How To Fix a Wordy, Boring Verb To Be or Not To Be or How To Fix a Wordy, Boring Verb

Watch overusing these words in revised drafts. To Be Verbs Am Is Are Was Were Be Been Being Watch overusing these words in revised drafts.

To Be or Not To Be How To Fix Wordy, Boring Verbs Look for a better verb in the sentence and use it. Use a different, better verb Change a verb-like structure to a verb Combine two sentences. Make the end of the sentence the beginning Delete the “to be” verb (and other unnecessary fillers).

Use a Better Verb. ordered “Those are not the tapes that I ordered (Adkins, 22). I never those tapes (Adkins, 22). ordered Find a stronger verb and make it the main one.

Use a Better Verb Find a stronger verb and make it the main one. “This is about all I can take” (Adkins, 22). I not this (Adkins, 22). can take Find a stronger verb and make it the main one.

Use a Better Verb Find a stronger verb and make it the main one. “Those are the people who live next door” (Adkins, 22). Those people next door (Adkins, 22). live Find a stronger verb and make it the main one.

Watch connotative meaning Watch connotative meaning. The phrase “those people” could offend a reader; therefore, “they” might be a better choice.

Find a stronger verb and make it the main one. Use a Better Verb This is the thermostat on which they changed the temperature (Adkins, 22). They the temperature on that thermostat (Adkins, 22). changed Find a stronger verb and make it the main one.

Mini quiz In your notebook, improve the following sentence. There are three girls who gossip at school. Three girls gossip at school.

Delete the “to be” verb and other unnecessary fillers. There are three girls who gossip at school.

Use a Different, Stronger Verb “These are my snowshoes in the garage” Adkins, 22). This sentence states the snowshoes are kept in the garage. I my snowshoes in the garage (Adkins, 22). store keep To find a better verb, right click with your mouse.

Use a Different, Better Verb This is the thermostat on which they changed the temperature (Adkins, 22). They that thermostat (Adkins, 22). used

Use a Different, Better Verb Mini-quiz Use a Different, Better Verb These are made from quality material. They quality material (Adkins, 22). used

Change a Verb-like Structure to a Verb This is a broken computer. “Broken” is currently an adjective, a word that describes a noun or pronoun.

Change a Verb-like Structure to a Verb “This is a broken computer” (Adkins, 22). This computer broke (Adkins, 22).

Mini-quiz Change a Verb-like Structure to a Verb “That was a terrifying movie for a child to view” (Adkins, 22). That movie would terrify children (Adkins, 2)..

Add It to Another Sentence Too many short sentences makes a paper choppy. Use an appositive, a word or phrase immediately following and renaming a noun, to negate a “to be” verb.

Use an appositive Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth president. He was famous for leading the Northern Civil War troupes. Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, famously led the Northern Civil War troupes.

Turn a verb-like structure into a verb Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth president. He was famous for leading the Northern Civil War troupes. Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, famously led the Northern Civil War troupes.

Turn a subject complement into an adverb. Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth president. He was famous for leading the Northern Civil War troupes. Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, famously led the Northern Civil War troupes.

Add It to Another Sentence Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in Kentucky. He lived most of his life in Illinois. Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, 1809, in Kentucky, spent most of his life in Illinois. Notice, combining the sentences also fixes the redundant sentence openers since Abraham Lincoln and He are the same.

Add It to Another Sentence If you feel too many commas muddle the sentence, the following could also work. Abraham Lincoln, born February 1809 in Kentucky, spent most of his life in Illinois.

Mini-quiz Add It to Another Sentence or Expand “This is a precarious situation” (Adkins, 22). This precarious situation needs solving.

Make the End of the Sentence the Beginning A mistake was made by Bill. Bill … Bill made a mistake.

Improve your writing by “being” your own editor before you peer edit

Work Cited The Prentice Hall Grammar Workbook, Second Addition Jeanette Adkins Pearson Education, Inc. 2006 New Jersey

Work Cited Adkins, Jeanette. The Prentice Hall Grammar Workbook, Second Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2006.