Paramedic Method Instructions 1.Find & Highlight all PREPOSITIONS 2.Find & Highlight all forms of TO BE

But, Why? 1.To be is a weak verb I am tired. The teacher is friendly. The students are busy. To be is a verb that makes you describe, rather than show action with strong verbs.

Better than to be I am tired.  My bones ache. The teacher is friendly.  The teacher invites me to office hours. The students are busy.  The students rush to type their drafts. Actions speak louder

Prepositions More prepositions, more problems. There are a great many problems with the school system today. It is well known that public schools lack funding that is desperately needed in order to ensure the development of skills and the high achievement of test scores.

Prepositions & To Be There are a great many problems with the school system today. It is well known that public schools lack funding that is desperately needed in order to ensure the development of skills and the high achievement of test scores.

Prepositions There are a great many problems with the school system today. It is well known that public schools lack funding that is desperately needed in order to ensure the development of skills and the high achievement of test scores. Schools face many problems today. Education lacks desperately needed funding that can ensure skill development and high test scores.

But, HOW? 1.Simply Delete 2.Use possessives The will of the people  The people’s will 3.Put the action first. 4.Replace with a better verb (use your thesaurus)

Example 1 The most important thing I learned outside of school was being responsible. I learned this from my mother. Make the action direct. Put it sooner. I learned My mother taught me

Example 2 The most important thing I have ever learned is that things are not going to go my way all the time and I cannot lash out when that happens. I learned this when I was a little girl. I would cry or get upset when I didn't get things that I wanted. Use fewer words When I was a little girl  as a little girl

Example 3 The ways of my mother taught me how not to be a parent. Use a possessive The ways of my mother  my mother’s ways

Example 4 I had to raise my little sister because our dad was working 3 jobs… Simplify: use the simple past I had to raise  I raised Our dad was working  our dad worked

Example 5 I have realized that I need to take advantage of all that I can get out of life. Simplify: take out unnecessary words I have realized that I need to  I have realized I must You try it: All that I can get out of life  ________

PEER REVIEW 1.Move one seat to your LEFT 2.Skim sentences or use a Word Find. 3.Highlight every preposition and form of To Be that you see. (NOT in the quotations) 4.Eliminate and Revise. Fewer words + Stronger verbs = Happy You