Strong Verbs: How to Edit Your Writing to Get Rid of Weak Verbs

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Strong Verbs: How to Edit Your Writing to Get Rid of Weak Verbs

Рет қаралды 50,385

Күн бұрын

If you’ve heard the phrase, “Show, don’t tell,” it won’t surprise you that creating strong visuals is crucial to great storytelling.
One way to do this is to use strong verbs. A few strong verbs can create a mental image in your reader’s mind that a string of weak verbs never could.
But what are strong verbs? And how can you use them in your writing?
Strong verbs are a way to create:
- A clear image for your reader
- Enable readers to feel strong emotion
- Describe your story accurately and succinctly
In this video, Bella doesn’t just explain the difference between strong and weak verbs. She edits content in real-time, so you can see the power of replacing weak verbs with strong ones.
This visual example is one you don’t want to miss!
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Пікірлер: 71

@user-jz3mb6lc5o 3 жыл бұрын

Want some free training for writing a novel? Check this out: self-publishingschool.com/FictionClass

@claracarrion1300 3 жыл бұрын

thank you so so much! i’ve always loved writing, but my vocabulary is really weak. this was extremely helpful, and thank you for the example!

@Ronalexandernyc 4 ай бұрын

I am currently sitting a letter to a potential investor in my tech startup and this has been so helpful.

@lesley1848 3 жыл бұрын

I have a problem with 'my eyes grew wide.' How did first person narrator know her eyes grew wide? Seeing ones face is impossible unless looking in the mirror. Also, tense confusion, jumping from third person to first person!

@janeconaway 6 жыл бұрын

This video spoke volumes to me. It showed me how dull weak verbs are. Rather: It screamed just how dull weak verbs say nothing.

@user-jz3mb6lc5o 6 жыл бұрын

Exactly Jane! So glad it was helpful. Make sure to check out the accompanying blog post for even more help :)

@Closetslikecedar 3 жыл бұрын

giving a real example was SO HELPFUL!

@DravenWolfe 5 жыл бұрын

Good Video, I am learning how to use stronger verbs, due to lack of peer critique, I had gotten into the habit of using the weaker verbs. So even now it's more of an automatic thing. Also another thing coming up is repeating. Where I convey the the temper in the speech and bodylanguage but also put in "she shouted" edit: I was thinking "Stormed out of the room"

@alliot_here 2 жыл бұрын

One word 'wow'

@AbelaAbela-lj3ll 4 ай бұрын

አመሰግናለሁ😊😊😊😊

@chemikalaraja1971 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. I have been looking for this kind of stuff and explanation. I request you more videos on editing with examples. Here in this video with one example, you made your point very much vividly. You have explained powerfully with the help of most energetic verbs Really I appreciate your intellectual way of putting things nicely and clearly.

@user-bl1md4td3e Жыл бұрын

I agree with you. This video's teacher is very friendly and explained powerfully.

@fridgeraider604 7 ай бұрын

Great explanations and examples:)

@adeniyiadetoke5190 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@mcmoodoo 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! What an example.

@siyahans4964 3 жыл бұрын

The sample piece really helped me understand the concept of a strong verb elaborating "how" the weaker verb is performed or happening. Thanks!

@ogutugso 4 жыл бұрын

This is very helpful thank you please make more videoes

@dianepotteryoga 11 күн бұрын

Very helpful!

@Marta1Buck 2 жыл бұрын

after years of learning English, now I have to learn it again. great.

@mkquadri 2 жыл бұрын

Your explanation is crystal clear.

@sovereignsoulutions6612 4 жыл бұрын

Yes this was amazing!!! Thanks!!!

@minenhlemoyo4858 2 жыл бұрын

This really helped

@KrishnaSharma-bt7mk 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent

@abdikanikhalif6381 2 жыл бұрын

Helpful thanks

@SonGoku-uv4pk 2 жыл бұрын

Wow... now im feeling like a beginner again

@parragmazumdar 2 жыл бұрын

Thank You ☺️

@ArifIKhan-gg6rx Жыл бұрын

This was very helpful. Thank you!!

@Writing4Jesus247 4 жыл бұрын

Dialogue also really helps split up motions and movements. So you don't get a play by play feel.

@Aveen3 5 жыл бұрын

I am confused, who is "I"? Is it the woman? Did the narrative jump from third person narrative to first person narrative?

@vh6772 4 жыл бұрын

I think the "I" is a parent. The "woman" is their child.

@kdcaliforniapanther8854 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant writing tips 👏

@chyy9970 3 жыл бұрын

This helped me

@kevgh3869 2 жыл бұрын

Hi. I subscribed.

@esha5704 3 жыл бұрын

Wow teacher!I really like to your speed talking!Amazing!It improves also our listening skills..need to understand quickly.thanks

@byrtmallanyk 4 жыл бұрын

Now I know 🧐!! You are such a great teacher. Thank you for demystifying 'strong and weak verbs' so very well. 🙌🏼

@bratwizard 3 жыл бұрын

How did you know she "completed the math assignment correctly" from her demeanor and the fact that you hadn't read the letter until after that sentence?

@abdulalim2750 4 жыл бұрын

really educative

@newzene7085 4 жыл бұрын

😂😂

@rb5955 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely brilliant

@robertagallant3819 Жыл бұрын

How do I replace "to be" verbs with dead verbs in the following paragraph? Disneyland is the greatest theme park in Southern California. Its rides range from thrilling to relaxing, so there is something for everybody, no matter his or her age. Restaurants of all kinds can be found to accommodate every taste. Every "land" has its own theme and feel to it. A day spent at Disneyland is a good day! I would like you to teach me how to replace "to be" verbs with dead verbs online for a change. As a child, I did not receive a proper education.

@dtsouza67 5 жыл бұрын

Very helpful! I'm editing today for sure.

@rumisbadforyou9670 Жыл бұрын

I mean, strong verbs are cool and all, but since I see "handed over" and "eyes grew wide" used more often than "gave" and "was shocked," I'd actually take the latter two. At least they aren't so on the nose and wouldn't break my immersion. IMO. I also tried reading RedWall as a non-native. And it was not pleasant. Having to open a dictionary every fourth word is extremely tiring and time consuming. (Just an example of a more extreme case of "strong verb ftw" trap)

@wolfwing1 3 жыл бұрын

the real issue is what IS a strong verb. I've found lists, but they don't really help a lot. Like I'm trying to say my character gracefully landed in a tree, I'm told by programs like Hemmingway to use forceful verb...okay but I've tried multiple synonyms that would fit and told none of them are forceful. so how the hell am I supposed to improve? Lists just give random verbs that are often not useful.

@user-jz3mb6lc5o 3 жыл бұрын

You can just say "gracefully landed". Not EVERY adverb needs to be replaced in order for it to be strong. I don't know what method they're using to get onto the tree (leaping off something? do they fly and can land?). the key is to find a word to replace "gracefully landed" as in "touched down" or "settled" or "perched". You can also use stronger adverbs, like "delicately" if you want to increase the visual of what them landing on the tree looks like. Don't think that every single adverb needs to be replaced. Sometimes, the best version of saying something IS to use the adverb (and you don't HAVE to take every suggestion by softwares). You can also use metaphors to help describe how they landed: "like a butterfly on a blade of grass".

@wolfwing1 3 жыл бұрын

@@user-jz3mb6lc5oheh thanks :> it's just a frustrating thing as I don't know if the issue is it's fine as it is, or I don't know what would work heh.,I've been using Hemmingway ap and gramarly as a first step, then I post to scribophile that helps as another layer to fix things. It's a story about a boy turning into a eagle, and eventually other animals, a fun story that more about sharing then worrying about getting published, but still want to make it more fun for the readers. I'm going to rewrite it as I think the paragraph was a little too basic in the description as it's just a quick move, but here is the full part. . I flew straight over to the branch and managed to slow my momentum with a few flaps and carefully landed upon the branch. My talons gripped it and I folded my wings along my back.

@nonhlanhladhlamini7807 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks it helped a lot 🥰

@sanjibmalik6987 5 жыл бұрын

good

@maryannepalacio6355 2 жыл бұрын

Love it!!!

@ibraheemshaqqou7043 7 ай бұрын

Upon peering at this video, I attained lots of new information on employing stronger verbs!

@danmaphalala5590 3 жыл бұрын

This was great, I mopped across the floor.

@darasokny3601 2 жыл бұрын

What are kinds of nouns?

@adnandanish9304 4 жыл бұрын

Lovely mam. Incredible

@gyanvarsha999 3 жыл бұрын

For this to work, one needs to know the strong verb variants of the weak verbs used in a sentence. Most of us who use weak verbs do it as we don't know the stronger versions. In the early years, teachers don't say word and then we get habitual of using these weak verbs.

@user-jz3mb6lc5o 3 жыл бұрын

which is why we have our list of strong verbs and the weak verbs they replace listed at the strong verbs blog post listed in our bio :)

@gyanvarsha999 3 жыл бұрын

@@user-jz3mb6lc5o I will check. Thank you.

@crowley2158 3 жыл бұрын

Great video.

@siddharthabargi2461 4 жыл бұрын

A very awesome video....I would be pretty grateful if you could make a list of some strong verbs......thank you

@user-jz3mb6lc5o 4 жыл бұрын

check the description ;)

@MaheshBabu-nb4yi 3 жыл бұрын

I love your presentation. With strong verb, I appreciate your presentation. Is it correct? How do you put it?

@robertagallant3819 Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Mahesh. People should start using strong verbs, not weak verbs.

@robertagallant3819 Жыл бұрын

How to edit out the "to be" verbs in the following paragraph: The British ocean liner Titanic was a large ship that thought to be unsinkable. The Titanic made its first in 1912. It was scheduled to sail from England to New York The ship was about 1,600 miles from New York when it collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. This collision caused a gash 300 feet long in the ship's hull. It took two hours and forty minutes for the Titanic to sink. The worst part was that there were not enough lifeboats for everyone. Tragically, about 1,400 people died that night. Due to many lives lost, the sinking of the Titanic is considered to be the deadliest peacetime, maritime disaster in modern history. The Titanic has undoubtedly become one of the most famous ships in history. Their memory is kept alive by numerous books, folk songs, movies, exhibits, and memorials.

@robertagallant3819 Жыл бұрын

I still would like you to change the paragraph from weak verbs to strong verbs right now so that I can see what it looks like with strong verbs.

@robertagallant3819 Жыл бұрын

Guy, why do you want me to take these dumb supposed "rules" with a grain of salt?