verbals Review A Review B

Strong action verbs bring sentences to life. The best writers use strong action verbs as high- octane fuel to power their sentences. Action verbs Look at how Jack London uses the verb frowned in the opening sentence of White Fang: Dark spruce forest frowned on either side of the frozen waterway. London uses frowned as a metaphor to show that the forest is a hostile, threatening place.metaphor

Action verbs Metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two seemingly unlike things. A direct metaphor states that one thing is another. The forest is an angry old man. An indirect metaphor implies a comparison between two things without stating it directly. Dark spruce forest frowned....

Note the vivid verbs that London uses to create his gloomy setting in the next few sentences of the opening paragraph. Action verbs The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land. Using less vivid verb forms takes the life from the passage. A recent wind had removed the white covering of frost from the trees, and they seemed to move toward each other, black and ominous, in the decreasing light. A vast silence was over the land.

Action verbs 2.The hungry cat had its food. 3.Our kayak went through the rapids and traveled over a small waterfall. The following sentences contain lifeless verbs. Replace each verb with one that is more lively. 1.A cloud of smoke is above downtown.

Action verbs The following sentences contain lifeless verbs. Replace each verb with one that is more lively. 1. A cloud of smoke looms above downtown. [possible answer]

Action verbs The following sentences contain lifeless verbs. Replace each verb with one that is more lively. 2.The hungry cat gobbled its food. [possible answer]

Action verbs The following sentences contain lifeless verbs. Replace each verb with one that is more lively. 3.Our kayak rocketed through the rapids and plummeted over a small waterfall. [possible answer]

Other action-oriented words in the passage are not main verbs but verbals. VerbalsVerbals are words that are formed from verbs but do the work of adverbs, adjectives, or nouns. Action verbals The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean toward each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land. Infinitive functioning as an adverb (How did they seem?) Present participle functioning as an adjective (What kind of light?)

Action verbals The three kinds of verbals are participles, gerunds, and infinitives. A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective. Present Participle Past Participle walk ed catch ing aught c walk ing I saw James walking into the store. The caught fish wriggled off the hook.

Action verbals A gerund is a verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun. Seeing is believing, or so people say. An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most infinitives begin with to. Noun To succeed requires effort. Adjective Emily is the one to watch. Adverb I am eager to try.

Action verbals If you are confused about the difference between a verb and a verbal, think of it this way: Changing the tense of a sentence affects verbs but not verbals. The clouds darken in the fading light. Present tensePresent participle The clouds darkened in the fading light. Past tensePresent participle

All these verbals are present participles except the infinitive sing. Action verbals They sprang away, stumbling over roots and among vines in the dark, no two plunging in the same direction. A furious blast roared through the trees, making everything sing as it went. One blinding flash after another came, and peal on peal of deafening thunder. Writers use action verbs and verbals to create excitement, as in this passage from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Action verbs They sprang away, stumbling over roots and among vines in the dark, no two plunging in the same direction. A furious blast roared through the trees, making everything sing as it went. One blinding flash after another came, and peal on peal of deafening thunder. Verbals They sprang away, stumbling over roots and among vines in the dark, no two plunging in the same direction. A furious blast roared through the trees, making everything sing as it went. One blinding flash after another came, and peal on peal of deafening thunder.

Action verbals 2.To get the child, the firefighter ran through smoke and flames. 3.Kim dove and saved the vase from going to the floor. Locate the verbal in each sentence, and replace it with one that is more lively. 1.I saw hot-air balloons moving over the field.

Action verbals Locate the verbal in each sentence, and replace it with one that is more lively. 1. I saw hot-air balloons floating over the field. [possible answer]

Action verbals Locate the verbal in each sentence, and replace it with one that is more lively. 2.To grab the child, the firefighter ran through smoke and flames. [possible answer]

Action verbals Locate the verbal in each sentence, and replace it with one that is more lively. 3.Kim dove and saved the vase from smashing to the floor. [possible answer]

Action verbs and verbals [End of Section] The following sentences contain lifeless verbs and verbals. Replace the italicized words to make each sentence more vivid. 1. “Don’t open that!” Bill said. 2.The car swerved right, touching the rail. 3.Fans went to ask the star for her autograph. 4.Making a sound ominously, the door opened by itself. 5.This is the building that the architect made to get first prize in the contest. On Your Own

Action verbs and verbals Possible Answers The following sentences contain lifeless verbs and verbals. Replace the italicized words to make each sentence more lively. 1. “Don’t open that!” Bill screamed. 2.The car swerved right, scraping the rail. 3.Fans flocked to ask the star for her autograph. 4.Creaking ominously, the door opened by itself. 5.This is the building that the architect crafted to win first prize in the contest.

The boys cried out to each other, but the roaring blasts and the booming thunder blasts drowned their voices utterly. However, one by one they straggled in at last and took shelter under the tent, cold, scared, and streaming with water; but to have company in misery seemed something to be grateful for. They could not talk, the old sail flapped so furiously, even if the other voices would have allowed them. Review A Underline each verb, and circle each verbal in this passage from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Which do you think are the most lively?

Review A The boys cried out to each other, but the roaring blasts and the booming thunder blasts drowned their voices utterly. However, one by one they straggled in at last and took shelter under the tent, cold, scared, and streaming with water; but to have company in misery seemed something to be grateful for. They could not talk, the old sail flapped so furiously, even if the other voices would have allowed them. Underline each verb, and circle each verbal in this passage from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Which do you think are the most lively?

Review B Using action verbs and verbals, write a paragraph describing an exciting or frightening event. Then, identify each verb and verbal that you use.

Review B Using action verbs and verbals, write a paragraph describing an exciting or frightening event. Then, identify each verb and verbal that you use. [possible answer] Greg dug his ax into the ice and hauled himself farther up the frozen waterfall. Cold as it was, he blinked to scatter the sweat streaming into his eyes. Then, in a startling instant, he heard a metallic “ping” as the anchor below him popped out and clattered down the rope.

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